Tim Pivarnik is a knowledgeable educator. He worked with his team leaders in developing School Wide Learning Outcomes (SWLO's) that included the problem solving as well as critical thinking skills required for the effectiveness of this new problem/project based model. He observed that improvement in the areas of teaching, assessments, and curriculum are essential, so as to assist their students attain 21st century learning proficiencies like critical thinking, problem solving, etc. Tim described that elements like separating the content in different subject areas were not considered when including problem solving as well as critical thinking skills. The biggest challenge is how to successfully unite these skills, together with the soft skills essential to form a viable and efficient curriculum of the 21st century.

1. Tim Pivarnik Discusses The
Importance Of Critical Thinking And
Problem Solving In The 21st Century

2. Tim Pivarnik is a knowledgeable educator who has
served as the Principal of Calumet High School for 3
years. He successfully headed the school, and brought
many significant changes in the curriculum and
teaching strategies that helped students to get quality
education. He worked painstakingly with his team
leaders in developing School Wide Learning Outcomes
(SWLO's) that included the problem solving as well as
critical thinking skills required for the effectiveness of
this new problem/project based model.

3. They thoroughly analyzed the whole teaching system
and discussed as well as decided grade weight
elements to place on their SWLO's together with how
they would teach them in their classrooms. He
observed that improvement in the areas of teaching,
assessments, and curriculum are essential, so as to
assist their students attain 21st century learning
proficiencies like critical thinking, problem solving,
etc. Earlier, there were separate areas of knowledge
and skills and were tended to speculate if learners had
received specialization in a particular skill, then they
could use that skill to one of the content areas available
within the curriculum.

4. Tim Pivarnik, described that elements like separating
the content in different subject areas were not
considered when including problem solving as well as
critical thinking skills. The biggest challenge they have
to encounter is to determine how to successfully unite
these skills, together with the soft skills essential to
form a viable and efficient curriculum of the 21st
century. Another significant task they have to take care
of is to rectify the teaching strategies and techniques
following these requirements for successful
enforcement and delivery of the designed curriculum.

5. Tim and his team know that strategies which enable
student alliance through problem or project based
learning is a powerful model. However, they are still
managing classrooms in the normal rows of desks with
teachers delivering subject matter in the lecture
method. He says that teachers hold the opinion that
such type of classroom instruction lead to easier,
effective, and better classroom administration and
reduced overall work in the didactic delivery.

6. Tim Pivarnik agrees that it is very important to
modify teaching strategies for the improvement of
educational models, which can take place only because
of accurate and continual professional development for
the teachers along with the revision of their teacher
training courses. The least, but not the last component
that requires thorough improvement is the quality of
assessments. They need tasks that can successfully
evaluate skills like critical thinking, problem solving,
etc., so as to determine the actual efficiency of the 21st
curriculum and its consequences on the achievement of
students and effectiveness of teaching methods. The
formation of an integrated learning type of curriculum
is a big step in the direction of establishing a 21st
century learner friendly atmosphere.

7. Thank You
Tim Pivarnik