Citizen 2.0

Citizens of the 21st century are going to have to utilize a set of values different than previous generations. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills believes, as do I, that there some abilities that will be valued more than others now. Creativity and Innorvation are two such skills. There is great value put on taking media already produced, mixing and editing it with a unique spin, and reshowing it to the public. Because there is so much content on the net, originality can be seen in knowing what do to with what is already there. Definitely another skill is having Media Literacy as well. With so much on the web, it's vital to have confidence in knowing what is valuable and what is expendable. Jobs will also require much more flexibility, leadership, and self-dependence. That is a tough mix of skills when you think of it, but the current version of the web is all about sharing yourself with the world in positive and respectful ways. The people who can do that well, will have a comfortable place in the 21st Century.

However, are these skills so different than the ones teachers have been trying to teach for so long? There is a call for students to be, "... effective communicators, creative thinkers, problem solvers and innovators, and they must have global awareness." I remember my teachers trying to make me an effective communicator and problem solver with global awareness. So, why is that becoming more prominent today? Well, Citizen 2.0 has much more connection with the globe than I did when I was in school. Communication with people from the world over is much easier now, and one never knows who is looking at what web site now. My cousin was playing a video game online yesterday with a random person from England. And, they were talking to each other through the game's headset system while they were playing. Now that is cool, and that is new. So, a lack of global awareness today will have negative effects.