Professional Development Program Targets 21st Century Skills

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is expanding its efforts to bring 21st century skills into the classroom with a new program focused on professional development.

Through the new P21 Professional Development Affiliate program, participants are bring provided with the tools to "align their already robust professional development programs with the Partnership's Framework for 21st [Century] Learning," according to the organization. The Framework is a roadmap for education centered around technology and skills-focused learning.

The new program launched last week with inaugural participants from 11 organizations, including the Arizona K-12 Center, Atomic Learning, the Center for Education Innovation and Regional Economic Development, EdVantia, EdVenture Group, Learning Point Associates, Metiri Group, National Education Association, Pearson, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, and Virtual High School.

"As more and more states and districts embrace 21st century skills," according to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, "there is an exponentially growing need for assistance in embedding these skills into schools and classrooms. The affiliate program fills this void by creating a national network of providers proficient in helping teachers and administrators implement the Framework."

"It has become apparent that all levels of American society--the public, business community, educators and policymakers--understand the importance 21st century skills play in graduating students capable of succeeding in today's global economy," said Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, in a statement released Wednesday. "With the launch of this innovative program, the Partnership is filling the necessity of aligning professional development with 21st century skills. I am confident that the program empowers practitioners to move this powerful vision to influential action."

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a coalition of business and education groups focused on technology education and the integration of technology into education. Its membership includes organizations ranging from technology companies like Adobe, Apple, Intel, and Microsoft to education organizations like the American Association of School Librarians and the NEA.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • teacher and students in geometric shapes with a glowing holographic tablet and flowing digital lines in a futuristic classroom setting

    Research Teams to Explore and Scale Tech-Supported Learning Approaches

    A new network of technology, school systems, and researchers is forming to "better understand and scale innovative learning acceleration approaches" and improve student outcomes.

  • silhouetted human figures stand opposite a glowing digital brain, surrounded by abstract circuits and shadowy shapes

    Tech Execs Expect AI Advancements to Increase Security Threats

    Forty-one percent of tech executives in a recent international survey said they believe advancements in AI will significantly increase security threats. NetApp's second annual Data Complexity Report points to 2025 as "AI's make or break year."

  • A child surrounded by glowing, fluid virtual patterns and holographic shapes, illuminated in a dark gradient environment of blue, purple, and pink.

    ClassVR Gets Expanded VR/AR Content Library

    Avantis Education has announced a new content library for its ClassVR virtual and augmented reality platform. Dubbed Eduverse+, the library features four content suites — EduverseAI, WildWorld, STEAM3D, and CareerHub — that can be tailored to suit a variety of educational levels.

  • interconnected glowing nodes and circuits in blue and green, forming a neural network on a dark background with a futuristic design

    Tech Giants Launch $100 Billion National AI Infrastructure Project

    OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have announced a new venture, Stargate, through which they aim to build a massive AI infrastructure network across the United States. The initiative, which was announced at the White House with President Donald Trump, has been described as the "largest AI infrastructure project in history."