21st Century Capabilities: Digital Literacy

As noted at our April 1 meeting, the plan is to address one capability per week for the next five weeks. This week we're moving on to Digital Literacy.

Below you'll find the definition of Digital Literacy as determined by the two teams from the April 1 meeting along with ideas about how that capability might translate to the workplace, higher education and community life.

After taking a moment to review the definitions, respond to the following questions:

• How important might this capability be for SPS students?
• What might be the implications if we don’t explicitlyaddress the capability through curriculum, instruction, and assessment, i.e., if we maintain the status quo?

Team I Description/Definition: Is the ability to use a variety of technological tools; to access information, filter it, and then apply it in original and ethical works or products.

Team J Description/Definition: The ability to operate, search, and obtain reliable information via electronic means to create and achieve desired results.

What might this capability look like in business or the workplace?

Team I

• Analyze global trends
• Application or use of tech. tools
• Being able to use the program or programs that your business uses such as PowerPoint, Excel, etc.
• Blend digital data with other realms of data
• Communicate with social media
• Communication
• Flexibility
• Knowing how to use various software
• Mandatory
• Problem solving
• Produce advertisements
• Providing time to learn
• Rapidly assimilate information
• Reflection
• Transfer
• Value human connections
• Valuing company time!

Team J

• International communication
• Interpersonal
• Interpretation of digital slang and/or various language
• Meetings-formal and informal
• One to one initiatives (1 computer to 1 student)
• Podcasts/webinar
• There is an application for that, I-phone
• Troubleshooting tech problems
• Use technology to be competitive in the global workforce
• Webinars/interaction
• Website

What might this capability look like in higher education?

Team I

• Communication
• Distance learning
• Evaluate research
• Gaining a global/international perspective
• Graphic designer/interior designer
• Mandatory
• Online courses/degrees
• Produce a product
• Research/producing

Team J

• 3G network
• Balance of electronic learning with human element
• Classes to prepare for society
• Communication with teacher and students via technology
• Discernment of information
• Distance learning
• Fact us misinformation (internet)
• Safe place to create and learn
• Seeking information from sources other than traditional textbooks

What might this capability look like in the community or life experience?

Team I

• Access to computers
• Being able to teach yourself a new program
• Communication
• Development of technology norms/etiquette
• Fact-finding
• Networking
• Skype your daughter in new Zealand
• Writing a research paper

Team J

• An increased gap of “haves” & “have nots”
• Better informed citizens
• Delivery of professional development learning
• Informed decisions for consumers
• Keeping friends and family connected
• Knowledge of how to use technology
• Libraries transformed to media centers
• Obtain reliable/trustworthy information to make informed decisions on election day
• Skype
• Texting language (LOL)

21st Century Capabilities: Collaboration

As noted at our April 1 meeting, the plan is to address one capability per week for the next five weeks. This week we're moving on to Collaboration.

Below you'll find the definition of Collaboration as determined by the two teams from the April 1 meeting along with ideas about how that capability might translate to the workplace, higher education and community life.

After taking a moment to review the definitions, respond to the following questions:

• How important might this capability be for SPS students?
• What might be the implications if we don’t explicitlyaddress the capability through curriculum, instruction, and assessment, i.e., if we maintain the status quo?

Team G Description/Definition: Recognizing and utilizing individual strengths by engaging in productive conversations working toward a common goal.

Team H Description/Definition: Utilizing appropriate social skills to share with diverse groups, resulting in a positive outcome.

What might this capability look like in business or the workplace?

Team G
• Ability to contribute to a project
• Agenda, mission, vision, norms
• Avoiding “Group think”
• Commitment to norms
• Efficacy
• Electronic participation
• Formal or planned (scheduled)
• If in marketing, being able to sell your product and decide how to do that
• More effective, efficient use of time
• Networking skills-emotional intelligence
• Norms of dialogue and discussion
• People together in a group
• Product team
• Self awareness
• Sharing responsibility
• Social graces
• Strength finder
• Talking

Team H
• Are all outcomes positive?
• Collaborating with different stakeholders to produce most effective produce or resource
• Collective problem solving
• Communication, listening and speaking, problem solving with each other
• Decision making
• Efficient and effective use of resources
• Gathering input/feedback to improve
• Mutual goal
• Utilizing various media (i.e. global communication), teleconferencing
• Variety of departments working together
• Working together to produce a high-quality outcome
• Working with partnering businesses, cross promotions, etc.

What might this capability look like in higher education?

Team G
• Ability to define agreement
• Agenda
• Consciousness
• Cooperation and tolerance
• Electronic participation
• Formal or planned (scheduled)
• Groups
• High craftsmanship
• Increased focus
• Interdependence
• Open mindedness
• Talking

Team H
• Sharing ideas to enhance the learning experience
• Students working together on a project
• Cooperative learning projects
• Teacher-student relationships to increase education
• Collaboration between all 3 stakeholders

What might this capability look like in the community or life experience?

Team G
• Ability to get along with others
• Be open minded
• Coalition building
• Groups
• Impromptu
• Leveraging resources
• Public/private partnerships
• Social networking
• Social or functional
• Talking

Team H
• Scheduling
• Political issues
• Town hall meetings
• Church meetings
• Neighborhood alliances
• A snowball effect community and global outreach
• Planning event; funeral, wedding, holiday, medical, and education

21st Century Capabilities: Communication

As noted at our April 1 meeting, the plan is to address one capability per week for the next five weeks. This week we're moving on to Communication.

Below you'll find the definition of Communication as determined by the two teams from the April 1 meeting along with ideas about how that capability might translate to the workplace, higher education and community life.

After taking a moment to review the definitions, respond to the following questions:

• How important might this capability be for SPS students?
• What might be the implications if we don’t explicitlyaddress the capability through curriculum, instruction, and assessment, i.e., if we maintain the status quo?

Team E Description/Definition: The ability to effectively express and receive information, thoughts, and feeling to a rand of audiences using a wide variety of mediums.

Team F Definition/Description: Two-way transfer of knowledge, thoughts, or ideas through verbal, non-verbal, or written means with attention to tone, social norms, vernacular, and diplomacy to convey a clear, concise, and accurate message.

What might this capability look like in business or the workplace?

Team E
• Ability to communicate with bosses, co-workers, and customers
• Ability to summarize data
• Coaching subordinate
• Communicating goals
• Computer skills
• Customer service
• Electronic
• Email etiquette
• Ethical-when to say what, how to be
• Express feelings appropriately
• Face-to-face
• Job interview
• Leadership skills
• Listening and seeking clarity
• Listening set aside
• Non-verbals
• Phone
• Public
• Public speaking
• Research
• Successful project completion
• World language
• Writing
• Writing job evaluations
• Writing resume


Team F
• Acceptance of other ideas and opinions/understanding of ideas or opinions
• Clarity of expectations
• Different methods of communication to reach identified audience(s)
• Important for collaboration
• Interpret and prioritize information
• Interviewing potential employees
• Listening skills
• Negotiating
• Podcast/Webinars and email

What might this capability look like in higher education?

Team E
• “Blackboard” interaction
• Career decisions
• Collaboration
• Community building
• Conflict resolution skills
• Cross cultural language skills, especially Spanish
• Electronic
• Framing
• Improved achievement
• Listening
• Non-verbal
• Public
• Research
• Responsibility for self independent learning
• Work as a team-member

Team F
• Collaboration among peers
• Communication between students and teachers through various electronic formats
• Communication with college peers/social life
• Content knowledge/differing opinions/ideas
• Projects; podcast/webinar

What might this capability look like in the community or life experience?

Team E
• Advocacy
• Being able to communicate loudly and with force, not timid
• Effective parenting
• Framing
• Listening
• Marriage/family
• Non-verbal
• Passing on story of culture
• Private
• Problem solving
• Providing resources
• Seeking to understand and be understood
• World language, bilingual

Team F
• Social networking texting
• Cell phones
• Family, school, home, church, friends
• Getting along with others; diplomacy, acceptance, social norms
• Talking with others releases stress

21st Century Capabilities: Critical Thinking

As noted at our April 1 meeting, the plan is to address one capability per week for the next five weeks. This week we're moving on to Critical Thinking. (If you haven't responded to Global Thinking, there's still time).

Below you'll find the definition of Critical Thinking as determined by the two teams from the April 1 meeting along with ideas about how that capability might translate to the workplace, higher education and community life.

After taking a moment to review the definitions, respond to the following questions:

• How important might this capability be for SPS students?
• What might be the implications if we don’t explicitlyaddress the capability through curriculum, instruction, and assessment, i.e., if we maintain the status quo?

Team C, Definition/Description: Utilizing a process to analyze and evaluate problems.

Team D, Definition/Description: Utilizing a process to analyze and solve problems.

What might this capability look like in business or the workplace?

Team C

• Ability to analyze data and implement change in marketplace

• Ability to filter large volume of data that is growing exponentially

• Analyzing data

• Being proactive--PDSA

• Challenging/avoiding “group think”

• Identifying needs

• Solving problems to avoid crisis

• Thinking outside of the box

Team D

• Anticipation of implications

• Creating problem solving processes

• Evaluate decisions

• Evaluate validity of data

• Identify problems and possible solutions

• Identify strengths and weaknesses

• Prioritizing options

• Solving problems that are new to our generation, example; limited resources, health literacy

What might this capability look like in higher education?

Team C

• A safe environment to practice solving real life problems utilizing acquired skills

• Need to have these skills when they get to college

• The goal of higher ed is to create (employable) critical thinkers

• To question and how to reconstruct

Team D

• Apply previous learning to novel situations

• Courage to question

• Creating problem solving processes

• Demonstrating understanding

• Evaluate validity of data

• Prioritizing options

• To question

What might this capability look like in the community or life experience?

Team C

• Avoiding the unexamined life

• Decision making; family, community, politics, and personally

• Having a larger view to be able to think more creatively

• Successfully budgeting

Team D

• Assuring equity of resources

• Evaluating history and acting on it. Knowing what went wrong and think of how to make sure it doesn’t happen again

• Financial decisions

• Making good choices

• This is the common sense Dr. Ridder was referring to

SPS Learning Model - Development Flowchart

At the April 1 meeting, we reviewed the flowchart outlining the development of the SPS Learning Model. You can download that document here (PDF format).

If you have questions, comments, etc. feel free to post them in the comments or send us an email.

SPS Learning Model - Parking Lot

Are we talking about global vs linear thinking (process) or multicultural/global thinking?

Response: It seems from the team input on April 1, many participants may be initially leaning toward the later; however, we would encourage Advisory Team members to weigh in on this question via the blog.

How do you implement 21st Century skills in light of MAP/NCLB?

Response: Great question! This issue is reflected in “Learn” phase (box 1) of our Process Flowchart—we will ask Ken Kay to address the question.


Under 4: Activate – Make necessary system changes, should we add “deliver” to the first bullet?

Response: Done.

Revise 2nd homework question--Implications of not explicitly (curriculum, assessment, instruction) focusing on this capability vs. status quo?

Response: Done.

21st Century Capabilities: Global Thinking

As noted at our meeting last week, the plan is to address one capability per week for the next five weeks. This week we're starting with Global Thinking.

Below you'll find the definition of global thinking as determined by the two teams from the April 1 meeting along with ideas about how that capability might translate to the workplace, higher education and community life.

After taking a moment to review the definitions, respond to the following questions:

• How important might this capability be for SPS students?
• What might be the implications if we don’t explicitly address the capability through curriculum, instruction, and assessment, i.e., if we maintain the status quo?

TEAM A, Definition/Description: Ability to comprehend how actions, ideas, and choices affect the world around us, either positively or negatively.

TEAM B, Definition/Description:

• Actions or inactions affect others
• Big Picture
• Cultural understanding
• Global interactions
• Historical reflective perspective
• Resource minded
• Respect
• Understanding the needs of others

Business/Workplace
• Awareness, respect of other cultures
• Collaboration
• Consciousness
• Fair trade
• Flexibility
• Flexible work schedules
• Innovation
• Interdependence
• Market demand
• Processes
• Product development
• See/seize opportunity
• Social responsibility
• Sustainability
• Workplace
• Workday
• Workforce development
• Being resource-minded
• Communicating with other cultures for business; language, social norms.
• Cultural influence on business
• Evaluating cause and effect of decisions/actions
• Financial impact without multicultural acceptance
• Global consciousness-business impact on the world
• Helping students develop global thinking skills
• Identify new markets and audiences
• Maintain and expand existing markets and audiences
• Promoting positive images, ideas of difference
• Seeking solutions across the globe not just nationally

Higher Ed
• New majors
• Workforce requirements
• On-line learning
• Study abroad
• Increased marketability
• More opportunities
• Global companies-such as car dealers, Pampers, or McDonalds-have to relate to each culture
• Broader cultural understanding and sensitivity
• Career preparation
• Come into higher education experience with a big picture perspective
• Study of languages-study abroad and before they get there

Community/Life Experience
• Better work/life balance
• Collaboration
• Equity
• Acceptance of other cultures
• Empathy
• Experience provides relevance
• Open-mindedness
• Less prejudice, more tolerance
• Being mindful of others
• Being reflective on own experience as it relates to others
• Bridging cultural gaps
• Promoting knowledge to decrease prejudice and increase understanding and acceptance
• Think “green” global awareness - pollution
• Using digital/technology to give students diverse experiences will give a global/big picture perspective

Homework: 21st Century Skills

Good afternoon. Our last homework assignment is generating a very thoughtful discussion. If you haven't weighed in yet, I hope you will. If you have offered your thoughts on how some of the capabilities we identified translate to school, the workplace, etc. please feel free to continue the discussion.

We have one more homework assignment to get through before our next meeting on April 1. Please read this article, "21st Century Skills." Think about our other readings, the list of capabilities and our past discussions as you read it.

After reading the article, share your thoughts or questions in the comments section.

Homework: Translating student capabilities

Good afternoon. The last SPS Learning Model Advisory Team meeting was a success, and we’re very excited for our next opportunity to meet on April 1.

Following up on the discussion from the Feb. 18 meeting, here is the team’s next homework assignment. You can always count on presence of homework, no matter how much education changes.

Below is the list of possible capabilities for students that the team identified at the last meeting. Your assignment: pick one capability from the list below and briefly explain how that capability might translate to the following areas: the classroom, the workplace, higher education, at home and within the community. Leave your answer in the comment section below. (For more about how to leave comments on this page, read this post).

• Constantly changing technology applied to problem-solving
• Global thinking/acceptance of other cultures and societies (8)
• Collaboration (7)
• Ability to maintain positive interdependent relationships (2)
• Ability to discern good/reliable information from bad/unreliable information (6)
• Critical thinking skills (8)
• Capability to communicate clearly among various media
• Problem-solving abilities (7)
• Realize where they are and where they want to be and develop a plan to get there
• Value others opinions (2)
• Open to new ideas
• Pay attention in class
• Ability to learn new things (5)
• Technology understanding (6)
• Flexibility (3)
• People/social skills (3)
• Hard work ethic (2)
• Occupational mobility/Willingness to relocate (4)
• Perseverance
• Greater understanding of media outlets
• Creativity (4)
• Self-criticism
• Physical fitness & preventive healthcare (2)
• Empathy (2)
• Building social capital & effective civic engagement
• Prioritizing/procrastination
• Effective communication (writing, speaking, listening) (7)
• Multi-talented (back-up plans)
• Open-minded to various careers
• Environmental Issues
• Use all opportunities that are provided to increase knowledge and skills
• Information transferred to application
• Risk taking
• Self Advocacy
• Reading
• Understanding self and others
• New media literacy
• Lifelong learners

A note about commenting on the site

As you know, the SPS Learning Model Advisory team not only encourages everyone to leave comments for discussion on this site, we're actually making it part of the homework assignments. Here's a short primer on how to use the commenting feature here.

When you click on the comment link directly below each post, you will see a screen that says "Post a Comment" with an empty box below it. Type your comment in that space.

Below the comment box, there is a drop down menu with several options. Select "Name/URL" from that list. Another box will appear on the screen asking you to fill in your name and the URL of your web site. You can leave the URL line blank, but you should fill in your name so that the other members of the team will know who left the comment. You can also comment anonymously, which doesn't require you to leave any information when posting a comment. If you choose to comment that way, please include your name along with the text of your comment.

After typing your comment, hit the button that says "post comment." That's it.

One more note about the comments. When you leave a comment, it will not appear on the page instantly. We moderate and approve all comments because of spam (i.e. unsolicited bulk messages). So, when you leave a comment, we get an email that says you left a comment. From there, we log in, make sure it's not spam, hit the approve button and your comment then appears on the site.

If you're still having trouble with the comments, just send us an email at rlvanbibber@spsmail.org. You can even submit your comment that way, if you like, and we'll post it for you.

There are also a few other options for commenting, including signing in with your Google account, if you have one, or several other web services. If you use those services, feel free to leave your comment that way, but the easiest is to select the "Name/URL" option from the menu.

Meet the advisory team

Sandra Allen, Retired Teacher
Teresa Bledsoe, SPS Community Relations
Pam Bodine, SPS Community Relations
Kenneth Bowling, Teacher
Alex Brown, Student
Kimberly Brown, OACAC
Dawn Busick, OTC
Teaira Clancy, Student
Liz Cooper, Principal
Virginia Crawford, Director Of Teacher Development
Faith East, SPS CCI Spec./Step Up Coach
Mary Emeric, Parent
Jennifer Epperly, Teacher
Mary Felin, Community Member
Les Ford, SPS Executive Director - Middle School
Rhonda Galbraith, CTE Facilitator
Catherine Gilpin, Teacher
Matthew Goodman, SPS Director Of Accountability
Rick Green, SPS Director Of IT
Chandler Grega, Student
Brendan Greisemer, City Of Springfield
Ben Hackenwerth, SPS Executive Director - Elementary School
Pamela Hankins, SPS Director Of Leadership Development
Venton Haskins, Community Member
Justin Herrell, SPS Executive Director - High School
Paul Hockett, Cox Health
Nancy Hopkins, Teacher
Andy Hosmer, Board Of Education
Brian Hubbard, SPS Director Of Title I
Steve Ingalsbe, Teacher
Anita Kissinger, SPS Asst. Superintendent Of Ed. Services
Amy Krause, SPS Director Of Special Ed
Lisa Langley, Parent
Shirley Lawler, OTC
Lanae Lazzelle, Principal
Rhonda Mammen, SPS Director Of Counseling
Marc Maness, SPS Director Of Community Relations
Josey McPhail, SPS Community Relations
Gail Melgren, MSU
Trevor Moore, Student
Kelvin Pamperien, SPS Director Of Instruction Improvement
Pat Quick, Teacher
Nate Quinn, SPS Director Of Cultural Diversity
Jennifer Renegar, SPS Math Curric. Facilitator
Dawn Rethman, SEPTA
Norm Ridder, SPS Superintendent
Missy Riley, SPS Director Of Early Childhood
Bob Roberts, Faith-Based Community
Paul Satterwhite, Business Community
Nancy Schneider SPS Program Facilitator
Ray Smith, SNEA
Danielle Smulezenski, Student
Ron Snodgrass, SPS Principal
Mike Stout, MSU
Charles Taylor, Drury
Glenda Thrulkill, MSTA
Ryan Van Bibber, SPS Community Relations
Liz Viele, ISSI
Kristen Westerman, Chamber Of Commerce
Ann White, SPS Administrative Liasion/ISSI
Becky Ziegler, Teacher
Tim Zeigler, SPS Principal

Feb. 18 reading assignment

Our next meeting will be Feb. 18 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Phelps Center for the Gifted, 934 S. Kimbrough.

We mentioned in the Jan. 14 webinar that there would be a reading assignment prior to that, and here it is. Please read "The Intellectual and Policy Foundations of the 21st Century Skills Framework." We'll discuss the article at the Feb. 18 meeting, so come with your questions and comments. Also, feel free to use your 21st Century skills to engage in a discussion of the article in the comments here.

Jan. 14, 2010 webinar

Thanks to everyone who participated in the webinar. It sounds like it went well for most participants.

The questions submitted by participants are listed in this PDF file; answers were provided during last part of the presentation.

The archived webinar is available here. We experienced some trickiness getting the webinar file uploaded to the web, so please let us know if you experience problems with it from your end.

Here's a PDF version of the PowerPoint from last Thursday's webinar as well.

This video underscores just how fast the world is changing, giving us all some perspective about what lies ahead for today's students.