CEA members lead the way, helping K-12 students acquire 21st century skills

It's the 21st century and our students need 21st century skills in order to succeed -- in school, in the work place, and in life.

Core subjects plus the arts are still vitally important, but our students also need problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The ability to work collaboratively, communicate at a high level, be adaptable and flexible are just a few of the skills essential to success in a global economy.

The Colorado Education Association’s 38,000 members are helping lead the way as our public schools adapt and change to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century
CEA President Beverly Ingle, a middle school teacher in Cherry Creek School District, launched an important discussion with reporters and CEA’s organizational and business partners on November 13. View President Ingle’s news conference via webcast.

CEA Columns in Business Publications
President Ingle is writing a series of columns on the important aspects of teaching and learning in the 21st Century. The columns will appear first in business publications across Colorado, such as the Denver Business Journal and Colorado Biz Magazine.

Why is CEA communicating with business people? Because they are an important group of citizens who are deeply concerned about the workforce and the future of Colorado and the U.S. As CEA members work to ensure that all students have the skills and knowledge to be successful employees and citizens, business people are valuable partners with educators.

This effort is funded by the National Education Association. President Ingle’s columns will appear here as they are published.

November 2008: Preparing Our Students for Life in the 21st Century

December 2008: Why Recess and the Arts Matter

January 2009: Quality Teachers — Essential to Student Achievement

February 2009: Accountability in the 21st Century

March 2009: Building Colorado’s Future Today

21st Century TV Ad
CEA has run a 30-second television spot twice, featuring Michelle Pearson, a middle school social studies teacher. Pearson, a District Twelve EA member, teaches at Hulstrom Options School in Adams County Five Star District in Northglenn-Thornton.

Pearson makes history come alive for her seventh-eighth grade social studies students, using podcasts and other current technology, as well as the resources of the Library of Congress. Pearson and her students are in contact with students around the world and contribute to their community by preserving local history and sharing it with residents.

21st Century TV Ad

See more of Michelle Pearson’s interaction with students.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a national group of technology businesses and education organizations that have developed a vision for student success in the 21st century. The National Education Association (NEA), CEA’s parent organization, is a partnership member. CEA has adopted the Partnership’s Framework for 21st Century Learning.

The Gateway to 21st Century Skills
An online resource of more than 50,000 quality learning resources for educators, The Gateway to 21st Century Skills gives educators access to 21st century teaching tools, assessments, and professional development, plus the Achievement Standards Network, a digitized version of each state’s core academic standards.

We Want to Hear from You
Colorado educators and their students are using many new, advanced techniques to help students acquire 21st century skills. We are building an online learning community to share these techniques and classroom teachers’ ideas, successes, problems, and resources. Contact us to share yours.