Have students complete this inventory at different times throughout the year to measure the growth of their 21st century skills.

Instructional expert Jim Knight visits Chris Korinek to observe his social science classroom. Chris and Jim discuss scaffolding techniques, and when to use closed versus open questions.

Click "Take the test" in the bottom left corner to get started.

A short and quirky personality style test created by Adobe to showcase varieties of creativity.

The quiz will outline your creative strengths, untapped potential and your ideal way of contributing. For example "The Artist" has the strength of being able to bring ideas and concepts to life; but untapped is fearlessness in expression and this person make a good producer.

Types are the artist, thinker, adventurer, maker, producer, dreamer, innovator, and visionary. Each type includes a goofy animated character that represents the type, there is a description of each type, and who they work best with.

This would be a great addition to a learner profile, or to explore when examining creativity. We can all be creative - just in different ways. This is a great way to illustrate that and spark some rich discussion in your classroom!

This checklist outlines how and why it is important to develop essential questions.

The importance of creativity, the quality of screen time, perfectionism, creativity in the classroom, finding your "tribe", problem solving, and the art of copying are explored. Other resources and contacts are also linked in.

What is My Questions Round Robin?
This strategy helps students develop their thinking processes while providing students with a sense of control and a higher sense of their academic ability. This is a small group activity.

Why use it?
To provide students with the opportunity to ask personally meaningful questions of content.
To provide students with the opportunity to develop skills related to asking divergent or open-ended questions.
To provide students with the opportunity to hear the perspectives of others on a common topic.
To provide students with the opportunity to practice the skills of communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.
To activate students’ prior knowledge on a topic to be discussed in class.

What is a Question Creation Chart (QC2)?
The Question Creation Chart (also known as a Q-Chart or Q-Matrix) provides students with a framework for developing a range of personally meaningful questions, encompassing both close-ended factual questions and open-ended, divergent questions. (Adapted from Weiderhold, 1997).

Why use it?
To provide students with a framework for creating their own divergent and convergent questions on a specific topic.
To encourage students to think deeply about a topic.
To help students strengthen their understanding and comprehension of a topic.
To stimulate students’ prior knowledge about a topic.
To collect information about students’ knowledge and understanding of a topic.

Rube Goldberg machines are a fun and innovative way to integrate 21st century skills into your math, science, STEM or design learning class.
Rube Goldberg machines involve using a series of complex steps to do a simple task.
Students first begin reflecting on what 21st century skills they will need to pull this activity off. Then they must make an effective plan as a group before they are able to gather their materials and build. The plan can (and likely should!) change as they work and that is fine. Students should reflect on their 21st century skills daily to give them an opportunity to regroup and refocus as needed.
This is really a fun and valuable activity! This version was done a 7/8 Math class.
Image Details
Source: www.pxleyes.com
Title : rube goldberg photoshop contest (4530), pictures page 1 – pxleyes
Dimension : 1500 x 1230
File Type : JPG/JPEG

Activity- 1. Divide the students into groups. Introduce action plan and materials available for use to create the strongest and tallest structure. 2. Each group has to draw and label a blueprint of their plan/design. 3. Create a rubric with students to evaluate their structures. 4. Fascilitate and ask each group questions – What are you using in your design to create strength and stability.(We used this to create a shadow puppet on the ipads that demonstrated their learning.) Assessment 5. Students will test their structures strength using textbooks. Video tape. (Have textbooks readily available) **While presenting to each group in front of the class. 6. Students collaboratively created a Shadow Puppet, designed a dialogue together, and share their learning about structures. 7. Parents were engaged as we showcased our learning at Student Led Conferences on our Smartboard.

You will find everything you need here to use STEM challenges to introduce and teach your students 21st Century Skills.

Before each activity look at the "What Skills Do I Need?" attachment and discuss what needs to be done. Then show them the specific challenge - plan and do it! After have the kids complete the related reflection. All files below.

Before every challenge - What Skills Do I Need?
Challenge 1 & Self-Management Reflection
Challenge 2 & Effective Participation Reflection (also includes self-management)
Challenge 3 & Creativity Reflection (includes both skills above as well)
Challenge 4 & Enquiry Reflection (includes other 3 skills above as well)
Challenge 5 & Reflection Reflection (includes other 4 skills above)
Challenge 6 & Team Work Reflection (includes all other skills)
21st Century Skills reflection includes all skills
All documents are word files (except one) so you can edit them - if you have a problem with fonts etc, let me know and I can send you the pdf versions. Melissa.Lander@sunwestsd.ca