Pondering 21st Century Skills - Sigh

I have had a few days off from my KTOY responsibilities (opportunities) and have taken some time to read up on 21st Century Skills which seem to be the hot topic right now in education. I have heard many people speak about the importance of these skills in a global society...how these skills are needed for students to be successful in the future. The State Teachers of the Year (TOY's from all over the nation) have had great dialogue about the states that are "on board" with these skills: Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. I am proud Kansas is on the cutting edge of this - mostly due to Dr. Alexa Posny's leadership.
However .....I am so confused. I understand the cool symbol the Council chose (the infinity symbol) which is divided into two areas: environment and skills. I embrace, support, and preach the environment: relationships, relevance, rigor, results, responsive culture. It is the skills I struggle with. There are 10 listed (although it is really like 22). They are skills like: initiative, innovation, and flexibility. After reading them, I say, "Yes, very important - every one of us need that skill." BUT I also continue to ask questions like:

How do we teach these skills?
Are these content skills?
Are these to be embedded into our content?
If they are part of our content, how do we evaluate skills like innovation and flexibility?
How are we, as educators, going to get Professional Development on using, applying, teaching, facilitating 21st Century Skills?

I read through these and sigh...am I too old? They seem overwhelming to me. I am so focused on meeting the state curriculum for math, the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards, Advanced Placement standards, and the ACT standards that when I try to figure out where these fall within my curriculum: I sigh. I WANT to be on "the cutting edge," it is just I don't know "how!" When my superintendent reads this, I am sure she will tell me it is about the Professional Development. They have their work cut out on some of this though. Teaching and evaluating "cross - cultural skills" within my content of math has me puzzled. Any suggestions? I would really like anyone reading this blog to weigh in! sigh.

Want to do some research on your own? Want to read what others are saying? Check out:
Teacher in A Strange Land Blog by Nancy Flanagan
Blog by Daniel Willingham, author of "Why Don't Students Like School?"

“In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

Al Rogers