My Journey Begins

What about myself am I most aware of as a learner?
To me this is a loaded question, since there are so many facets to being a learner.  That being said, I can't pinpoint just one thing.  The first thing that comes to mind, is that I need time to process.  When I am put on the spot, I never feel as though I can articulate my thinking well and in my mind, sound incompetent.  The second thing that comes to mind is I tend to procrastinate if the task is outside of my comfort zone, as can't figure out how to tackle the task.  The third thing that comes to mind is I find it hard to collaborate with others if I don't know their work ethic well enough.  I am a perfectionist and find it hard to trust that things will get done the way I feel they should be.  That being said, I tend to surround myself with people that have a similar work ethic.

What do I know about student learning and the 21st Century Competencies?
I have spent a lot of time throughout my career exploring what it means to be a 21st Century Learner.  I was a part of the Nevada Pathway Project from 2009 - 2011 which focused on 21st Century Learning.  However, the project focused a lot on technology use within the classroom (only one dimension) and the six dimensions really weren't at the forefront yet.  Classes I have taken since then have given me the opportunity to explore the six dimensions (I've done the sort at least 3 times) theoretically but since I was taking these courses as I was exiting the classroom, I haven't had a lot of opportunity to explore them in practice.  All this being said, I know what the six dimensions are but haven't been able to take my practice up the continuum for each competency.

As I think about my instruction, how do I use the 21st Century Learning Competencies as a guide to my teaching practice?
Bluntly, I don't.  I am currently not in the classroom and haven't been for a few years now.  The main reason I am taking this course is to better inform my knowledge of the six competencies and how to use them effectively within a lesson in order to better support teachers at my site with 21st Century Learning in the classroom.