Library & Research: Whitepaper
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Equipping Every Learner for the 21st Century
The future growth and stability of our global economy depends on the ability of education systems around the world to prepare all students for career opportunities and help them attain higher levels of achievement. However, despite numerous efforts to improve educational standards, school systems around the world are struggling to meet the demands of 21st century learners and employers.
In both developed and developing nations, young people have become increasingly reliant on social networking technologies to connect, collaborate, learn, and create, and employers have begun to seek out new skills to increase their competitiveness in a global marketplace. Education, meanwhile, has changed much less. With few exceptions, schools have yet to revise their pedagogy to reflect current trends and technologies.
The complexity of this challenge calls for a bold and timely response—a global solution that allows poorer countries to leapfrog costly stages in the development and expansion of their education systems, while enabling schools around the world to incorporate 21st century skills into demanding curricula.
This paper proposes a new paradigm of 21st century learning; one that will require a holistic transformation of education systems. It will be guided by a comprehensive roadmap of curricular and assessment reform, new teacher recruitment and training strategies, leadership development, and the integration of collaborative technologies. It will be facilitated by exceptional teachers and supported by technologies that allow individuals to create, adapt, and share content. Students will complete project-based, cross-disciplinary tasks that encourage innovation and cross-cultural collaboration, and apply their knowledge and creativity to solving real-world problems.
Although the vision is global, the path to 21st century education requires a local journey; one that recognizes and responds to specific challenges and opportunities. The end goal is the systemic improvement of both the quality and accessibility of education throughout the world.