How do NASA, STEM, & PBL meet the needs of 21st century Education?

First of all, what exactly is 21^st century education?  The article, “What is 21^st Century Education” stated that  it is an authentic education system that addresses the “whole child”, the “whole person”, and does not limit its professional development and curriculum design to workplace readiness.  It also stated that the 21^st century skills learned through its curriculum, which is interdisciplinary, integrated, project-based, and more, include and are learned within a project-based curriculum by utilizing the seven survival skills advocated by Tony Wagner in his book, The Global Achievement Gap:

·   Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

·   Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence

·   Agility and Adaptability

·   Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

·   Effective Oral and Written Communication

·   Accessing and Analyzing Information·    Curiosity and Imagination

So then, to the main question.  How do NASA, STEM, and PBL meet the needs of 21^st century education?  Well, the framework from the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills addresses the rapid shift of the world, and it has many skills that are directly related to helping students take control of their learning and keep on learning.  The NASA, PBL, and STEM article stated that because our world changes so rapidly and problems are constantly evolving, our students need to know how to face problems and solve them.  Understanding the process of problem solving using information that is constantly changing will make them better able to meet the needs of the future workforce.  The article said these skills include being able to

• Use various types of reasoning.
• Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims, and beliefs.
• Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view.
• Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments.
• Interpret information and draw conclusions.
• Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes.
• Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills.
• Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness.

The article affirmed that STEM is a strategy that connects all of these skills, and NASA and PBS are some of the organizations promoting STEM education.  STEM is a student-centered and problem based methodology that integrates all the sciences together: technology, math, science, and engineering.  I am apt in math and technology, and I know some science; however, I would have to take some classes for engineering, which is something I was thinking about doing anyway. 

PBL projects are content addressed layered with 21st century skills, driving questions, products, procedures, and evaluation.  This article certainly answered my questions as to the meaning of these various acronyms. 

Moreover, NASA, STEM, and PBL goals are aligned with and meet the aspirations and mission of 21^st century education, namely, providing an educational bridge that addresses the student as a “whole” person.