We have taken the Partnership for 21st Century Skills Framework as a basis while preparing this list of the abilities in 21st century. This sums up the abilities the students should have if they want to be successful in the 21th century. It is a part of our educational vision to raise students that are able to do the following. We are to teach these abilities within our educational programme, with extracurricular activities and with other activities in a well organized manner.
Learning and innovation abilities prepare our students to the complex working life of this century. Creativity, critical thinking, communication and cooperation abilities are a must to prepare our students for the future.
Creativity and Innovation
Creative thinking
Idea Creation Techniques (e.g. brainstorming)
Creation new and beneficial ideas (radical and marginal ideas)
Detailing, analyzing, evaluating and elaboration in order to realize own ideas and maximize creative efforts
Working creatively with others
Developing new ideas, applying them and conveying them effectively to others
Being open and sensitive for new ideas and to consider group’s evaluation and data into the process
Showing originality and creativity at work and understanding the borders when applying new ideas
Seeing failure as an experience and understanding that creativity and innovation consist of small successes and frequent failures
Applying innovation
Using solid and creative ideas that can contribute at areas where innovation can happen.
Critical Thinking and problem solving
Thinking Effectively
Using an appropriate method according to the situation (inductive, deductive etc.)
Thinking systematically
Analyzing how pieces are coming together in complex systems and create results
Arriving at decisions and conclusions
Analysing and evaluating proofs, discussions, claims and thought more effectively.
Analyzing and evaluating main alternative views.
Synthesising the connections between information and views.
Interpreting information and arriving at results with good analysis.
Critically evaluating learning experiences and processes
Solving problems
Solving extraordinary problems both with traditional and creative methods.
Determining and asking important questions in order to analyse different opinions.
Communication and Cooperation
Communicating clearly
Expressing ideas in different forms and contexts by using verbal, written or non verbal communication abilities.
Listening actively in order to find our the meanings of information, valus, approach or intent.
Using communication for differen aims (informing, managing, convincing, motivating)
Using different media and technologies, learning to guess the possible effects of these. Communicating effectively with different environments, including foreign languages.
Cooperating with others.
Showing the ability to work together with different teams respectfully
Doing the necessary sacrifices for the common goals, showing willingness and compatibility.
Sharing the responsibility for working together and respecting the contribution of the team members
In 21stcentury, people are living in an environment that is surrounded by technology and media. In this environment, people have the ability to a) reach a vast amount of information b) change technologic devices fastly and c) contribute individually of collectivelt at an unrivaled extent. People living in 21st century should have functional and critical abilities about information, media and technology.
Information Ability
Reaching and evaluating information
Reaching the information timely and with efficient resources
Evaluating information critically and skillfully
Using and Administering Information
Using the available information correctly and creatively in order to solve existing problems
Directing the flow of information from different sources
Understanding the ethical and legislative issues when reaching and using information
Media literacy
Analysing media
Understanding how and why media messages are constructed
Seeing how different people interpret media messages differently, how it includes some specific opinions and values and some not and how media affects beliefs and behaviours.
Understanding the ethical and legislative framework of reaching and using media.
Being able to create Media products
Understanding and using the most appropriate media devices and their
Understanding and using the most appropriate expressions in various cultures
Informative, Communicative and Technologic Abilities
Using technology efficiently
Using technology for researching, organizing, evaluating and conveying information
Using digital technology, communication technology, social networks to reach information and to direct and evalulate it and to create information
Knowing the legislative and ethical rules while using information technologies.
For the current life and work environments, thining capacities and content information is not enough. To be successful in complicated life and work environments and to develop life and career abilities, students must be very careful. Being agreeable, sociability, intercultural abilities, productivity and leadership are must-haves.
Docility and Agreeability
Keeping pace with the Change
Harmonising with changing roles, career responsibilities, plans and content,
Being able to work effectively at changing times
Being agreeable
Using feedbacks effectively
Coping positively with appraisal or criticism
Understanding, managing and balancing different opinions and beliefs especially in multicultural environments
Initiativity and self discipline abilities
Managing time and goals
Choosing targets according to tangible or intangible success criteria
Balancing short and long term goals
Valuing time and managing workload effectively
Working independently
Without being supervised, controlling, defining, prioritizing and completing processes
Being Student that lead themselves
Going out of the standard curriculum and increasing the opportunities of personal learning and gaining experience
Showing initiativity to increase the level of ability to professionality
Believing that learning is a lifelong process
Evaluating past experiences critically and reflecting it on further development
Social and Intercultural Abilities
Communicating effectively with others
Knowing when it is appropriate to talk and when to listen
Representing themselves aer respectful and professional
Working effectively in teams with different members
Respecting Cultural Differences and being able to work effectively together with people from different social and cultural backgrounds
Countering different ideas and values with openmindedness,
Developing social and cultural differences into advantages for increasing quality and innovation
Leading productivity and accountability projects
Being able to define and reach goals even ehen there are obstacles and competition
Prioritizing works for desired ends, planning and managing
Producing Results
Representing the values needed for producing high quality results:
Working ethically and positively
Being able to multitask
Being active, reliable and punctual
Representing themselves nice and professionally
Collaborating actively with the teams
Respecting intra team differences
Being accountable for the results
Leadership and responsibility
Managing and leading others
Using interpersonal problem solving skills, affecting others and leading them to the target,
Encouraging people to use their strong sides and helping them reach the goal
Inspiring others with good examples
Showing good ethics and honesty
Being responsible against others
Acting with responsibility to the society
