Individuals with a high school education represent the largest subset of the U.S. workforce. However, little is known about the employer expectations of these individuals, particularly in the area of soft skills--also known as 21st-century skills. Online job advertisements offer useful data for examining these expectations, as they may supplement…

While peer tutoring is a valued experiential activity, little is known about the peer tutoring experience and its relationship to desired 21st century outcomes of college. This paper features the results from a multi-institution study of the characteristics and benefits of peer tutoring for tutors. The National Survey of Student Engagement was…

Critical thinking is a fundamental skill for 21st-century citizens, and it should be promoted from elementary school and developed in computing education. However, assessing the development of critical thinking in educational contexts presents unique challenges. In this study, a systematic mapping was carried out to investigate how to assess the…

Creative thinking in mathematics is an essential 21st Century skill that can be developed and encouraged through an exploration of mathematical concepts. In the context of the new "Australian Curriculum: Mathematics," this article explores the possibilities that are unlocked when students engage with tasks creatively in mathematics. By…

As teacher educators who need to support the next generation of practitioners with technology and practice in the post-COVID teaching landscape, we draw on PICRAT (Kimmons, Graham, and West 2020) to guide our instructional work. This paper primarily addresses the ways that PICRAT has moved beyond TPACK and SAMR, two foundational theories for…

With the growth of online, virtual, and blended learning, there has been an increase in the demand for access to differentiated, quality online resources that are both student- and teacher-friendly for advanced or gifted and talented learners. The included resources have one or more combinations of exploratory, meaningful, and relevant content,…

Though zoos and aquariums have become increasingly focused on conservation education, their menageries of unique and diverse learning opportunities have been underused. This practical "NGSS"-aligned guide to field trips at zoos and aquariums is written specifically for science teachers to support broader utilization of zoos and aquariums…

Mobile instructional spaces such as retrofit buses, customized trucks or trailers, and repurposed shipping containers are innovative, unique venues for teaching and learning. STEM-focused mobile instructional spaces have emerged as vehicles for providing students and teachers with high-quality integrated STEM learning experiences that emphasize…

Information literacy is a critical 21st-century skill, yet young readers rarely have opportunities to consider where information comes from. In this Teaching Tip, the authors use author's notes in nonfiction storybooks to promote student awareness of authorship. The author's visibility in author's notes varies along a continuum from invisible…

Design thinking--a human-centered approach to problem solving--is a process by which K-12 teachers engage students in solving relevant issues that occur in their schools. In this article, the authors describe a project in which fourth-graders used design thinking to solve an unexpected issue related to a much-anticipated class project. The project…

Children are intrigued by switches that power a light source and by items that reflect light and sparkle, and they take notice of personal shadows cast on the playground. Many STEM fields draw upon understanding of light and shadow, such as astronomy, biology, engineering, architecture, and more. This book shows teachers how to engage children…

In this article we present an evidence-based framework of five interacting areas of teacher insight into educational success. This holistic framework comprises: (i) cognitive skills and capabilities, (ii) cross-curricular knowledge, skills and understanding, (iii) subject domain knowledge, (iv) teaching and learning environment, and (v) personal…

In the face of unprecedented disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid acceleration of digital technologies, it is necessary to rethink the competences required by teachers for meeting new and flexible learning demands. Teacher training is an area constantly evolving along with emerging social challenges that are transforming educational…

Elementary-level teacher Redford dispels the idea that instructional time should not be spent teaching content material because content is now Googleable. As research shows, background knowledge significantly influences basic comprehension, even in very young students; students need a core of background knowledge to decipher texts and understand…

Chan's book explores the challenges in assessing experiential learning, deepens our understanding, and inspires readers to think critically about the purpose of assessment in experiential learning. Experiential learning has been studied and proven to be effective for student learning, particularly for the development of holistic competencies (i.e.…