21 Century Skills

21 century skills refer to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that are believed to be critically important to success in today's world. These skills can be

applied in all academic subject areas, and in all educational, career, and civic settings throughout a student's life. They include: critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning, questioning, research skills, creativity, imagination, planning, public speaking and presenting, cooperation, information and communication technology literacy, computer programming, global awareness, environmental understanding, and health and wellness literacy. They must be used in classrooms in different ways. So technology must be integrated in the schools (computers, pads..), collaborative work also should be integrated. Also the teacher

must give students chance for creative thinking (for example ask them to brainstorm). The teacher should use proper feedback to support and encourage students, use the suitable assessment that is valid and fair to all types of students, and should play the role of being a facilitator. These skills have many positive effects on students, they enhance the ability of individuals to communicate clearly using oral and written languages, allow students to collaborate effectively and enable  them to share and use information to solve complex problems, enable students to acquire the creative thinking, flexible problem solving and innovation skills that they will need to be successful in work and life, and enhance the ability of individuals to work effectively with diverse teams and to be open minded to varying ideas and values.