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Those of us in education have heard that statement for many years. Unfortunately for most of those years, no one could define exactly what was meant by "21st Century Learning Skills". The Partnership for 21st Century Skills defines those outcomes as "the knowledge, skills, and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st Century".

In recent years, many groups have created lists of the skills they believed should be included in the 21st Century requirements. Some lists are very basic -- others more detailed and include skills, outcomes, and strategies for teaching the skills. However, most of the lists overlap to some degree. General documents and links regarding these lists are located on the Resources page.

When Colorado started the K-12 education standards revision process, it was decided to create our own list of 21st Century Skills and then embed the skills into the standards by listing specific student outcomes based on these skills. The five 21st Century Skills & Abilities are: Critical Thinking & Reasoning; Information Literacy; Collaboration; Self-Direction; and Invention. (See Resources for link)

Additionally the state created a list of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) skills. PWR is described as "the knowledge, skills, and behaviors essential for high school graduates to be prepared to enter college and the workforce and to compete in the global economy." The list is divided into two main areas: Content Knowledge and Learning & Behavior Skills. Although the list has nine categories of skills, they can all fit in the five categories of 21st Century Skills & Abilities. Please note that I divided the skills into the categories -- it was not done by the state. Therefore, there may be room for different interpretation of where certain skills actually fit!

During this professional development, participants will have the opportunity to:
 * 1) Learn about the Colorado 21st Century Skills & Abilities
 * 2) Discuss where & how the skills & abilities are currently being taught in the classroom
 * 3) Read material about each of the skill areas
 * 4) Discuss strategies for teaching and assessing each of the skill areas
 * 5) Share activities or lesson plans incorporating the skills & abilities
 * 6) Reflect on the process

**Course Schedule**
This professional development is presented in both a traditional (face-to-face) format and an on-line format. The first and last session will both take place at CEC Middle College of Denver (2650 Eliot) in Room 202 from 4 - 6 p.m. The middle five sessions will be completed on-line during a 2-3 week time frame for each session.