Time to change course

The time has come to embrace the change posed to educators as regards teaching and learning in the 21st century, characterized as technology-driven, learner-centered, information-laden, diverse and participative. The advent of technology has dramatically  and remarkably transformed the pedagogical landscape in the Philippine educational system.

With the current generation of students called the millennials, teachers cannot afford to be indifferent and irrelevant by employing the same old strategies and approaches they used 10 or 20 years ago. They should keep pace with the latest educational trends vis-à-vis the technological innovations. It used to be that only chalk, eraser and blackboard comprised teacher paraphernalia. But modern classrooms are now and should be equipped with built-in projectors, whiteboards, and visual presenters, among others, serving to enhance the learning environment essential to engage the students in meaningful, relevant and productive learning experiences.

Gone are the days when learning was confined within the four corners of the classroom, with the teacher on the platform as the sole source of knowledge. In these times, teaching and learning can and do take place out of the classroom. Moreover, teachers are no longer called teachers but facilitators, guides, or coaches.

The same applies to the role of students. They who used to engage in rote learning, in which they merely listened and repeated the teacher’s lessons and instructions are now tech-savvy, constantly plugged in, and wanting to explore ideas and concepts at their own pace.

Acquiring head knowledge is no longer the goal. Primordial are the lifelong skills that students should gain at the end of every lesson. They need mentors who will guide and inspire them, and not simply “teach” them; who will engage them in discussing ideas, and not merely compel them to memorize concepts; and who will let them experience learning by doing, and not just load  them with information by endless chatter during lectures.

Indeed, the change has come—challenging for many, but Herculean for some, especially for teachers who are not inclined or do not have the propensity to use technology. There’s no way one can turn back time and go back to the old-school classroom pedagogy. Teachers may sink or swim, fight or flee, succumb to obsolescence or face the challenge head-on. But at the end of the day, they should be open to the reality that change in the educational system is inevitable, and they are left with no choice but to change course!

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Jesusa C. Francisco is an instructor at Bulacan State University’s College of Arts and Letters, where she teaches literature and technical writing subjects and where she has served as gender and development coordinator for the past three years.