“We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.”
– David Warlick
The world has transformed from once ancient and traditional into the modern, technology-based era that everyone of today is experiencing. It cannot be denied how technology vastly affects the lives of everyone living in this generation, and was created for the purpose of comfort—making even the most difficult task a tad bit easy. Even in the aspect of education, the advent of technology has offered surprisingly varied specs that in one way or another has helped teachers and students cope-up with the learning styles of the 21st century.
The 21st century system of education focuses more on the learners and bring out their independence and responsibilities as learners. But with the help of technology, the learners are able to explore knowledge and information around the web and develop their strategic thinking into categorizing the different information into what is true, false or information that can be used and derived for a particular subject. Many web platforms are used for different illegal and inhumane doings that may affect the learners. Without proper guidance everyone can easily have access to these sites—this is where teachers are most needed.
Still, the teachers play a very important and vital role in this 21st century teaching. They possess the ability to facilitate the classroom. Teachers create and impose learning objectives for learners to have a better view of what their aim and goal is after completing a certain activity. With this, it will be easier for learners to trace and find information that are beneficial for a certain activity and disregard those that are not. It is the teacher’s role to guide them into understanding the information and create their own conclusions based on what they have read. This way, the learners are able to articulate ideas from the sources they have gathered and then transform it into their own, enhancing their Higher Ordered Thinking Skills.
The concept of technology has come to a point where it can exist without having limits. Education does not only cater one aspect of the child. It does not only develop their thinking and reasoning skills but it also aims to develop the child holistically in other aspects such as leadership, and upright attitude which technology definitely still isn’t able to provide. The world of academe still needs the guidance of teachers backed up by the technological means. With this, the learners will be able to develop their over-all capabilities and realize their full potential of becoming the person they are meant to be.
By Gladys L. Galido