Teaching in the 21st Century

21st Century is the current century of the Anno Domini era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It began on 2001, and will end on 2100. This century is also called as the information age or Digital age-- a great shift from traditional industry to technological advancement, providing the ability to transfer information freely and quickly.

Back when I was in high school, computer was already introduced. It was really helpful every time I make my school works. However, technology before seemed luxurious and very costly, while the internet connectivity was quite poor. But with the hyper-developed technology we have today, learning was made easy. Information are accessible through wireless technology—anytime and anywhere. Gadgets are cheaper, and considered necessity, even in classrooms.

From the basic way of education, up to the technological advancement, learners also transformed. It seemed like their way of thinking and the way they act, influenced by the technology have changed, and their educational needs became demanding as well. So to be able to satisfy their needs as students, teachers are required to adapt and embrace these changes. Definitely, the traditional way of teaching would no longer work since the 21st century learners are now critical thinkers and interactive learners. A teacher is no longer just 'teaching' who provides answers to questions about 'what', 'where', 'when', 'who', 'why'... with just a click, information is available, presto! A Teacher today is more like a 'facilitator' who demonstrates the principles and answers the question 'how'.

Dealing with a number of students with different intelligence and skills must be very challenging for us teachers. But because change is inevitable, we have to be flexible creative with teaching techniques, and make use of available resources online.