3A:LEARNING SKILLS

Course Number & Title:21st Century Skill Categories

Prepared by: Mary Joy T. Corpuz

OUTLINE
A.Learning Skills

1. Critical Thinking

2. Creativity

3. Collaboration

4. Communication

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After studying this module, the students should be able to:
a. Distinguish the 4 C’s in learning skills.
b. Discuss the importance of 4 C’s in learning.
c. Explain the relationship among other skills.

PRE-TEST

As an initial phase of understanding Learning Skills it is better to determine

how familiar we are with the topic by simply answering the given questions.

Direction: Write CT for Critical Thinking, CR for Creativity, CL for Collaboration and
CM for Communication based on the statement. Write your answer on the space
provided before each number.

_____1. Demonstrate responsibility as a team member working toward a shared goal.

____2. Share information efficiently and effectively using appropriate digital media
and environments.

____3. Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts).

____4. Use different kinds of reasoning, such as deductive and inductive, to

understand a situation.

____5. Analyze complex systems and understand how their interconnected parts
support the systems.
 ____6. Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in
which the innovation will occur

____7. Communicate using digital media and environments to support personal and
group learning.

____8. Work effectively with different groups of people, including people from
diverse cultures.

____9. Communicate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively to different audiences
using various media and formats.

____10. Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve
and maximize creative efforts.

INTRODUCTION

All educators want to help their students succeed in life. Using the ‘Four Cs’ to
engage students is imperative. As educators prepare students for this new global society,
teaching the core content subjects—math, social studies, the arts— must be enhanced by
incorporating critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. We need new
tools to support classroom teachers and education support professionals in their
profession, even as they implement new strategies in their classrooms.

The four C's of 21st Century skills are some of the most important skills for your
students to learn. They help set your students apart from others when applying for jobs.

KEY CONCEPTS

Defining 4 C’s
Critical Thinking involves logical thinking and reasoning including skills such as
comparison, classification, sequencing, cause/effect, patterning, webbing, analogies,
deductive and inductive reasoning, forecasting, planning, hypothesizing, and critiquing.

Creativity is the ability to produce new, diverse and unique ideas. Thinking creatively
means looking at things from a different perspective and not be restricted by rules,
customs, or norms.

Collaboration occurs when two or more people work together to accomplish a shared,
common goal.

Communication is expressing thoughts clearly, crisply articulating opinions,

communicating coherent instructions, motivating others through powerful speech

Importance of 4 C’s

These four skills are essential for modern students to succeed in school and the
workplace.

They often make the biggest impact in terms of setting your students apart when
applying for and starting their careers.

Critical Thinking*Critical thinking is the practice of solving problems, among other qualities.

In addition to working through problems, solving puzzles, and similar activities,

critical thinking also includes an element of skepticism.This is important in the 21st
Century because it’s harder than ever to verify accurate information (mostly thanks to the
Internet).Critical thinking empowers students to discover the truth in assertions, especially
when it comes to separating fact from opinion.
 With critical thinking, students don’t just learn a set of facts or figures. Instead, they
learn how to discover the facts and figures for themselves.They ask questions. They
become engaged in the world around them. They help others think critically, too.That
might be the most important part of critical thinking. Once one student has it mastered, it
quickly spreads to their peers.

Creativity*Creativity is the practice of thinking outside the box.

Creativity is often treated like a you-have-it-or-you-don’t quality, students

can learn how to be creative by solving problems, creating systems, or just trying
something they haven’t tried before. That doesn’t mean every student will become an artist
or a writer.Instead, it means they’ll be able to look at a problem from multiple perspectives
— including those that others may not see.

Creativity allows students to embrace their inner strengths from big-picture

planning to meticulous organization.As a student learns about their creativity, they also
learn how to express it in healthy and productive ways.More importantly, they also
become motivated to share that creativity with others.

One student creates an interesting or innovative solution to a problem. Then, when

they share it, the next student can become inspired to try something similar. The point of
creativity is to encourage students to think differently than convention demands.They
don’t have to do things the way they’ve always been done.Instead, they can figure out a
better way.

Collaboration*Collaboration is the practice of working together to achieve a common goal.

Collaboration is important because whether students realize it or not, they’ll

probably work with other people for the rest of their lives.Virtually every job requires
someone to work with another person at some point, even if it’s for something as simple as
what to get for lunch.

Practicing collaboration and teamwork helps students understand how to address a

problem, pitch solutions, and decide the best course of action.It’s also helpful for them to
learn that other people don’t always have the same ideas that they do.In fact, as students
practice collaboration more and more, they’ll learn that they have almost none of the same
ideas that others do.This can affect students in one of two ways. First, it could discourage
them since nobody seems to agree with them that often. Second, it could embolden them
because they realize they’re bringing something unique to every conversation.

As a teacher, it’s crucial that you encourage students to look at themselves through
that second lens.That way, students learn that they should speak up when they have an
idea.

Communication*Communication is the practice of conveying ideas quickly and clearly.

Communication is often taken for granted in today’s society. After all, if you say
something, that means you conveyed an idea, right? Not exactly.In the age of text-based
communications — SMS, emails, social media, etc. — it’s never been more important for
students to learn how to convey their thoughts in a way that others can understand
them.That’s because text-based communications lack tone, which is critical to
understanding the context of someone’s words.Still, even in situations where vocal tone is
available, students need to learn how to communicate effectively.That includes minimizing
tangents, speaking directly to an idea, and checking other participants to make sure they’re
engaged.

Reading an audience — even if it’s just two other people in a group discussion —
lets students determine whether they should keep expanding on an idea or wrap up their
point.Their audience could even be their family at Thanksgiving dinner.The point is that as
students practice communication, they become better at efficiently conveying an idea
without losing their point “in the weeds,” so to speak.

With communication locked down, students can streamline their ideas and make a

positive impression on those around them.To really succeed, students need to use all four
of these skills together.

ACTIVITY

A. Direction:Figure out the word or phrase for each of these rebus puzzles and write it underneath
B. In your own opinion answer the following questions:
1. What is learning skills and why is it important?
2. What are the most important learning skills?
3. What is the purpose of 4 C’s?

SUMMARY

It’s most accurate to say that students need the four C’s for any and every reason.

Critical thinking teaches students to question claims and seek truth.

Creativity teaches students to think in a way that’s unique to them.

Collaboration teaches students that groups can create something bigger and better than
you can on your own.

Communication teaches students how to efficiently convey ideas.

Combined, the four C’s empower students to become one-person think tanks so it is clear
that the “Four Cs” need to be fully integrated into classrooms, schools, and districts around
the country to produce citizens and employees adequately prepared for the 21st century.

POST TEST

A. Direction: Below is a list of scenarios to present for students to discuss and debate. They
are based primarily on ethics and morality. They will encourage students to take a stand
and defend their viewpoint. These can be done individual by encircling the letter of the
correct answer and then explain in writing.

1. Richard finds an expensive looking ring in the school hallway one day. It has no name on
it, and it’s not near anyone’s locker.

Should he: A) Give it to lost and found B) Ask if it belongs to anyone there C) Keep it and
not say anything

2. Judy’s friend is stressed about an upcoming test. Judy already took the test and got
100%, so she knows all the answers already.

Should she: A) Just give the answers to her friend B) Use her knowledge to coach her friend
C) Not get involved at all

3. Coach Nelson has caught two of his star basketball players vandalizing school property.
The rule is that they must be suspended. If that happens their team loses the upcoming
semi-finals. If the coach keeps quiet they’ll surely win, but he could lose his job.

Should the coach: A) Suspend the two players and obey the rules B) Pretend he never saw
them

4. Nick overhears two students bragging about having posted some inappropriate images
of a female student online for a joke.

Should he: A) Mind his own business B) Report the incident to the school principal C)
Confront the boys and defend the student

5. You witness a bank robbery, and follow the perpetrator down an alleyway. He stops at an
orphanage and gives them all the money.

Would you: A) Report the man to police since he committed a crime B) Leave him alone
because you saw him do a good deed
B. Direction: Below is a list of 4 C’s definition. Put the letter in proper box where they
belong.

Critical Thinking Creativity Communication Collaboration

A. Reason effectively
B. View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand that creativity and innovation is
a long-term, cyclical process of small success and frequent mistakes.
C. Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams.
D. Deliver effective oral presentations to communicate the results of inquiry. Field
questions to demonstrate conceptual understanding and knowledge, along with details
about the inquiry process
E. Make sound judgments and decisions

Pre Test Post Test

1. CL 6. CR 1. A 6. A
2. CM 7. CM 2. B 7. B
3. CR 8. CL 3. A 8. D
4. CT 9. CM 4. B 9. C
5. CT 10.CR 5. A 10.E

REFERENCE
S

Pr e p a r i n g 2 1 s t C e n t u r y S t u d e n t s f o r a G l o b a l S o c i e t y

www.criticalthinking.org, http://www.cae.org/content/pro_collegework.htm,

http://www.p21.org/route21/index.php?
option=com_jlibrary&view=details&task=download&id=160

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrEEVZa3f98&feature=youtu.be
http://tinyurl.com/ydv82hz

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/thecreativity-crisis.print.html
http://www.p21.org/route21/index.php?
option=com_jlibrary&view=details&task=download&id=382

http://collaboration.wikia.com/wiki/

http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/tech/ international