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=21st Century Literacies= //jump to 21st Century Literacies Resources//

**Toward A Definition of 21st-Century Literacies** Adopted by the NCTE Executive Committee

Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies – from reading online newspapers to participating in virtual classrooms – are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities and social trajectories of individuals and groups. Twenty-first century readers and writers need to
 * Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
 * Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally
 * Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes
 * Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
 * Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts
 * Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments

**Themes from the NCSS** We’re educating our students to thrive in a world of continuous and accelerating change. How can we best prepare them? The 88th NCSS Annual Conference in Houston will provide multiple ideas and avenues for social studies professionals to help our students “Embrace the Future” as we explore the following themes.

New Directions in the Disciplines
History, economics, political science, geography, archaeology, anthropology, sociology, psychology-our social studies disciplines provide essential and powerful perspectives and tools of inquiry. What are some of the new directions in these social studies disciplines we should explore? How can we engage our students more effectively in discipline-based inquiry?

Thinking Skills
In a time of such continual change, we must hold fast to what will always endure-the need for sound, disciplined thinking. How can we help our students develop their thinking capabilities and reasoning abilities? How can we ensure that they learn to examine issues and ideas carefully, broadly, fairly, and in depth?

Diverse Learners
Educators today are dealing with increasingly diverse student and parent communities. How can we work most effectively with linguistically and culturally diverse learners, students in poverty, special needs students, and students in alternative educational settings?

Effective Instructional Strategies
NCSS defines powerful social studies teaching as “meaningful, integrative, value based, challenging, and active.” How can we design instruction and assessments that promote critical thinking and deep understanding of complex topics? What strategies can we use to help our students be actively engaged in their own learning?

Language and Literacy
Essential 21st century skills include communication, information and media literacy. How do we teach students to access, understand, evaluate, and create effective oral, written, and multimedia messages within the disciplines of social studies? How can we help them to become better writers and readers?

Civic Life
Participating effectively in civic life requires staying informed as well as understanding our past and our present in terms of our governmental, political, and economic processes. How can we help our students become more knowledgeable and effective citizens in the 21st century?

Technology
As digital natives, our students will be using digital technology to create, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and communicate information. How can we best teach them to use technology as a tool to enhance their learning and enrich their personal and professional lives?

Global Awareness
Our students will be living, communicating, working, and learning in an increasingly interdependent world. How can we best help them develop a deep knowledge and understanding of other nations, cultures, and people?

21st Century Literacies in Education Resources

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 * NCTE** - The National Council of eachers of English
 * NCTE website
 * Toward a Definition of 21st Century Literacies


 * NCSS** - National Council for the Social Studies
 * NCSS website
 * Themes from the 2008 NCSS Conference
 * Media Literacy Skills:[|Interpreting Tragedy] (pdf)

NYSED - NYS Education Technology Programs
 * NYS-ISTE Crosswalk:
 * NYS Ed. Tech. website


 * The Partnership for 21st Century Skills**
 * Partnership for 21st Century Skills
 * P21 Learning Frameworks
 * ICT Literacy Maps


 * ISTE** - International Society for Technology in Education
 * NETSStandards Address:
 * Creativity and Innovation
 * Communication and Collaboration
 * Research and Information Fluency
 * Critical thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
 * Digital Citizenship
 * Technology Operations and Concepts
 * NETS for Students and Student Profiles
 * NETS for Teachers
 * NETS for Administrators


 * Edutopia** - from the George Lucas Educational Foundation
 * Edutopia website
 * Synching Up with the iKid: Connecting to the Twenty-First-Century Student


 * Thinkfinity** -
 * Thinkfinity website

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 From the NCSS website: We’re educating our students to thrive in a world of continuous and accelerating change. How can we best prepare them? The 88th NCSS Annual Conference in Houston will provide multiple ideas and avenues for social studies professionals to help our students “Embrace the Future” as we explore the following themes.
 * return to 21st Century Literacies Resources

New Directions in the Disciplines
History, economics, political science, geography, archaeology, anthropology, sociology, psychology-our social studies disciplines provide essential and powerful perspectives and tools of inquiry. What are some of the new directions in these social studies disciplines we should explore? How can we engage our students more effectively in discipline-based inquiry?

Thinking Skills
In a time of such continual change, we must hold fast to what will always endure-the need for sound, disciplined thinking. How can we help our students develop their thinking capabilities and reasoning abilities? How can we ensure that they learn to examine issues and ideas carefully, broadly, fairly, and in depth?

Diverse Learners
Educators today are dealing with increasingly diverse student and parent communities. How can we work most effectively with linguistically and culturally diverse learners, students in poverty, special needs students, and students in alternative educational settings?

Effective Instructional Strategies
NCSS defines powerful social studies teaching as “meaningful, integrative, value based, challenging, and active.” How can we design instruction and assessments that promote critical thinking and deep understanding of complex topics? What strategies can we use to help our students be actively engaged in their own learning?

Language and Literacy
Essential 21st century skills include communication, information and media literacy. How do we teach students to access, understand, evaluate, and create effective oral, written, and multimedia messages within the disciplines of social studies? How can we help them to become better writers and readers?

Civic Life
Participating effectively in civic life requires staying informed as well as understanding our past and our present in terms of our governmental, political, and economic processes. How can we help our students become more knowledgeable and effective citizens in the 21st century?

Technology
As digital natives, our students will be using digital technology to create, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and communicate information. How can we best teach them to use technology as a tool to enhance their learning and enrich their personal and professional lives?

Global Awareness
Our students will be living, communicating, working, and learning in an increasingly interdependent world. How can we best help them develop a deep knowledge and understanding of other nations, cultures, and people?