Science Grade 9/Characteristics of 21st Century Education

Characteristics of 21st Century Education

1. Authentic, Active and Engaging: overarching narratives for context; interdisciplinary, real-world issues, examples and applications that are meaningful to youth; creation/production opportunities; broadly cooperative and collaborative (class, school, community, world)

2. Differentiated and Increasingly Self-directed: combination of online, teacher-led and cooperative/collaborative learning (including networking with students and adults around the world); Project-Based Learning with flexible groupings; deep explorations (Informal Learning); Choice (topic, approach to learning, performance, assessment); Service Learning

3. Technologically Sophisticated: rich use of all forms of knowledge creation, acquisition, management, transformation, communication (oral, physical, text, images, audio, video, blogs, forums, RSS feeds, Nings, simulations, virtual reality)

4. Feeds the Spirit, Develops the Character and Expands the Mind and Heart: providing an attractive, diverse, rich, socially positive and inclusive environment; discovering, affirming and developing students’ personal gifts, talents and interests; inspiring to develop transcendent human qualities through artistry and other creative expression, symbolism, ceremony, and opportunities for leadership and for making a difference to others

5. Systematic and Collaborative: PLC curricular teams at school, district and provincial levels; Assessment for Learning at all levels; Pyramids of Intervention at department and school levels; Province-wide course wikis with differentiated lessons, assignments, assessments and interventions

6. Learner centered: Shift from teaching and instruction to learning and understanding. The "sage on the stage" that characterized 20th Century Education has been replaced by the "guide on the side". Such a guide or facilitator uses data-driven decision-making when determining instructional decisions to engage, empower and direct the learner for greater ownership and understanding.

• Focus on personalized learning vs. Focus on compliance in group settings

• Engagement vs. attendance/non-attendance

• Inspiration and increasing self-direction vs. passivity

• Cooperation/collaboration vs. competition

• Meaning and context vs. disconnected tasks/facts

• Diversity, differentiation, and inclusivity vs. uniformity and narrow scope