21st century skills?

If you've read anything about education the past few years, you will certainly have come across a plethora of writing espousing the importance of 21st century skills. Jay Mathews, an education writer for the Washington Post, feels the hype given this topic is overwhelming the truly important changes that need to be made. In his article, Mathews argues that "This is the all-at-once syndrome . . . (saying) changes must be made all at once, or else." Another point he makes is that kids struggling with reading, writing, and math are going to struggle with 21st century skills. Using 21st century methods to teach may make sense, however, the focus should be on making sure all students have those fundamental skills.