Little Scientists and 21st Century Skills:
When 21st-century skills are mentioned, everyone is familiar with them because they have become essential in education and they are widely used by institutions across all levels of education. But as parents, how much do we really know about these skills? And why are they so important that they have been embedded into our children’s education system?
What Is 21st Century Learning?
Schools are shifting their focus to 21st-century learning, which the Little Scientists programme has follow-through. In the classroom, the role of a teacher has changed from standing in front and delivering the instruction to someone who moves around, observing and prompting children to learn through inquiry or real-life experience. In the Little Scientists programme, children are not only taught about science concepts but also apply the concepts in the hands-on activity and kits designed for them. As for children, the quiet children are no more left out in the learning session as they are encouraged to collaborate with active children in the classroom.
Great Learning Resources
21st-century learning also has broken the 4 walls of the classroom and widened the learning globally through the use of the internet and advanced technology. The involvement of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are common in schools and learning programmes. In Little Scientists, children are brought to the world outside of the classroom through the integration of augmented reality (AR) to enhance children’s learning experience.
These days, children are growing and learning from YouTube, videos and animation since they were babies. To encourage children learning, animation of each topic learned in the programme is included to help children see, hear better and think deeper about things they are learning.
Path to Success
With the experience children get from learning in a 21st-century classroom, children are not only developing their cognitive ability but also, they are developing their skills to prepare them for the future. These skills are vital for children to be able to apply problem-solving skills in learning and life situation. They also prepare the children to be active citizens as they are able to evaluate, analyze, and create information that will give an impact on the development of our country.
The Learning Skills – 4Cs
There are 12 skills altogether which fall under 3 categories; learning skills, literacy skills and life skills. Learning skills are the most popular and the most common which include critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication. These skills are also known as the four C's and they have been used extensively because they are universal skills that are needed in almost every career. These skills help our children to solve problems, think outside the box, work with others, and convey ideas effectively. Even the children are learning on new platforms, but these 4Cs don't replace the basic skills that children should have such as reading and writing.
The Literacy Skills
Literacy skills comprise of information, media, and technology. As we all know and seen as parents, gadgets especially smartphone has become a necessity in this modern era even for children. We are in the age of the internet which is lightning-paced and information comes easy. There is a risk that our children may be misinformed due to the overwhelming information from uncertain sources. This is where literacy skills come into play. These skills enable our children to filter information and separate facts from fiction. When they understand how media and technology work, it will protect them from falling prey to misconceptions and fake information online.
The Life Skills
Flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity and social skills are incorporated in the third category, life skills. Also known as FLIPS, these skills are very much useful in personal life but they are also practical in professional settings. This internet age is very fast-paced and demands people to be able to adapt quickly to change especially with the development and emergence of improved technology along with brand-new disciplines. Having these life skills empowers our children to progress well in their prospective careers.
The Closure
The 21st-century skills are vital for the children to be able to keep up with the trend, making it their study, career or personal life. In addition, it helps them stay competitive in a changing job market in the future. This makes Little Scientists the best programme that you can choose for your children to encourage holistic development.