21st Century Standards and Curriculum: Current Research and Practice.

The integration of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and 21st century skills in the curriculum is not only beneficial to students and teachers, but also necessary to prepare our youth for their future careers. In an age of education where standardized tests determine the success of our schools, it is important to allow students the creativity and use the power of technology to support necessary skills and learn in unique ways. By allowing creative thinking and gauging understanding of content standards through a portfolio based system, students can display their concept retention while producing tangible and valuable outcomes. The future of our students depends on flexibility and resourcefulness not teaching to the test. Education needs to make an instructional shift in order to ensure our students succeed as the innovators of the future. This article explores 21st century skills, as they are defined and describes methods that allow students to enhance these skills. It also highlights how educators can link students’ current knowledge with authentic experiences that motivate, as well as allow them to create and collaborate using the latest technologies.  The article concludes with a discussion around benefits of integrating multimedia in the classroom, including giving students the opportunity to enhance academic and social skills as they communicate and share information, organize their ideas, and express opinions while preparing a project or conducting research through online experience. Keywords: CCSS, 21st century skills, Integrating 21st century skills to the Curriculum, Methods of instruction 21st Century