21st Century Skills Website Analysis

This week I visited the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website, http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php. According to their website they have “emerged as the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. Bringing together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers, [they] have defined a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child’s success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004). As I research this website, I find that the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a clear mission with a focus on helping 21st Century children succeed; however, the information provided and formatting can be improved to better serve the purpose of their mission.

When visiting a new website, non-profit organization or company, I first look at their mission and vision statements. Not only should the mission statement be clear and concise, but the information provided within the website should support the mission statement as well. The mission of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills is to “serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004). This mission statement has a clear purpose and they provide many resources to support their mission. In addition, the framework provides an academic map for ensuring the success of their program. The cross-curricular alignment proves to be a valuable resource when discussed the effects of 21st century learning on education. Their framework incorporates aspects of our current education system along with many 21st Century Themes. Overall the site provides good supporting details with valuable tools and resources.

Currently, twelve states have enlisted in the State Leadership Initiative, and this is quite surprising considering the need for more technology integration into the education system.

The two areas that I view as needing improvement are incorporating more content into the website and a different web design. The web design is something small; however, a website dedicated to 21st century learning, should be up to date on the latest technology. The formatting of the website, fonts and icons could be improved on this site. In addition to online tools and publications, the Partnership could include more information on the need for 21st century learning in the classroom.

As a Texas educator, it is promising to see a push for 21st Century Skills in the Classroom. As more senators and state representatives take initiative in incorporating these 21st Century Skills in the Classroom, I look forward to more support and better resources for our students.


Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). 2008. Skills for the 21st Century [Motion picture]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Baltimore: Author.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004). Partnership for 21st Century Skills, retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/