Essential 21st Century Skills to Fuel the Philippine Ascent

in the Global Knowledge Economy

Part I—the First 3 Essential Skills August 5. 2012

Alejandro P. Melchor III

Deputy Executive Director

Information & Communications Technology Office

Department of Science & Technology Mt. Mayon in Albay, Bicol Region

SUMMARY

Developing essential 21st century skills will help fuel

the Philippine ascent in the Global Knowledge

Economy. This study highlights the first 3 essential

skills:

• Critical thinking and problem solving

• Collaboration across networks and leading by

influence

• Effective written, oral and multimedia

communication

We provide access to free online resources for

community leaders to initiate skills development.

This is the first module of the new i-TalentDev.PH

program. A follow up study will highlight 3 more

essential skills.

Filipino mountaineers climbing Mt. Amuyao in Mountain Province, Philippines.

According to www.pinoymountaineer.com, the view from the peak is

breathtaking, overlooking the high mountains of the Cordilleras to the west and

the Sierra Madre to the east. The sunrise and sunset amidst a sea of clouds is

an unforgettable experience.

The path to the summit of the 21st

century Global Knowledge Economy is

steep and fraught with uncertainties…

The mist of outmoded ways of thinking and the thick

pea-soup fog of a school system built for the 20th

century Industrial Economy obscure the view.

Kiltepan Viewpoint, Sagada, in Mountain Province.

The most popular spot to catch the famous Sagada

sunrise, and the magnificent rice terraces.

www.thepoortraveler.net

Filipino mountaineers ascend to the peak of Mount Apo in

Davao, the highest mountain in the Philippines. There is a

stunning panoramic view from the summit. Mt. Apo is

considered Mindanao’s center for biodiversity. It is home to

272 bird species, including the country’s national bird, the

Philippine eagle. Davao City, like other Philippine ICT hubs,

has top shelf tourist attractions like Mount Apo.

But the rewards are well worth the effort.

And the trek up the challenging path will

condition us to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Jobs may evolve rapidly. The amount of information in the world doubles every two years, so curriculum may change and new textbooks may become obsolete quickly. But there is a global consensus on the vital importance of 21st century skills. We advocate for a focus on the most essential 21st century skills to fuel the Philippine ascent to the summit. This study is about the first 3 essential skills.

Mt. Pulag is the 3rd highest mountain in the Philippines. Tourists come from all over the country and

the world to witness its vibrant sunrise and famous dramatic sunset amidst a “sea of clouds.”

Scientists, researchers and mountaineers love Mt. Pulag for its biodiversity. The mountain hosts 528

documented plant species, including the Dwarf Bamboo and the Benguet pine. Among its native

wildlife are 33 bird species and several endangered mammals such as the Philippine deer. The

mummy burial caves are another tourist attraction. The temperature at the peak may drop to 0

degrees, so bring your thermals.

“Knowledge Workers with 21st Century Skills for the Global

Knowledge Economy” is the first component of the

i-TalentDev.PH Program, which is still under construction.

We invite stakeholders to give us your feedback on the structure of the

overall iTalentDev.PH Program, as well as on the first module, the 21st

Century Skills.

View from the summit of Mt. Dulang-Dulang, or “D2,” in Bukidnon, Mindanao. According to www.pinoymountaineer.com, Mt. Dulang-Dulang is surrounded by one of the most impressive forests in the Philippines. Visitors compare it to the elven forest of Rivendell in “Lord of the Rings.” Philippine mountains are increasingly attracting foreign and local tourists. The climbs are manageable, there is no danger of avalanche, the cold is bearable, the forests, flora and fauna are enchanting , and the sunrises and sunsets amidst the clouds are breathtaking.

Mt. Apo Mt. Pulag Mt. Dulang-Dulang, D-2

Mt. Kitanglad Mt. Tabayoc Mt. Napulak Mt. Mayon

IT’s more fun in the Philippine Mountains!

Banff, in Alberta, Canada

In the 21st century workplace, most repetitive

functions will be automated. Knowledge workers will

be in short supply and high demand. Employers will

value workers for their abilities to synthesize

information, think critically, solve problems, and be

innovative.

Innovation and value will be created by

knowledge workers who have technical skills

combined with business understanding and

the ability to adapt and continually learn.

Mount Shasta, California

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

As the 21st century workplace becomes increasingly

global, Filipinos will need a

global perspective, a high degree of cultural

awareness and the ability to work with colleagues

from other countries.

The 21st century skills will allow us to develop

our own domestic knowledge industries

Knowledge Industries Knowledge itself is the product or service SOFTWARE MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT CONSULTING R&D ADVERTISING

Knowledge-Intensive Industries High level of knowledge is embedded in the products or services ELECTRONICS COMPUTERS PHARMACEUTICAL REAL ESTATE INFRASTRUCTURE MANU-SERVICES

Ilocos Mountain Range

I. The First Essential 21st Century Skill:

CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

“Critical thinking is

a desire to seek,

patience to doubt,

fondness to

meditate, slowness to assert,

readiness to consider,

carefulness to dispose and

set in order; and hatred for

every kind of imposture.”

- Sir Francis Bacon

Castle Strecno, in the Carpathian Mountains, North Slovakia

Based on ICTO’s research and dialogues with experts

and stakeholders, CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM

SOLVING is the first and foremost essential 21st century

skill. In the Global Knowledge Economy, Filipino

knowledge workers will need to sift through mountains

of data and information and figure out what’s important

and what’s not. To do so, they will need to think

critically. In today’s rapidly changing environment, our

knowledge workers will be called upon to face new and

unexpected problems, on an almost daily basis. They

will have to master systems thinking, understand how

all the moving parts interact, get to the root cause of

the problem, and devise innovative solutions on the fly.

“Corporations have changed dramatically in the last

twenty years in terms of the way that work is

organized…the organization has been flattened. The

way work is organized now is lots of networks of

cross-functional teams that work together on

specific projects. Work is no longer defined by your

specialty; it’s defined by the task or problem you and

your team are trying to solve or the end goal you

want to accomplish. Teams have to figure out the

best way to get there—the solution is not prescribed.

And so the biggest challenge for our front-line

employees is having the critical thinking and problem

solving skills they need to be effective in their

teams—because nobody is there telling them exactly

what to do. They have to figure it out.” - Karen Bruett, manager for strategic business development in K-12 education

at Dell Computer Corp., and past president of the Partnership for 21st Century

Skills, quoted in The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner

The Grand Teton, viewed from the summit of Table Mountain

Critical thinking and problem solving

underpinned scientific inquiry and the

Scientific Method originated by Sir

Francis Bacon during the Scientific

Revolution. Emphasizing critical thinking

and problem solving will also enable us

to develop S&T-based knowledge

industries.

KEY ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES NANOTECHNOLOGY MICRO & NANOELECTRONICS INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY PHOTONICS ADVANCED MATERIALS ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

HP Catalyst Initiative For Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) Education

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/social-innovation/catalyst.html

Harvard uses a computer gaming simulation to teach scientific inquiry and 21st century skills

Harvard’s River City Project http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/

How about a science grant to local game developers to create a

Philippine setting 19th century historical simulation to teach scientific

inquiry in Philippine Science High Schools?

Online guide to resources that develop critical thinking & problem solving:

The Foundation for Critical Thinking http://www.criticalthinking.org/

Online learning

Online resources for problem-based learning:

Illinois Math & Science Academy’s Problem Based Learning Network http://pbln.imsa.edu/

In partnership with NASA's Glenn Research Center, Lunar Outpost explores

the challenges of establishing an outpost on the moon.

http://pbln.imsa.edu/model/problems/

Online resource for problem-based learning:

The University of Delaware’s Problem-based

Learning Resources and Clearinghouse http://www.udel.edu/inst/

Research conclusively shows that chess improves critical

thinking and problem solving skills

Recommended free online resources for chess

http://www.chesskids.com/newcourse/index.htm

www.sparkchess.com

Free and easy to use online chess

game with beautiful 3-D interface

Start a chess club at school or a chess

tournament at work!

Encourage your kids to learn and play

chess with this easy to use program!

The Oracle Education Foundation’s Think Quest helps students develop critical thinking skills and other 21st Century Skills

http://www.oraclefoundation.org/

Island of the Sun, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

HARNESSING THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND AS A PROBLEM SOLVER

Print out color pictures from the Internet of your

favorites among these majestic mountain ranges.

Before going to sleep, clear the mind and calm the

emotions. Then think about the problem you are

trying to solve. Look at your pictures and admire the

grandeur of the mountains. Imagine yourself there to

the extent that you can feel the cold and the thin air.

When you wake up in the morning, you may have a

creative solution to the problem. Make a note of it.

This technique really works!

Sunrise view of Kanchenjunga Range from Tiger Hill in Darjeeling, India

II. The Second Essential 21st Century Skill:

Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by Influence

As Filipino firms expand around the country and

internationally, their knowledge workers will

work in networks of virtual teams.

Global collaboration will be an essential skill.

Companies will increasingly utilize global work

forces. A project team could include research

scientists in New York, software developers in

Bangalore, graphic artists and designers in

Manila, and engineers in Munich.

Managers will have to learn to lead virtually.

This will involve a paradigm shift for many

managers, who are used to being in control.

They will have to learn to lead by influence

and empower people to achieve results.

“Kids just out of school have an amazing lack of

preparedness in general leadership skills and

collaborative skills. They lack the ability to influence

versus direct and command…They don’t understand

the complexities of an organization—that boundaries

are fluid, that rarely does one group have everything

they need to get a job done. How do you solve a

problem when people who own what you need are

outside your organization or don’t report to you, or the

total solution requires a consortium of people? How

do you influence things that are out of your direct

control?”

- Mike Summers, Vice President for Global Talent Management at Dell

Computers, quoted in The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner

Free download from www.Seriosity.com:

http://www.seriosity.com/downloads/GIO_PDF_web.pdf

Leadership development has been

identified as a priority requirement for the

growth of the Philippine ICT Industry.

Computer gaming is increasingly viewed

as an effective tool to develop 21st

century business leaders.

Millions of computer gamers interact in

massively multiplayer online role-playing

games (MMORPGs). These virtual

environments mirror the 21st century

business environment to a surprising

degree, and the skills required to succeed

are similar to the leadership skills coveted

by the 21st century business enterprise.

Multinationals use computer online games for leadership

development

www.gdap.org.ph

Local companies may wish to consider contracting our talented local

game developers to create a custom learning game or simulation for

leadership development

National Model United Nations http://www.nmun.org/

Helps students develop leadership by influence skills by simulating United Nations Council meetings to resolve an international crisis

http://www.nmun.org/

How to Smile.org http://www.howtosmile.org/

How to Smile.org is an online

network of educators that have vetted

over 3,000 engaging, hands-on

interactive STEM activities which are

sure to get students involved.

“Leadership is influence.”

-John C. Maxwell

“ A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way,

and shows the way.”

-John C. Maxwell

“Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination;

on cooperation, not intimidation.”

-William Arthur Ward

THIS STUDY PROVIDES MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR

LEADERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR

COMMUNITIES. AS WILL THE WHOLE i-TALENTDEV.

PH PROGRAM.

Grand Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming

III. The Third Essential 21st Century Skill:

Effective Written, Oral and Multimedia Communication

Both local and foreign surveys underscore the

importance employers attach to

communication skills. A major survey

conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s

Katz Business School pointed out that

communication skills, including written and

oral presentations, as well as an ability to work

well with others, are the main factors

contributing to job success. In the Katz

survey, recruiters from companies with more

than 50,000 employees cited communications

skills as the single most decisive factor in

choosing managers.

Shigatse Mountain Range, Tibet

You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get

them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere.

— Lee Iacocca

"The art of communication is the language of

leadership."

— James Humes

"Regardless of the changes in technology, the market

for well-crafted messages will always have an audience."

— Steve Burnett, The Burnett Group

"The basic building block of good communications is the

feeling that every human being is unique and of value."

— Unknown

Recommended site for communications and other essential skills

MindTools http://www.mindtools.com/

How-to videos to learn Web 2.0 technologies for the Digital Classroom

Learn It in 5 http://learnitin5.com/

Vialogues https://vialogues.com/

Vialogues enables

you to create and

upload a video to the

Internet and invite

participants to

discuss or comment.

Ideal teaching tool for

a media literacy

course.

Companies may also commission our talented local animators to

create custom multimedia communications www.animationcouncil.org

Mt. Everest and the Himalayan Mountain Range

ANNEXES I. Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21)

II.P21 Academy Programs

III.P21 Professional Development

Programs for educators

IV. i-TalentDev.PH

V. Smarter Philippines

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills http://www.p21.org/

Partnership for 21st Century Skills: Members

P21 has outlined eleven 21st Century Skills

Learning and Innovation Skills (3)

Learning and innovation skills increasingly are being recognized as the skills that separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the future.

– Creativity and Innovation Skills

– Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

– Communication and Collaboration Skills

Learning and Innovation Skills

Information, Media & Technology Skills (3)

People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-suffused environment, marked by access to an abundance of information, rapid changes in technology tools, and the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology.

– Information Literacy

– Media Literacy

– ICT Literacy (Information, Communications & Technology)

Information, Media & Technology Skills

Life and Career Skills (5)

Today’s life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge. The ability to navigate the complex life and work environments in the globally competitive information age requires students to pay rigorous attention to developing adequate life and career skills.

– Flexibility & Adaptability – Initiative & Self-Direction – Social & Cross-Cultural Skills – Productivity & Accountability – Leadership & Responsibility

Life and Career Skills

Hi-tech companies who are members of the Partnership for 21st Century

Skills have been making substantial global philanthropic investments in

ACADEMY PROGRAMS to attract students to hi-tech careers and train

and certify them in technical skills.

These ACADEMY PROGRAMS provide teachers with the training,

technology tools, and curriculum resources to bring students to

certification-level competence in a variety of technical and business

fields.

Following are the websites for some notable ACADEMY PROGRAMS by

P21 members which we recommend:

Grand Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming

Microsoft IT Academy http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/itacademy/default.aspx

https://academy.oracle.com/

Cisco Networking Academy http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/index.html

The Ancohuma and Illampu mountains soar majestically over Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Hi-tech companies who are members of the Partnership for

21st Century Skills are also making philanthropic investments

globally in the PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT of teachers.

Their programs train teachers to integrate technology tools

and 21st century skills into their teaching methods. Here are

some prominent teacher development programs by P21

members:

Intel Teach Program http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/intel-teach-ww.html

Microsoft Partners in Learning http://www.microsoft.com/education/ww/partners-in-learning/Pages/index.aspx

1- Knowledge Workers with 21st Century Skills for the Global Knowledge Economy

4- Learning Organizations, Knowledge Management 2.0, Knowledge Networking, and Sharing of Best Practices and Free Resources

2- 21st Century Curriculum and Professional Development of Teachers

6- Computer Gaming and Multimedia Arts for Training, Education and Leadership Development

5- Online Learning and Transformative Education Technologies

3- Innovation and Creativity in Education, and Education for Innovation and Creativity

7- Global Perspective and Global Networking and Collaboration

i-TalentDev.PH

Smarter Philippines--a DOST-wide project--by transforming systems of governance, education, health, etc. nationwide, will create a vibrant domestic knowledge economy, accelerate technopreneurship, and boost domestic knowledge industries.

1- iGovPhil -- i-Business Permit Lic. System -- Gov’t e-Services Portal -- e-LGU -- Community e-Centers -- National Information Infra -- CIO Forum & gCIO Training

2- i-TalentDev.PH -- Knowledge Workers with 21st Century Skills -- Industry-driven curriculum -- Computer Gaming -- Learning Technologies -- Global Collaboration

3- Smarter Industry -- Global Leadership in IT-BPO -- $50 B ICT Industry -- i-CreativePhil -- Smarter Agribusiness -- Makinariya at Teknolohiya para sa Ekonomiya

4- Smarter Transportation and Green Technology -- Eco-Jeep (DOST NCRP) -- UP Monorail (DOST MIRD)

5- Smarter Healthcare (PCHRD) & Nutrition (FNRI) -- Phil Health Research Registry -- Public health surveillance & health intelligence systems -- Sulong Pinoy anti-malnutrition -- Nutritious brown rice

6- Smarter Disaster Mitigation -- Project Noah (DOST-PAGASA) -- Earthquake & Tsunami Early Warning (DOST- PHIVOLCS) -- 3D LIDAR Mapping (DOST & UP Geodetic Engineering)

7- Smarter Cities -- Digital Ecosystem -- Smarter Local Government Svcs -- Smarter Buildings -- Smarter Environment -- Smarter Energy & Utilities -- Smarter Public Safety

“Smarter Philippines” is the brainchild of Science & Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo

Sec. Montejo is an inventor, a trained engineer, and a successful businessman who knows how to commercialize scientific inventions. A member of the Top 100 Graduates of the University of the Philippines College of Engineering, his vision is to create a vibrant domestic knowledge economy in which Filipino technology companies and Filipino technopreneurs deliver indigenous technologies to solve the problems that beset ordinary Filipinos.

iGov, is the brainchild of the DOST Information & Communications Technology Office’s Executive Director Louis Casambre. His focus is all-out support for President Aquino’s promise of a transparent, equitable and effective government service, through ICT.

Department of Science and Technology- Information and Communications Technology Office

Thank You

Please e-mail feedback & suggestions to improve i–TalentDev.PH to budmelchor@yahoo.com

Knowledge creation, sharing of free resources and continual learning--Resources posted on Facebook

• The i-CreativePhil Program • The Perfect Storm and the Next Wave Cities Program •Seeding the Digital Ecosystem to Fuel the Philippine Renaissance •Computer Gaming for Leadership Development • The DOST ICT Office’s Initiatives for the ICT & BPO Industry • The Next Wave Cities Program: Get Ready for the Next Wave of Growth and Investment • Seven Global Shifts: Trends and Opportunities in ICT & BPO