21st Century Skills Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills (www.21stcenturyskills.org). Used with permission.

Essential 21st Century Skills

Learning and Innovation Skills

Creativity and Innovation

•    Demonstrating originality and inventiveness in work

•    Developing, implementing and communicating new ideas to others

•    Being open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives

•    Acting on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the domain in which the innovation occurs 

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

•    Exercising sound reasoning in understanding

•    Making complex choices and decisions

•    Understanding the interconnections among systems

•    Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

•    Framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions

Communication and Collaboration

•    Articulating thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively through speaking and writing

•    Demonstrating ability to work effectively with diverse teams

•    Exercising flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal

•    Assuming shared responsibility for collaborative work

Information, Media and Technology Skills

Information Literacy

•    Accessing information efficiently and effectively, evaluating information critically and competently and using information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand

•    Possessing a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information 

Media Literacy

•    Understanding how media messages are constructed, for what purposes and using which tools, characteristics and conventions.

•    Examining how individuals interpret messages differently, how values and points of view are included or excluded and how media can influence beliefs and behaviors.

•    Possessing a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information

ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

•    Using digital technology, communication tools and/or networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge economy

•    Using technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information, and the possession of a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information

Life and Career Skills

Flexibility and Adaptability

•    Adapting to varied roles and responsibilities

•    Working effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities

Initiative and Self-Direction

•    Monitoring one’s own understanding and learning needs

•    Going beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore and expand one’s own learning and opportunities to gain expertise

•    Demonstrating initiative to advance skill levels towards a professional level

•    Defining, prioritizing and completing tasks without direct oversight

•    Utilizing time efficiently and managing workload

•    Demonstrating commitment to learning as a lifelong process

Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

•    Working appropriately and productively with others

•    Leveraging the collective intelligence of groups when appropriate

•    Bridging cultural differences and using differing perspectives to increase innovation and the quality of work

Productivity and Accountability

•    Setting and meeting high standards and goals for delivering quality work on time

•    Demonstrating diligence and a positive work ethic (e.g., being punctual and reliable)

Leadership and Responsibility

•    Using interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence and guide others toward a goal

•    Leveraging strengths of others to accomplish a common goal

•    Demonstrating integrity and ethical behavior

•    Acting responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind

(from Intel Education Copyright © 2008, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.)