The Five Cs Shape Learning at Botelle In the 21st Century

By Kevin Case

On any given day, when you walk into any of our classrooms at Botelle School, you will observe our students engaged in 21st Century Learning Skills. We call these skills the 5 C’s: Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication and Compassionate Citizenship. These skills are crucial for our students to learn and apply in order for them to be prepared to be successful in an ever-changing world. By learning these skills at an early age, our students become better able to solve complex problems, communicate more effectively and collaborate with others. Every lesson that our teachers plan and implement engages students in activities that provide our students with opportunities to learn and apply these skills. 

These skills matter for our students because they allow them to:

• Utilize technology to navigate an information-rich world. Students learn to decipher what is factual information and what is not and to think critically about information they find on the internet. 
• Foster creativity. Through problem-solving and creative thinking activities, students are able to find various ways to approach challenging situations and to develop innovative solutions to problems.
• Collaborate and communicate. Students learn to effectively communicate with others, peers and adults, to express their ideas clearly and to work with diverse individuals to accomplish tasks and resolve conflict when necessary. These are crucial skills for school, work, and social environments. 
• Prepare them for future careers. Students will learn to be flexible and adaptable to work successfully in careers that do not yet exist. The quickly developing and changing Artificial Intelligence (AI) environment will be instrumental in the creation of newly designed occupations.
• Build local, national, and global awareness. Learning about civic issues and other cultures helps students to become compassionate, empathetic, globally-minded citizens who contribute to our communities and the ever-changing world. 

At Botelle School, students are involved in hands-on, project-based learning in the Maker Space Lab where students are engaged in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) activities. Most recently, every student learned to make water rockets using a plastic bottle and launched them on our field. Students learned the math and physics principles that allow a rocket to blast-off and soar, and they used their creativity to decorate the rockets.

Students also learn digital platforms and how to access the curriculum using technology as a tool. Our teachers are continually asking students open-ended questions to foster inquiry, curiosity and critical thinking.

If you would like to learn more about these important 21st  Century Skills or would like to visit our school to see these skills in action, please reach out to me at casek@botelleschool.org.

Kevin Case is the superintendent of Botelle School.