The 6 C's Squared Version of Learning Skills for the Twenty-First Century

The (6 C’s)² of Education for the 21^st Century

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.

                                                                                                             -Alvin Toffler -

Think Critically

Thinking Critically allows the individual to manage information. Information presented in a multitude of forms from a variety of media. Information that must be filtered and analyzed, authenticated and processed, and eventually must be synthesized in a form that will be useful to the individual. 

Characterize –

Where does the information come from? What is the validity of the information? What is the usefulness of the information?

Classify -

Where does the information fit within the parameters of previous knowledge?

Compare -

What are the positive and negative aspects of the information compared to know values?

Connect –

How can this information be related to what is known and what is necessary to understand?

Communicate -

How can this information be effectively passed on to those who can utilize the material?

Curate -

How can the information be formatted in a functional format for use today and in the future?

Work Collaboratively

Working Collaboratively engages the individual in the world they share through association. Association, that is created to benefit an organization and as a means to conduct business. Association that includes partnership and teamwork, leadership and assistance, and an alliance that serves to benefit the whole.

Collegiality –

How can varying personalities be valued and utilized for optimum outcomes?

Coordination –

How can the talents included in this collaborative effort be maximized for success.

Communication –

What are the most effective means of communication to create an inclusive collaborative effort?

Coherence –

How do the members of a collaborative effort maximize strengths and overcome weaknesses in order to maximize outcomes?

Character  -

How do respect and integrity play a role in the effectiveness of a collaboration?

Celebration –

How is the success of the collaboration measured and valued?

Communicate  Clearly

Communicating Clearly provides the means by which the individual can present information. Information presented in a multitude of means through a variety of media. Information that is clear and concise, effective and engaging. Information that must eventually be presented in a way that is meaningful to the individual as well as a global audience.

Clear –

Is the information effective for the intended audiences?

Concise –

Is the information formatted in the most efficient means available?

Concrete –

Does the information have a defined purpose and meaning?

Coherent –

Does the information provide connections to previous knowledge and intended use?

Correct –

Is the information correct and are resources available to validate?

Complete –

Is the information presented in entirety or are resources available to complete connections?

Embrace Culture

Embracing Culture encourages the individual to appreciate where we have come from, who we are now and how we can move into the future.  Culture associates the individual to all that surrounds them: art, drama, dance poetry, history, science, religion, written and unwritten language, technology and the individual themselves.

Core Values –

What are the basic beliefs and understandings of this cultural community?

Community -

How does the community function as an entity and within the realm of all other communities?

Chronicle -

How is the history and beliefs of this culture passed on to new generations?

Commitment  -

How is community committed to maintaining the values and relationships of the past, present and future of the culture?

Celebrations –

How are the milestones and values of the culture celebrated within the community?

Connection –

How are the members of the community included in understanding the past while shaping the future?

Develop Creativity

Developing Creativity provides an avenue for expression.  The structure means nothing without function.  Therefore, the individual must be capable of creating something with the knowledge that they have worked so hard to obtain.  It is in creating that the individual gains purpose.

Curiosity -

How is the desire to gain understanding cultivated to expand both knowledge and possibility?

Courage –

How does the environment reduce the fear of failure in order to maximize the possibilities for innovation an change?

Conceptualize –

How is ideation encouraged to maximize the imaginative process?

Constructive –

What are the processes involved from conceptualization to completion?

Change –

How is creativity  valued as a vehicle for change?

Cultural –

How is the process related to the cultural understandings of the community?

Utilize Connectivity

Utilizing Connectivity places the individual in touch with their world.  In today’s existence that is increasingly through the technology that is rapidly changing the way they view their world.  Understanding that connections are personal no matter what the means of contact and that humanity must remain in light of how the technology may change for each individual.

Communication -

How is technology utilized as a means of clear communication?

Curation -

How is content gathered, processed and stored for now and the future?

Coordination –

How are the aspects of  technology maximized for the community?

Connectedness -

How is technology utilized as a means of connecting to the global community?

Collaboration –

How is technology employed to create avenues of collaboration in the digital world?

Citizenship –

How is the responsibility of digital citizenship shared by all members of the community?

Bring a Little CHAOS to your Classroom

Bring a Little CHAOS to your Classroom

"Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth."

 - Tom Barrett -

Do you remember Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, Erector Sets, Blocks and the Original Legos?

How much did we learn about the basic components of logic, building and physics from the trial and error of playing with these toys both correctly and in some cases incorrectly.  I know I learned about catapults by launching the single notch lincoln logs using the green roof plank as a lever.  I learned about control over the center of gravity by building towers of blocks and unbalanced lego creations. I learned gear and wheel ratios from tinker toys and erector sets.  While I didn't realize I was learning physics, I came to understand physical phenomena through tinkering and experimentation.

In my Physics class I use Chaos Towers ( http://www.chaostoy.com/ ) to allow students to experience the hands on nature of discovering the physics of Newton's Laws, Poential (gravitational) and Kinetic Energy and the basic ideas behind vetors as a means of mapping motion, displacement, velocity and acceleration. 

  I have four chaos towers in my classroom.  I divide students into three or four teams and give them two class periods to build the towers.  The towers can be built horizontally or vertically.  I make sure at least one of the towers is built horizontally.  The students prefer the vertical version.

The lessons students learn, even before the concepts of physics are the importance of reading and following directions and the job of delegating the work.  I have students grade each other on their contribution to the building of the tower and collaboration and communication within the group. 

Once the towers are built, students analyze directional changes and displacement values of the path of the marbles.  Students determine the gravitational potential energy at various points along the path and compare velocities based upon the PE = KE formula and measured velocities. The trampoline offers students the understanding of action and reaction forces as well as the parabolic arc of a projectile. 

On the Chaos Toy website there a several lessons utilizing smaller component portions of the towers. http://www.chaostoy.com/cd/html/defau_e.htm

The hands on nature of the tower and the collaborative aspects of the group work, provide a tremendous learning environment for my students.

"I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift."

Septima Clark

TEDitorials - Increase Science Literacy

TEDitorials - Increase Science Literacy

For the last five years, I have incorporated more writing in my Science curriculum by an online assignment called a TEDitorial.   

I use these TEDitorial assignments as a means incorporating the 6 C's of my classroom into one assignment.  In developing an editorial opinion students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills.  Many of the TED Talks involve aspects of Art and Culture, bringing to light for the students the importance of design and beauty in the process of science. The aspects of online assignments, viewing the TED and researching support brings the 
utilization of connectivity into play. 

Students have become so compartmentalized in the subjects we teach they tend not to bring their English minds to the table when it comes to writing in science.  While I explain to students that their are differences in the way we may present information in science, it is important that their written communication is organized, clear and concise and demonstrate the same expectations of gramar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling as they would in a paper for English or History. 

To accomplish this, I have used an assignment called a TEDitorial.  I select and post a TED video (http://www.ted.com/) on my classroom Moodle site every Monday throughout the semester.  Students must view five TEDs throughout the semester and compose and post an editorial supporting or denying the claims of the TED presenter.  Students must incorporate their own research and information from our classroom discussions to support their opinion of the presenter's information. Support for their opinion can be made through an outside source, A personal experience or a counter-example.

The trend through the semester of this assignment has been very typical.  I usually need to spend a great deal of time explaining the difference between a summary of the TED and an editorial for the first two submissions.  I also spend a great deal of time correcting the English aspects of their writing. Which most students can't seem to understand why this is important in science course.  By the third submission most students are actually writing editorials and submitting extra in the way of links to websites they discovered while researching the topic further.  I also have discovered that interest tends to peak about the fourth editorial and students watch several of the TEDs before choosing one that they have more passion about and truly want to editorialize.

I have found that many students begin to visit the TED site on their own to search out information about other topics on top of the science and learning based TEDs that I have selected for them.