9/12/2017 0 Comments The 4C's![]() CREATIVITY. CRITICAL THINKING. COMMUNICATION. COLLABORATION. These are the 4 C's of education. What do they help us do exactly, though? For students, these 4 C's are the key to their success. If they can master these four traits, then they will be prepared to become beneficial members of society. How is CREATIVITY useful? Employers look for employees who have visions on how to implement change in the workplace and in the world around them. It can be used to sway people's opinions and to show them that what YOU have to offer is better than your opponent's. A creative presentation could mean all the difference in getting a job or not. How, as teachers, do we teach our students CREATIVITY? 1.) We, ourselves, need to be creative. Use creativity throughout the classroom. Classroom themes such as "the jungle" or "under the sea" can bring learning to life for kids. Show your students what a difference creativity can make. 2.) Create a classroom environment where creativity is encouraged and rewarded. Art projects, storytelling, dress up. These are just a few creative activities that we, as teachers, need to support. By showing them at an early age how creativity is useful, we will be preparing them for their future. How is CRITICAL THINKING useful? It helps students begin to develop their processing and questioning skills. These skills are not only used as a child, but also as an adult. By starting this process at a young age, students are able to become apt at solving problems inside and outside of the classroom. How do we, as teachers, promote CRITICAL THINKING in our students? As teachers, we need to ensure that ample time is spent on this process while in the classroom. By creating situations where students will be contemplating and questioning different topics, they will begin to utilize their critical thinking skills. Make these times fun, though. Critical thinking is usually thought of as a hard or boring task, but try to find ways to make it exciting. For example, here is a fun activity where critical thinking is used: Break the students up into different countries. Each country is now to make up a Constitution. By having the kids name/develop the country and create rules and government, you are coupling fun with the critical thinking of what is necessary for a country to thrive. How is COMMUNICATION useful? Communicating with people is key to being successful. If you cannot effectively communicate with people, then it will be hard to succeed. Communicating is anything from giving a presentation to having a face-to-face conversation with someone. We need to equip our students with the skills to effectively communicate their ideas and beliefs. How do we teach our students COMMUNICATION, though? 1.) Children learn by example. If we can model good communication, then our students will be more likely to follow in our footsteps. 2.) Encourage your students to always talk it out. If some of the students get in an argument, help diffuse the situation by having each calmly share how they are feeling. This will show the students that problems can be solved by communicating effectively. 3.) Help students feel comfortable with speaking in a group and, also, in front of the class. By creating situations where the students must speak in front of a group, they will learn how to cater their speaking based on different situations. How is COLLABORATION useful? Today, very few jobs are individualized. Most jobs require people to work as a team, at least most of the time. We need to be preparing our students for this type of work environment that they will face in the near future. How can we, as teachers, teach our students COLLABORATION? 1.)We need to offer many opportunities for students to work in group projects. By assigning each student a role and then placing them in a group, they will be able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge for the good of the group. 2.) Collaboration does not have to be just part of the classwork, though. During free time, the students can collaborate by playing together and getting along. Encouraging this type of behavior shows children how to work together in different situations. CREATIVITY, CRITICAL THINKING, COMMUNICATION, and COLLABORATION. The 4 C's that will prepare your students for a lifetime of success. For further information on the 4C's of Education, visit http://www.nea.org/tools/52217.htm. Citations: An Educator's Guide to the 'Four C's': Preparing 21st Century Students for Global Society. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2017, from http://www.nea.org/tools/52217.htm [Image depicting the 4C's of education: collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.]. (2013, September 16). Retrieved September 12, 2017, from http://blog.connectionsacademy.com/how-online-education-builds-career-readiness-with-the-4-cs/
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