Formal education has evolved over the years, and today, it is one of the fundamental rights of a person. With a growing focus on the all-round and holistic development of kids, education is no longer limited to classrooms. More recently, classroom teaching has also become a casualty of COVID-19.
While students are expected to adapt to the changing face of education – embrace technology, learn new skills, perform well in extra-curricular activities, use digital tools – little is said about teachers, who also need to upskill to keep up with the newer generations of kids they are in charge of, and to keep up with an education that is evolving much faster with technological disruption.
Education in the Digital Times
Blended Learning – New Page in Quality Education
While blended learning is gaining more attention because of COVID-19, it is a disruptive approach that benefits the teachers as much as it does the students. The best of both the worlds – traditional and online learning experiences – can help improve the learning experience, provide personalized assessments, and help the teacher monitor progress of students. It is a better approach that results in better learning outcomes.
Swiss Learning Exchange (SLX) is our blended learning platform with engaging content and assessments for educators as well as learners. SLX offers a diverse learning experience through well-researched, relevant, and creative content in the form of articles, videos, deep-dive courses, nano courses, quizzes, and real-life experiences.
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Computational Thinking
The 2019 ‘Future of the Classroom’ Report by Google painted a clearer picture of education, which the report said, is evolving at a much faster pace than any other period in recent history. “Today’s classrooms must prepare students for careers and challenges that don’t yet exist,” the report said.
As per the report, 92% of future jobs would need digital skills and 45% of jobs would need workers which can configure and work confidently with systems and technology. To make students learn digital skills, teachers need to be equipped with that kind of digital literacy. This also brings to the point of reskilling for teachers. Being adept at their subjects while lagging at basic digital skills and the use of technology will be a no-no for a skilled educator’s role.
If you are an educator looking to learn digital skills, signup on SkillUp. These engaging courses on essential digital skills will make your transition from traditional learning to tech-based learning a smooth one.
Community-Based Learning
Way before the British invaded India and introduced the formal education system here, learning was more of a community thing. The child was a student who learned at home, at gurukuls, and within the community. This kind of learning-focused not only on imparting educational or vocational skills but also on the all-round development of the child.
Confining students to classrooms or text-based learning is a thing of the past. Encouraging them to build projects and things, collaborate in groups, or with family members, teaching in open spaces using real-life examples, helps them gain soft skills that are now as important as technical skills.
Teachers can create more interactive learning experiences this way. Looking to explain the impact of COVID-19 to a seven-year-old. Do you think they will be able to wrap their head around the numbers or the impact when even adults are struggling to make sense of the pandemic?
Teach them the facts in an easy way. Watch our video on touchless greetings across the world here.
But, learning should not be just about following the curriculum. Students should also be empowered to become responsible and empathetic human beings by educating them on sustainability and its importance for a better future.
Watch our videos on sustainability here.
Innovation in Teaching
When it comes to school education what students and parents witness is the pressure students face from classroom lectures, tests, multiple tuitions, and exams. What is needed is a more creative and engaging learning process. Classrooms cramped with 50+ students offer a one-size-fits-all approach to learning, which doesn’t work in the favour of students who need extra time and effort to learn.
Take, for instance, the dyslexic kid Ishaan Awasthi in the famous Bollywood movie, Taare Zameen Par. The beautiful movie made everyone question how good is our education system that focuses only on rote learning and shuns creativity? However, let us imagine that at Ishaan’s new school, there was no teacher like Ram Shankar Nikumbh (played by Aamir Khan), who not only identified Ishaan’s problem but also molded lessons to suit Ishaan’s learning needs.
Ishaan would have once again been dismissed from his school, with his parents and teachers again giving up on him and his other talents. But a teacher changed that all. That is how important a teacher is in a student’s life.
The disruption of technology must be taken as a positive thing and used as an enabler by the teacher to improve the learning process. Technology must also be used to empower teachers to create innovative learning experiences and reduce the burden of administrative tasks on them. Using technology can save their time and invest more of it in creating courses tailored for their students.
Watch our short videos that are educational, well-researched that provide an interesting learning experience for both students and adults alike
References
How Education And Technology Are Evolving Together
Report: Future of the Classroom
National Education Policy 2020: An expert’s view on classrooms of the future
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