The 21st century learner and teacher

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you´ll die today

-James Dean-

Hello to everybody. I decided to take the course called “Design and Use of Educational Technology”. It is no secret that each subject is very important to me and this one is not the exception. So, I am going to tell you several data about is my first class. 

Generative Questions:

How are the 21st century teacher and learner different from the past?

What challenges has the 21st century brought to our classrooms?

 First of all, let us try to understand that our main topic was “the 21st century learner and teacher”. Based on this, I researched different books related to education and its changes in order to open my mind towards to the future.

Our teacher, sent us a couples of questions; the first one is related to how are the 21st century teacher and learner different from the past?

It is a well-known fact that the ideologies and approaches of teaching and learning have severely transformed owing to the knowledge revolution and educational technology. Added to that, both student and teacher become collaborators. In fact, Rhoton & Shane (2006) mention that:

Teachers in the 21st century enjoy access to information and resources that their predecessors could not imagine: state-of-the-art information available on the internet 24/7 on the most arcane subjects; still images and video of events from all over the world and even the universe. (p3)

As I see it, everyone learns and everyone teaches at different times. Unlike the 20^th century educator, the teacher of the 21st century is a professional whose role is based on the building of knowledge as well as in a positive exchange between pupils and instructors.

As far as the 21st century teacher concerned, they must help his scholars in order to discovery their interests and skills. Through activities such as learning conditions that stimulate divergent thinking and why not! The creation of knowledge. In this way, teacher has the opportunity of using different real-life activities that produce motivation and interest for the student.

There is some similarity between the education of the education of the twentieth century and the teaching of the twenty-first century. However, one of the most important difference is that scholars of the 21st century are individuals who explore and build their knowledge. I strongly feel that they can do this through numerous activities like team-work and collaboration with others.

One of the main aspects of this process is that the 21st century brought   many changes to our classrooms; for instance, technology is one of them. The technological devices have arrived, students have one, teachers have one too. No matter what class it is, both learners and professors should use this technology into their class in order to acquire as much knowledge as possible.

Another change is related to encourage creativity; it is necessary to adjust many educational programs which are obsoletes. It is acknowledged that students are bored by teachers and their master class. How deny that numerous students are born creative and the educational system are suffocating them with garbage classes? On the contrary, our education al institutions must create great conditions in order that students can develop their mind to the maximum.   

From my point of view, teaching of the twenty-first century is very different compared to with that of the last century. In fact, Didsbury (2003) mentions that:

Students today are fundamentally different. Our classrooms are being flooded by a new generation of right-brained, visual kids. While our school system plods along using the same teaching methods that were in vogue decades ago, students are finding it more and more difficult to learn the way. (p114)

As a future professor, I must recognize that the integration of technology is of the utmost importance; as well as, educational programs focused on creativity.

References

Howard F. Didsbury. (2003). 21st Century Opportunities and Challenges: An Age of Destruction or an Age of Transformation. USA: World Future Society.

Jack Rhoton, Patricia Shane. (2006). Teaching Science in the 21st Century. USA: NSTA Press.