21st Century Learning

Decades ago, researchers thought about 21st century learning and created different frameworks. The frameworks were similar and refocused learning from low-level skills to higher cognitive strategies. These frameworks called for thinking, working together, finding information, and problem solving. One popular framework, the Four Cs model, included critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, which the National Association of Education promoted. The Four Cs framework became popular at the same time Common Core State Standards were distributed. Districts and schools incorporated the Four Cs framework with the Common Core State Standards. Implicit in the Four Cs model is the integration of technology. Over time, the Four Cs was expanded to include social and emotional learning. The insight from the research helps educators to construct a holistic framework. This chapter gives historical background, defines terms, explains a new model called Four Cs Plus SEL, and suggests future research directions.

The Role of Educational Technology in Fostering 21st Century Learning Skills in Social-Emotional Learning

Technology is transforming P-12 education. Student-driven inquiry and thirst for technology are gradually pushing out the traditional, teacher-centered classroom. Technology is seen as a powerful tool to integrate in the curriculum to create more student-centered learning and more personalized learning for students. Acknowledging that we are all living in a digital age as well as recognizing the students who are in our present-day schools are 21st century learners, educators are examining their own mindsets of what it means to be 21st century teacher. They are assessing and considering new pedagogical methods that integrate technology to further promote collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity in and outside of the classroom.

Cultivating the Mindset for Change

Social emotional learning is essential in educating students, especially in middle school. However, the idea of creating a mindset is an effective way to support SEL as well as change, particularly with students. To cultivate a mindset for change, teachers need to know about the change process and the elements connected to mindset development. After creating a change plan, teachers can help students promote the growth mindset elements. Research on the growth mindset illustrates how it can support student learning and improve the students' view of themselves. There is further research on how part of the growth mindset can nurture one's grit, or the “stick-withitness” to achieve a goal. Through various instructional strategies, particularly the gradual release process, teachers can help their students cultivate a growth mindset.

Teaching Creativity Skills to Foster Social-Emotional Learning

Creativity is needed now to solve problems, develop products, and become better thinkers. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 caused people to think differently in every aspect of our society. We now need to help students learn how to think more creatively, how to collaborate with others, and how to implement innovations. However, many students face challenges that affect their social and emotional learning, thus negatively impacting their creativity. Teachers can employ different strategies and skills that can break through these barriers and develop a systems approach that can produce student creative success. There are many technical and non-technical skills and strategies for creative thinking, collaboration, and innovation implementation that teachers can use. If used jointly, these skills and strategies will generate a management systems approach to creativity.

Teaching Communication Skills to Foster Social-Emotional Learning

Communication is an essential 21st century learning skill and is ranked high among a job candidate's “must have” skills and qualities. In the global workplace, communication is a key element in effective collaboration and teamwork. Employers are seeking candidates who are adept in various forms of communication and show signs of empathy to others by the manner they listen and respond. Communication skills are in alignment with social-emotional learning. Through effective communication, young people can build positive relationships with others to collaborate, and they learn to be self and socially aware through effective listening and mutual perspective taking. Educators must begin to think about the real-world challenges of communication skills and how to incorporate practical strategies that address these skills in their daily lessons to optimize student success in their daily and academic lives as well as their future lives in the workplace.

The ABCs of Social-Emotional Learning

Recent polls report a trend that school violence is steadily continuing in middle and high schools. Concurrently, schools are filled with students who cannot function academically and socially due to challenging home lives. Recognizing that social and emotional development in young adolescents is essential to academic success, educators are learning how to address these issues through social-emotional learning (SEL). The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, or CASEL, outlines components of SEL that children and youth need to understand and manage their own emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy toward others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible life decisions. Findings note that schools that employ SEL have better academic performance as well as fewer disciplinary incidents.

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills to Foster Social-Emotional Learning

Critical thinking, once promoted in classrooms only for gifted and talented students, is now found to be in the curriculum for every student. Why is this the case? We are experiencing a fast and complex shift in the global workforce where many routine and rote skills have been replaced with the need for analytical and communication skills. Today's worker not only has to problem solve on the job but must work collaboratively with others to get the job done efficiently. At the same time, this modern-day worker must learn how to adapt to a constant changing workforce. Therefore, it is important to prepare our students by teaching them how to critically think, a learning skill needed to adequately prepare our students for the 21st century, not just for their future workforce, but for their success in school and their personal, social, and emotional lives.

Teaching Collaboration Skills to Foster Social-Emotional Learning

Human collaboration is a valued skill in the workforce and something that people and students perform now and in the past. However, collaboration is more complex than what most teachers think. Many teachers simply have students work together and call it collaboration. However, researchers find it hard to define collaboration and the culture that can influence this soft skill. With more knowledge, a teacher who plans and organizes students into collaborative activities will find their efforts worthwhile and more effective. Teachers can use collaboration as a process, product, or both in tandem. Other teachers may find collaboration overwhelming without the use of some structured activities and formats. Children's books can be an excellent way to initiate collaboration. Formative feedback process keeps collaboration on track and is an excellent way to evaluate the effectiveness.