Volume 5 Page 47
Journal of Scholastic Inquiry: Education
Incorporating 21st Century Skills into Teacher Preparation Programs: A Collaborative Approach Rosemarie Michaels Dominican University of California Elizabeth Truesdell Dominican University of California Billye Brown Dominican University of California
Abstract
This paper describes a collaborative project between three chairs of teacher preparation programs (Multiple Subject, Single Subject, and Special Education) to review, revise, and align curriculum and instruction to deliberately address the 21st Century Skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and technology. This endeavor entails discussing three shared strategies for preservice teacher engagement in 21st Century Skills, including the integration of instructional technologies, development of a collaborative university-school partnership, and differentiating instruction for diverse learners in creative ways. Data collected through surveys and observations indicate an increase in preservice teachers’ competency in the 21st Century Skills through participation in a university-school partnership, explicit instruction and modeling of instructional technology, and differentiating instruction. Implications of this approach to teacher preparation include incorporating and modeling 21st Century Skills for preservice teachers and preparing more effective and marketable graduates who will embrace and model them when they are teachers in the field. Keywords: Teacher preparation, 21st Century Skills, differentiated instruction, universityschool partnerships, instructional technology