21ST CENTURY EDUCATION - A FUTURISTIC

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Firstly, we need to recognize that the 21 st century education is the bedrock of
competitiveness and we need to act accordingly, taking into consideration every
aspect of our education system which must be aligned to equip the present
generation with the pre-requisite skills needed to compete. So, the ability to compete
demands a futuristic-fresh approach to education.
In an economy driven by innovation and knowledge; in market places engaged in
intense competitions and constant renewal; in a world of tremendous opportunity
and skills; in a society facing complex business, political, scientific, technological,
health and environmental challenges and in diverse workplaces and communication
that hinge on collaborative relationships and social networking, the ingenuity, agility
and skills are crucial to face the competition.
We are living in exponential times, the amount of technical information is doubling
every year, and its a challenge to adopt a new paradigm shift of education. We now
live in an increasingly diverse, globalized and media saturated society and
technological revolution will have a greater impact on the society.
We may not be able to foresee the career of future generation, but it is a good bet
that, critical thinking, creative problem solving and familiarity will be the basic job
requirements. Even people who work in other professions will need a strong
background in technology.
21st century skills are the new building blocks for getting adapted to the changing
scenario. The demands of 21st century education focus is mainly on
Inventive thinking:
Adaptability, managing complexity, self-direction, curiosity & imagination,
creativity & risk taking, high order thinking and sound reasoning, accessing &
analysing information.
High productivity:
Prioritizing, planning and management for results, effective use of real world tools,
ability to produce relevant high quality products
Effective Communicator:
Entrepreneur skills like prioritizing, planning, managing for results, effective use of
real world tools, ability to produce high quality output, teaming, collaboration and
inter-personal skills, personal and inter-personal skills, social and creative
responsibility and interactive communicator, social & civic responsibility, agility &
adaptability and effective oral and written communication.

Digital Literacy:
Basic, scientific, economic and technological literacies, visual and informational
literacies, multi-cultural literacy, global awareness, social media, online learning
through audio and video lectures and ICT.
Leadership qualities: collaborative access network and leading by influence and
example
These needs lead to a need for students to be able to communicate functions and
create change personally, socially, economically, and politically on local, national
and global levels, thereby enabling them to face the challenges of emerging
technologies and resulting globalization and also to gear up to the unlimited
possibilities for exploring new discoveries and developments such as new forms of
energy, medical advances, restoration of environmentally ravaged areas,
communication and exploration of space and depths of the ocean.
Emerging learning landscape:
The emerging landscape of education should cater the following to help the 21 st
century learner for a better adaptability and connectivity to the ever changing
demands of the 21st century:
Student centred & performance focussed learning
Flexible progression with multi-path options
Media rich multi-sensory stimulation
Learner constructed knowledge from multiple information sources and experiences
Collaborative work on authentic real world projects
Student engagement in definition, design, management of projects
Creative thinking for original innovation and original solutions
Global expertise information and learning experiences
Converging information and communication systems.
Digital literacy and communication skills
Expanded focus including digital and global citizenship
Integrated assessment for learning
Therefore, education needs a holistic approach to meet the ever changing needs of
21st century!