CHANGE AND THE 21st CENTURY LEARNERS

Both articles hold a slightly different perspective of the 21st century learner. The first article says that the current learner doesn't like the traditional, orthodox method of teaching where students rely on traditional instruction. They prefer to be more involved in the technology. On the other hand, the 2nd article states that the reason behind authentic learning not being common in today's world is because not only the teachers but also the 'students’ often prefer the old traditional way.

The first article argues that the main purpose of technology is to make things faster, quicker and more efficient. This statement stands true but I couldn't agree with the analogy between cars/ electricity and education. I think that the use of technology to solve simple Maths has inhibited the ability to think. While cars reduce our physical stress if we were to go on very long journeys on foot it doesn't interfere with our thinking abilities.

Another thing that the article says regarding video games is: "What these games do provide is insight into engagement, not entertainment. Video games challenge K-12 and higher ed to foster engagement in learning." I agree that video games develop engagement in the learners, but only if used wisely. For instance, if a child is playing a video game and then has to go study, his mind would still be thinking about the game and he'll try to get over with his studies as soon as possible so that he can return to his game which he might have left on a crucial note. I am not entirely against video games. Video games can be very constructive only and only if they are played within a specific time and not all the time. I have seen many kids who spend hours and hours each day in just playing a video game. Kids keep playing games on their ipads while indoors or outdoors. Over dosage of anything is bad. I guess this is the part where the teachers/parents come into play. Teachers should encourage their students to play something constructive and to keep an allotted time for their entertainment games. Technology is a very beneficial tool if used the right way and it is the teacher’s job to teach the students to make good use of it.

Moreover, I agree with the fact that we, teachers, should understand the needs of the 21st century learners and change our teaching methods to those which are more suitable. "Faculty must therefore abandon the notion that a lecture and reading assignment are enough to teach a lesson". This is true. I have therefore implemented multi-media strategies to keep students in my classroom engaged. Also, I try to keep everything student centered.

Another important point that caught my attention was that it is very important for the teacher to communicate in the language and style of today's students. Being a religious educator, I feel there is a great need to relate religion to today's life and not of that many years ago. I give students real life scenarios to reflect and think upon and then to come up with their own solutions to a problem. My job would be to facilitate them and to guide them whether their solution was right or wrong. This is more effective than just directly giving them answers.

Also, collaborative team work is definitely better and more fruitful than the old individual style. I give my students group projects to do using multimedia technology so that they make the best use of technology and learn to work together as a team.

The learning spaces online provide a very engaging medium for today’s 21st century learner. They provide a very innovative platform for students to gain knowledge and not just gather information.

 The most important thing would be to prepare the learner for the world outside the classroom by linking the classroom lessons to real-life problems. This is dealt with in the second article.

While the first article explains the 21^st century learner as one whose world revolves around technology and explains how he/she prefers to learn and study, the second one deals with a system of learning, the authentic learning , which best meets the demands of today’s modern student.

The most important thing is to prepare the learner for the world outside the classroom by linking the classroom lessons to real-life problems. Authentic learning provides the exposure to real-world situations that a learner needs through simulations, role-play and problem-based activity. Technology is a real gem when it comes to this. For example, if a chemistry teacher were to just tell the students in a lecture the working of a nuclear reactor, many doubts would form in their minds. But, if they were to rather actually see its working in real they would better understand it. The magic of technology is that it can create virtual realities which are ditto to the real world. I am going to implement role-play and problem-based activity in my classroom from the coming semester. I liked the idea of the teacher joining the students as a co learner. The main aim should be to improve the education standards.

To conclude I’d quote this line from the second article "According to employers the most important skills in new hires include teamwork, critical thinking/reasoning, assembling/organizing information and innovative thinking/creativity." We as the teachers should drop our old methods and take up those which help our students to acquire all these skills. This can only be done with the help of technology. The 21^st century learner should be well-prepared to face the world outside of schools, colleges and universities. It is our duty to guide them and facilitate them along the way.