Since the inception of the school, education has played a crucial role in molding students into successful individuals who can navigate the complexities of the modern world. We accept that rote learning and memorization are antiquated and that in order to truly prepare students for life after graduation, they need to develop skills that are more practical and relevant to real-life situations.
Those skills today are rapidly changing and evolving past anything we could have imagined 20 years ago. The 21st Century student of 2023 and the 21st Century student of 2003 have vastly different needs. Those students from 2003 have had to adapt to a world that today’s students were born into.
So, how should we teach these modern students? After all, it is not like children have changed. Students still experience development through the stages identified by Piaget and they still try to sneak into rated R movies. It is not our students we have to adapt to - it is a world of mixed signals, constant evolution, and staggering globalization that we must prepare them for.
Let’s consider a few important points. Firstly, a shift towards a more student-centered learning approach is essential. Students need to be active participants in their education instead of just passive listeners. This means that the classroom environment should be one that fosters curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. There is no hand-holding out there in the ever-increasing digital space that most of our students will have to inhabit successfully. There are no clear-cut rules of engagement. The only boundaries are the ones we place on ourselves, and students need to be able to direct themselves in this space to find a niche and grow as professionals.
As such, a focus on developing practical skills is paramount. While traditional subjects such as Math, Science, and English remain essential, career readiness skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and adaptability are equally important. Students should be taught in a way that emphasizes the development of these skills, as they will enable them to excel in various career paths. We can all agree that these skills have always been an important part of career readiness, however, the application of these skills is completely different today.
This leads me to our inevitable third point: technology. Maybe it’s a four-letter word to you. Maybe the terms “blended learning” and “hybrid” make your breath quicken with anxiety. To those readers, I’m sorry to say that it seems like our technologically-obsessed world is here to stay for the foreseeable future. As teachers, we have to use it to our advantage, not ignore its importance. It is understandable that some teachers avoid technology because they also lack digital literacy. As life-long learners, we must lead our students by example. Just because they can navigate the plethora of social media outlets for funny videos of singing dogs does not mean they are digitally literate. They just know what to do what kids have always done very well: avoid work. In other words, because of the proliferation of technology, you probably feel like you have a class full of Tom Sawyers.
I would challenge any teacher who was nodding his or her head to that last paragraph with this: become Huckleberry Finn to your students’ Tom Sawyers. Know what they know, and know it better. Technology has revolutionized the way we learn and work, and thus, it is crucial to teach students digital literacy skills. This includes basic computer proficiency and the ability to use digital tools effectively but also extends to coding, data analysis, and other technical skills. No one is saying that all teachers should know how to code, but using approaches like personalized learning, inquiry-based instruction, and project-based learning can help educators encourage students to develop these skills independently.
Furthermore, today’s students are more aware of themselves and others in a social, emotional, and cultural sense. An emphasis on cross-cultural competence and global awareness is necessary to infuse into our classrooms. We have to turn our cultural sensitivities up to show students we care less about accomplishing a standard and more about their real lives. That is not to say that we can ignore our curricular standards. Obviously, we can’t, but we can be more creative in our approach. In today's interconnected world, students will need to navigate diverse cultures and customs to succeed in various industries, so we need to model that in our classrooms. Provide opportunities for leadership, culture-sharing, social discussions, and calling out biases out loud, especially if that bias is laid across the pages of our district-issued textbooks. Students today must be equipped with the skills not only to understand differing perspectives but also to work collaboratively with individuals from different cultures. Foster discussion and understanding by bringing those skills into the classroom.
Finally, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset is critical. An entrepreneurial mindset goes beyond starting a business; it involves having a creative and innovative outlook on life and a willingness to take calculated risks. There are no rules. The rules that exist are set by the limits of our imagination. How you get jobs, keep jobs, and even create jobs is through ingenuity, tenacity, and creativity. Thus, students must be taught to think outside the box, take initiative, and be resilient in the face of failure.
So, if you’re feeling stuck and lost when you look out at naïve faces thirsty for a knowledge they can’t describe, remember this: Don’t be afraid to challenge your own status quo.
There are no rules.
How do you feel about the state of education in 2023?
I feel lost.
I feel that there's a lot of potential.
Educators lack support from parents and the community.
I feel like I need more specific training.
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