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<DIV>The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a branch of the American Library Association, unveiled their new <A href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/standards.cfm" target=_blank rel=nofollow>Standards for the 21st Century Learner </A>last Fall (November 2007) at the National Conference in Reno, NV. These replaced the Information Literacy Standards previously published in Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (1998). These standards are meant to provide guidelines for School Library Media Specialists and other Information Specialists for the design of curricula and instructional models that promote these skills in conjuction (vs. isolation) with content area instruction. </DIV>
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<DIV>In the state in which I work (GA) there are no state information literacy or technology standards. Those skills are supposedly embedded in the content area standards. Unfortunately, and although "research skills" and "information literacy skills" are tested on our state standardized tests, teachers are ill-prepared to design the learning opportunities and provide the instruction necessary to prepare students to function in the 21st century, and, by and large, they are not being taught. Library Media Specialists, who are information specialists, are highly qualified to both design the curriculum and aid in instruction in these areas, but teachers consider the co-planning and co-teaching inherent in a collaborative model to be an infringement upon their domain and time. What a mess.</DIV>
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<DIV>Debbie Sandford</DIV>
<DIV>Teacher Librarian at Large</DIV>
<DIV>DeKalb County School System</DIV>
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<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Gail Price <gprice@famlit.org><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> The Family Literacy Discussion List <familyliteracy@nifl.gov><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Thursday, October 30, 2008 8:27:19 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [FamilyLiteracy 1217] Re: Measuring 21st Century Skills<BR></FONT><BR>
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<P class=Default><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Here is a little bit of information concerning 21<SUP>st</SUP> century skills and skills standards. </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=Default><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Web site for the Partnership for 21<SUP>st</SUP> Century Skills is a good one for anyone interested in learning more about this topic. Visit them at <A href="http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/" target=_blank rel=nofollow>http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/</A></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=Default><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Some specific information in PDF format concerning 21<SUP>st</SUP> Century Skills Standards can be found at</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=Default><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><A href="http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/21st_century_skills_standards.pdf" target=_blank rel=nofollow>http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/21st_century_skills_standards..pdf</A></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=Default><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">And here is one more little tidbit. The following blurb appeared in the National High School Center High School News Update, October 12 -25, 2008. It is from the October 13, 2008, edition of <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Education Week.</SPAN></I> Perhaps taking a look at some of the state standards would be helpful in thinking about how to measure these skills in our adult students.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=Default style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><U><FONT face=Arial color=black size=4><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13pt">Curriculum and Instruction </SPAN></FONT></U></B><FONT size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13pt"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><U><FONT face="Arial Narrow" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'">More States Infuse Standards with 21st-Century Skills </SPAN></FONT></U></B><FONT face="Arial Narrow" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'">(Education Week [free registration required], October 13, 2008). An increasing number of states, including Iowa, West Virginia and Wisconsin, are adding skills like collaboration, creativity and critical thinking as well as financial, technological, health and global literacy into their statewide standards. "Fifty years ago, the ticket up the economic ladder was content mastery of four or five subjects," said Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. "Today, it's the </SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'">ability to t think critically, solve problems, communicate,
collaborate, use technology and be globally competent."</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Does anyone have anything else to share</SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Arial Narrow" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'">?</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">Gail J. Price</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">Multimedia Specialist</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">National</FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> Center</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> for Family Literacy</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">325 W. Main Street, Suite 300</FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">Louisville</FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy">, KY 40202</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">gprice@famlit.org</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">502 584-1133, ext.. 112</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> familyliteracy-bounces@nifl.gov [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces@nifl.gov] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Gail Price<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Wednesday, October 22, 2008 10:01 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> The Family Literacy Discussion List<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [FamilyLiteracy 1213] Measuring 21st Century Skills</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Dear List Subscribers, </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I received a request from a subscriber off the Family Literacy Discussion list for some information. The inquiry is a good one and one that I feel many of you can answer much better than I. </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Here is the inquiry. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">“What kinds of things would be indicators of success for families in the 21st century? I wasn't sure if success included more abstract measures like technology, financial and health literacy or if it was more skill based areas like job flexibility, financial stability, keeping kids in school and/or helping them make healthy choices. "Success" is so broad and there are so many definitions and values-based criteria, not to mention the cultural differences, I wondered if there was a standard in the national discussion you can direct me to.”</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Can you help with this inquiry by answering these questions?</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">What are programs using as the definition of 21st century skills?</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">How are you addressing these skills in your programs? Are there any standards that guide you?</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">How do you measure whether students have mastered those skills, especially if they are rather nebulous skills like being a team player and collaborating with others?</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Please share your thoughts, experiences and resources.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Thanks.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Gail J. Price</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Multimedia Specialist</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">National</FONT> Center for Family Literacy</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">325 W. Main Street, Suite 300</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Louisville</SPAN></FONT> , KY 40202</P></SPAN>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">gprice@famlit.org</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">502 584-1133, ext. 112</SPAN></FONT></P>
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