Until recently, my understanding of the four ‘C’s were Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat. Unfortunately I heard the last of those wonderful words well before we had kids, and now I’ve discovered a whole new meaning to “The Four ‘C’s”.
Last week I attended my first school orientation for parents, as our eldest child will be starting school next year. Parents were advised of the focuses of the 
school and I was amazed (but not surprised) to see how differently things are done now compared to when I went to school (a mere 30 years ago).
Some of the things that really hit home for me, was that my daughter will be graduating in the year 2027 and retiring in approximately 2070. And that some of the jobs that she will be doing don’t even exist yet!
We don’t know what the world will be like in 5 years, let alone in 50 years. However, we as parents and especially our trusted teachers, are presented with a huge challenge to prepare our children for a life in a future that we can’t begin to understand.
Changes in the Classroom
Our principal explained that the classroom has moved on from the traditional focus of reading, writing and arithmetic (or the three ‘R’s). Our students must also learn to develop 21st century skills – which are a set of abilities that students need to develop in order to succeed in today’s world.
Here’s a short clip summarizing the importance of 21st century skills
The 4 ‘C’s: Creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration
The four ‘C’s are new ways to learn that provide children with the skills to think about and find out answers for themselves and learn to solve problems as they would in real-life situations.
As well as the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic, our kids will be taught to think creatively and critically, to work with others to share ideas and solutions, and to express these ideas across a diverse range of media. I’d be surprized if my daughter does a fraction of the number of essays I did by the end of high school!
In a nutshell, the four ‘c’s are just the beginning of the challenge our teachers have ahead of them! Rather than teachers teaching from the front of the classroom, our teachers are facilitators. They guide our kids in the right direction to find resolutions and encourage them to express themselves as they themselves keep up with the latest trends and technologies to facilitate the changing face of the classroom!
Our children have more than enough information at their fingertips – they just need to learn how to sort and select the most accurate information that is relevant to them and their needs.
If you are yet to start the school experience, don’t panic – our children will still learn to read, write and do math at school (if they have not already mastered this with our GuruParents worksheets!). It’s the way that they learn that has changed – now incorporating the four ‘C’s.
The presentation was simply a good reminder of the significance of play in learning at an early age, how kids learn to problem solve and explore – the process of finding things out for themselves.
What you can do at home
Here are a few GuruParents articles and activities that you can do with your child to start the creative process!
5 Smart Ways to be Creative with Kids
Preschool Math – Weighing and Measuring
Plus, more Educational Toys and Activities as reviewed by Guru Parents
Lastly, here’s a short story that shows what is possible when communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity transform learning opportunities for all kids.