1. ACTFL World Languages 21st Century Skills Map
1. Communication 7. Technology Literacy
Students as effective communicators use Students as productive global citizens use
languages to engage in meaningful appropriate technologies when interpreting
conversation, to understand and interpret messages, interacting with others, and
spoken language and written text, and to producing written, oral, and visual
present information, concepts, and ideas. messages.
2. Collaboration 8. Flexibility and Adaptability
Students as collaborators use their native Students as flexible and adaptable
and acquired languages to learn from and language learners are open-minded, willing
work cooperatively across cultures with to take risks, and accept the ambiguity of
global team members, sharing language while balancing diverse global
responsibility and making necessary perspectives.
compromises while working toward a
common goal.
3. Critical Thinking and Problem 9. Initiative and Self-Direction
Solving Students as life-long learners are motivated
Students as inquirers frame, analyze, and to set their own goals and reflect on their
synthesize information as well as negotiate progress as they grow and improve their
meaning across language and culture in linguistic and cultural competence.
order to explore problems and issues from
their own and different perspectives.
10. Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
4. Creativity and Innovation Students as adept language learners
Students as creators and innovators understand diverse cultural perspectives
respond to new and diverse perspectives as and use appropriate socio-linguistic skills
they use language in imaginative and in order to function in diverse cultural and
original ways to make useful contributions. linguistic contexts.
5. Information Literacy 11. Productivity and Accountability
Students as informed global citizens Students as productive and accountable
access, manage, and effectively use learners take responsibility for their own
culturally authentic sources in ethical and learning by actively working to increase
legal ways. their language proficiency and cultural
knowledge.
6. Media Literacy
Students as active global citizens evaluate 12. Leadership and Responsibility
authentic sources to understand how media Students as responsible leaders leverage
reflect and influence language and culture. their linguistic and cross-cultural skills to
inspire others to be fair, accepting, open,
and understanding within and beyond the
local community.

2. ACTFL World Languages 21st Century Skills Map
Interdisciplinary Themes
1. Global Awareness
Language education and cultural understanding are at the heart of developing global awareness
for students. In order to understand and address global issues, it is important to understand the
perspectives on the world that speakers of other languages bring to the table. By learning other
languages, students develop respect and openness to those whose culture, religion, and views on
the world may be different. Language students are able to interact with students from the target
language in order to discuss issues and reach solutions.
2. Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy: Students in language
classes learn about financial and economic issues in the target language culture(s) and are able
to compare and contrast with those of the United States. According to the Committee for
Economic Development (CED), “…cultural competence and foreign language skills can prove
invaluable when working on global business teams or negotiating with overseas clients.” In
addition, the changing demographics in the U.S. make language capability a requisite for
interacting with non-English speaking communities domestically as well as internationally. Those
who are able to communicate with others in their native language will naturally feel more
empowered to negotiate with those around the world as they engage in entrepreneurial activities.
3. Civic Literacy: Language learners become aware of the judicial, legislative and government
functions of the target language country (ies) and are able to compare and contrast those with the
civil liberties and responsibilities in the U.S. Because they can communicate in the target
language, they are able to engage in discussions with other students and participate in activities in
which they discuss civic life in their respective countries.
4. Health Literacy: Language learners are engaged in a value-added activity as they can
address global health and environmental issues in the target language and understand materials
that were written for native speakers of that language. They have access to information because
they can understand the language and can thus engage in global discussions on health,
environmental, and public safety issues, and can prepare for careers in these fields.
http://actfl21stcenturyskillsmap.wikispaces.com/ http://nysafltsummer2011.wikispaces.com/
**************************************************************************************************
Nine Tenets of Passion-Based Learning:
http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/07/nine-tenets-of-passion-based-learning/
1. Reach out to the disenfranchised.
2. Show relevance to life outside school.
3. Indoctrinate passion into the system.
4. Try using the schoolwide enrichment model.
5. Digital media is key.
6. Tap into the wisdom of your trusted peers. (PLN)
7. Become a digital citizen.
8. Passion is infectious.
9. Connect with parents.
*********************************************************************************************
What are you reactions/ideas/thoughts for these ideas?
How can we use these skills, themes and concepts to jumpstart the new year?
What is it that you want to do? What are your goals, questions, and thoughts?
1. REACH OUT TO THE DISENFRANCHISED. We say that we want creative, passion-driven students, yet we

3. ACTFL World Languages 21st Century Skills Map
reward the opposite. Standards-based education stifles engagement and passion in students. While drop-outs are
considered to be lazy and unmotivated, many are simply not interested because they don’t understand the
relevance of what they’re being taught. We’re rewarding students who are best at obedience, memorization,
regurgitation, and compliance. And those who do succeed in school often don’t know what to do when they get
out. We need to prepare kids to be successful in the real world, not just while in school.
2. SHOW RELEVANCE TO LIFE OUTSIDE SCHOOL. Passion is the narrative of mattering. It’s that simple and that
difficult. Everyone has a deep rooted drive to know that they matter to others and that what they’re doing matters.
When you’re doing work that matters, with people who matter, you’re willing to suffer and study more. Passion-
based learning is not about matching students with topics that interest them, it’s about presenting subjects to
students in a way that’s relevant. People gain empowerment when they’re doing work that matters and is
respected. Angela Maiers suggests that a class essay rubric may seem irrelevant for some, and that having
students surf the web to identify writing standards that are “worthy of the world” may engage them to take
ownership of their writing.
3. INDOCTRINATE PASSION INTO THE SYSTEM. We must switch from a control narrative in the classroom to a
passion narrative. While our education system allows continuity between grade levels, provides a streamlined
performance metric, and “teacher-proofs” schools, assessment-based education can quell the creative process in
teachers. Lisa Nielsen writes in her Innovative Educator blog: “Are we going to lose another excellent, passion-
driven teacher to a compulsory system of education that as Seth Godin so aptly expresses, ‘only values
compliance not initiative, because, of course, that’s what’s easiest to measure.’” School mandates paralyze
educators from taking a close look at their passion for learning. School administrators should support teachers
and empower them to be creative. Teachers and leadership, as exemplified by those from Aurora High School in
Ohio, can read books like Passion-Driven Classrooms (written by panelists Angela Maiers and Amy Sandvold) to
discover ways to use more passion in their classrooms.The Island School is an example of a public-financed
school in New York City that’s implemented a schoolwide enrichment model focusing on talent development and
nurturing multiple intelligences.
4. TRY USING THE SCHOOLWIDE ENRICHMENT MODEL. Passion-based learning is about finding a “hero,”
learning what makes him/her successful, and acquiring the practices and the norms of established practitioners in
that field. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model identifies student strengths, nurtures skills, and creates authentic
opportunities for students to utilize these skills not just as students, but as practicing professionals providing
experiences and opportunities to work and learn with others in the fields in which they are interested. If a student
takes interest in the culinary arts, watching the 60 Minutes interview of Jose Andres, following up on studies of
molecular gastronomy, volunteering at a local soup kitchen and exchanging recipes with a network of cooks is far
more enriching than simply taking a cooking class. Jackie Gerstein said: “I realized that it becomes much more
than learning about the culinary arts. It becomes a way of being in the world, the dispositions that contributes to
success as a culinary artist.”
5. DIGITAL MEDIA IS KEY. Students can read and view media about their heroes and possibly even connect
directly with them. John Seely Brown, a notable passion-based proponent and keynote at the New Media
Consortium this past summer, says that passion involves an extreme performance with a deep questioning
disposition. Without digital media, this quest is not possible in formal education.
6. TAP INTO THE WISDOM OF YOUR TRUSTED PEERS. Social media and Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)
are necessary. Teachers need to publish their innovative work and share it with their personal learning networks.
It’s also important for teachers to help students get connected to PLNs via social media.
7. BECOME A DIGITAL CITIZENS. If for no other reason, then to be able to guide students. Students need to be
shown what’s appropriate and instructive with social media in and out of the classroom. Schools’ banning of social
media sites impedes this process. Having teachers and students learn side-by-side can provide great
opportunities for building respect and openness.
8. PASSION IS INFECTIOUS. Being around passionate people is the best way to become passionate. A passion-
driven teacher is a model for her students. Teachers must be able to lead in the areas that they’re passionate
about (whether this be in the classroom or after school). They must demonstrate that they have lives outside of
school and that they are well-balanced people. Being transparent with students and building relationships with
them beyond the classroom can help drive learning – students work harder with people who matter to them. The
Science Leadership Academy, for example, uses Facebook as a means of connecting students and teachers to
each others’ interests. Students and teachers even do things together outside of the classroom.
9. CONNECT WITH PARENTS. Building relationships between parents and schools is crucial. George Couros says
that having a pre-conference at the beginning of the school year with parents allows teachers and administrators
to listen to parents talk about their kids and gives parents a chance to tell the school what their competencies are
and where their expertise lies. Teachers can then create “resident expert” walls. By identifying strengths and
talents of parents, parents gain a sense of recognition and human value – they feel engaged. This leads to

4. ACTFL World Languages 21st Century Skills Map
opportunities for parents to teach topics that they love within the school.