The Future of Learning Is Now
The future of learning is here, the future of learning is now and I couldn’t be happier. Technology has crept into almost every nook and cranny of human activity and education is no exception. Though technology in the field of education is playing catch-up when compared to other industries, strides have been made.
The explosive growth in the availability of online instruction, e-learning tools, tutorials, online discussion groups, complementing the traditional methods of pedagogy, makes for a lethal combination of accelerated learning.
Tests can be taken online, allowing for instantaneous feedback from teachers – making the tracking of a student’s progress faster and easier. Data of a student’s progress can then be collated, a database created and weaknesses of the student identified. Tailoring and designing instructional programs for this individual becomes far easier and more accurate. This is a simple example of what technology can do and the variances of such application are ever evolving.
Partner Up With Your Students
As an educational professional in today’s Digital Age, I think the number of ways towards enriching your students’ learning experience is almost limitless. This can only be good for you, with a wider variety of options in your teaching toolbox. Does this mean more work for you though? No, I think the idea is to play the role of facilitator instead of the traditional role of teacher. Awarding more autonomy to students for independent research on subject information and discovery.
The good news is that many of today’s students are already far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy. Wait, did I say good? Hear me out.
We can learn a lot from Singapore’s youth and the young. They are being raised in an age of technological revolution, interacting more often with gadgets than humans. iPods, Xbox, PS2, cellphones, computers, the internet, instant messaging, are the new toys for the new generation. These kids have what gardeners call a ‘green thumb’ when it comes to technology. I know, plants and technology are not an ideal comparison but you know what I mean. The kids of today have more technological jargon in their lexicon than their mother tongue.
If you have been playing catch-up with technology, then ideally starting a partnership with your students and taking the journey together through this digital learning experience is viable. Although, you do have one ace up your sleeve that your students don’t; this blog (if you grew up in a generation where the abacus was the hottest thing since sliced bread, you can’t make a wiser decision than reading this blog).
