Overview
There is a growing sense among education leaders, educators, students and parents that traditional Standards and Competencies are not delivering the necessary outcomes for all students to flourish in the increasingly complex world in which they live. Whatever name we give them - "21st Century Skills/Fluencies," "soft skills," or "Deep Competencies" - they are essential.
In addition to content knowledge, the learning expectations below must be intentionally woven into student learning experiences throughout each day. Teachers and students are operating at the "New Vision" level IV of the BISD Learning Rubric when the following deep learning competencies are present.
In addition to content knowledge, the learning expectations below must be intentionally woven into student learning experiences throughout each day. Teachers and students are operating at the "New Vision" level IV of the BISD Learning Rubric when the following deep learning competencies are present.
Defined: |
Character: Learning to deep learn, armed with the essential character traits of grit, tenacity, perseverance, and resilience; the ability to make learning an integral part of living
Citizenship: Thinking like global citizens, considering global issues based on a deep understanding of diverse values and worldviews, and with a genuine interest and ability to solve ambiguous and complex real-world problems that impact human and environmental sustainability
Collaboration: Work interdependently and synergistically in teams with strong interpersonal and team‐related skills including effective management of team dynamics and challenges, making substantive decisions together, and learning from and contributing to the learning of others.
Communication: Communicating effectively with a variety of styles, modes, and tools (including digital tools), tailored for a range of audiences
Creativity: Having an ‘entrepreneurial eye’ for economic and social opportunities, asking the right inquiry questions to generate novel ideas, and leadership to pursue those ideas and turn them into action
Critical Thinking: Critically evaluating information and arguments, seeing patterns and connections, constructing meaningful knowledge, and applying it in the real world
Citizenship: Thinking like global citizens, considering global issues based on a deep understanding of diverse values and worldviews, and with a genuine interest and ability to solve ambiguous and complex real-world problems that impact human and environmental sustainability
Collaboration: Work interdependently and synergistically in teams with strong interpersonal and team‐related skills including effective management of team dynamics and challenges, making substantive decisions together, and learning from and contributing to the learning of others.
Communication: Communicating effectively with a variety of styles, modes, and tools (including digital tools), tailored for a range of audiences
Creativity: Having an ‘entrepreneurial eye’ for economic and social opportunities, asking the right inquiry questions to generate novel ideas, and leadership to pursue those ideas and turn them into action
Critical Thinking: Critically evaluating information and arguments, seeing patterns and connections, constructing meaningful knowledge, and applying it in the real world
Examples:
Park Manor Elementary School:
In a Grade 6 class, teacher Liz Anderson introduced a writing lesson to her students. “The big skill we’re focusing in on today is critical thinking,” Anderson explained to her students, pointing to a whiteboard where she had written directions for the lesson. Instead of the specifics you might expect from a traditional lesson plan (for example: read pages 4 to 12 and answer the reading comprehension questions), she asked her students to design their own. They were to review their writing and identify where they could improve, then set a goal and explain, citing evidence from their own work, why they chose the goal and how they could achieve it. Click here to read more about deep learning outcomes |
Additional Resources
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