The 21st -century education sector is marked by significant and drastic moves in response to changing educational demands. In part, technological advancement has informed these changes forcing educational stakeholders to review traditional and inefficient in favor of those that are evidenced-based and learner-centered. Technology in the classroom has proved to play a complementary role since the educator can be more efficient owing to hybridizing traditional and modern approaches. Apart from technology, this century education has redefined students' unique needs and abilities, the link between learning and teaching as well as educator roles in k-12 schools. An analysis of these changes is significant in guiding educators on how to respond to continually shifting educational landscape to meet students’ educational needs. Education stakeholders need to realize that these changes are not only overwhelming for the educators but also for students and educational leaders who must respond accordingly. Nonetheless, with the right approaches and attitude, these stakeholders can collaborate to craft and implement sustainable and evidence-based strategies to match the changing and modern educational needs.
Utilization of Technology in Education
Technology has become a central aspect in modern education and there is a need to integrate it with traditional teaching-learning approaches. Unlike in the past century, where educational technology was a preserve of a few educational institutions, this century has allowed for its expansion owing to its availability and affordability. To this end educators and students stand to benefit from utilizing technology in enhancing the teaching-learning process. The best thing about adopting educational technology is the fact that it offers visual-based learning, which complements teachers’ efforts. According to Jacobs (2014), learners are in a better position to interact with educational content more effectively as opposed to traditional methods such as lectures and dictations. This technology becomes better as it fosters self-drive, curiosity and open-mindedness in students who do not require teachers to explore educational content. Research into the positive aspects of educational technology indicates that more than 70 percent of students enjoy using these technologies (Costley, 2014). For these students, these technologies helped them to comprehend academic concepts better considering that they could always go back to digital content. Moreover, these technologies, unlike human educators, do not criticize or judge students based on their cognitive abilities.
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Despite these benefits, it is essential to consider that educational technology may have adverse effects on both students and educators, mainly when misused. While technology has positive effects on both teachers and students by encouraging learning and initiative, it may increase anxiety in teachers. The reason for such concern is the fact that it is a deviation from the traditional teaching approaches which most teachers are accustomed to and comfortable with for so long (Aguilera, 2019). A requirement to integrate technology in the teaching-learning process means that educators will be forced out of their comfort zone. Most teachers assume that educational technology is complicated and it will disenfranchise them by shifting learners’ attention from the teachers to these technologies. Teachers are not sure if the learners will get the best of these technologies, which may come in the way of learning as they contain non-academic content (Costley, 2014). At this point, it is imperative to let educators know that their mandate is to the learners and they should do all they can to help learners reach their optimum levels. In this case, if these technologies can enhance learning, then teachers should be motivated to embrace and integrate educational technologies in the classroom setup. Besides, educational stakeholders in addressing educators’ anxiety and fostering technological adoption ought to train teachers on the place and working of these technologies. According to Jacobs (2014), there is a need to hire the services of IT personnel who could readily fix issues to do with educational technology. This form of support goes a long way in assuring teachers that they can integrate technology to align their professions with the century’s educational demands.
Students Needs in the 21 st Century
Students comprise the majority part of educational stakeholders and for this reason, any policy, process, and approach should focus on benefiting them. Students’ needs just like other aspects of education, are constantly changing which means the need to change strategy to be aligned to such changes. Unlike in the past, where education was teacher-centered with educators planning educational activities, this century demands learner-centered approaches (Fitzpatrick, 2015). What this means is that there is an urgent need for educators and other stakeholders to use strategies that mirror students’ needs. Educators need to view students as individuals before they can see them as a unified whole that could be approached from similar angles and with uniform content. With this in mind, educators must view students as different entities who have distinct learning needs, abilities and styles of learning. According to Jacobs (2014), some learners will master content once they interact with it, while others may require several sessions before they can learn the same material. In the same breath, some students may prefer some content as it resonates with their academic needs and dislikes others that do not align with their needs. In such a case, educators will require to adapt to the role of parents who must find effective ways to help the students to learn. To this end, teachers must negotiate with students to help them understand the reason for adopting different approaches as demanded by changing the educational landscape.
The 21 st century’s educational landscape is aware of modern students’ needs, which will allow the learner to be equipped with requisite knowledge and skills to navigate through life. Educational researchers assert if the education system is to support learners, it must address fourteen students’ needs (Christensen et al., 2011). Students require to gain self-knowledge which helps them to relate with the ever-changing and dynamic demands of their world. Next, every student that goes through the education system needs inspiration from role models so that they can imagine possibilities that could cushion them against abstractness. From here, students need to be introduced to crucial learning strategies to help them to master educational content more easily. According to Hilton (2015), this century dictates that students should receive regular feedback as opposed to criticism and judgment so that they can evaluate their educational roadmap. Additionally, a student must have access creative digital and physical tools and spaces that enable them to explore learning in a more personalized manner and make discoveries. Apart from this need, students of this century need ideas that go beyond the conventional curriculum, which may be viewed as rigid in this century’s perspectives to become the best they can be. Moreover, students require to have individuals who can listen and be there for them as they navigate the demanding educational system something that keeps them motivated.
The educational landscape is quite complicated and demanding which means that students will need champions who can encourage them to go after their dreams and not lose hope. More so, students need emotional, financial, technological and social support so that they could have a chance to practice what they have learned. Of importance, here is the need to give students as many opportunities as possible even if they fail something that mirrors reality, which the students are bound to encounter. From here, it is imperative to understand that students just like other individuals, need time for their studies and use this for play, which is often incorporated in the teaching-learning process. In addition to this modern students need to master the art of reading and writing, and educators have to facilitate this academic requirement. Fitzpatrick (2015) who assert that literacy skills are the basis for all academic and formal learning without which one cannot claim to be educated supports this proposition. Finally, students need constant approval even when they have not performed as expected to keep them pushing beyond their limits. To this end, educational policies, frameworks, instructional strategies, school design should be aligned with students' need to allow for excellent educational outcomes.
Educator Roles
Educators play a significant role in the teaching-learning process as they act as the link between learners and educational requirements, policies, and content. Teachers are tasked with the great responsibility of evaluating individual students so that they can provide learner-centered learning. Traditionally teachers are supposed to prepare for lessons, give and assignments, collaborate with other staff, manage the classroom and liaise with parents to find ways of improving performance. Teachers are considered as resource specialists who satisfy students’ quest for knowledge and information by answering their questions or directing them to sources of information (Christensen et al., 2011). Apart from this role, teachers are anchors who support students to learn and masters new skills until they can reproduce these skills in academic or professional setups.
Moreover, teachers play the role of mentors and motivators who not only guide students academically but also socially and spiritually. Proverbs 22:6 affirms this role calling upon teachers to“ Train up a child in the way he should go; Even when he is old, he will not depart from it” In addition to this role teachers assume the role of helpers who offer student a helping hand whenever it is necessary even if the help is not related to academics. More so, teachers are viewed in the role of learners who equip themselves with new knowledge and skills to match the demands of a dynamic educational landscape. This role aligns with the thinking that learners are individuals who are always growing and who cannot claim to know everything. Teachers who understand their roles are in a better position to address the diverse needs of the learners and ensure that they are on the right track.
Educator’s Role in the 21st Century
The 21st century has brought about significant changes in the education sector due to the adoption and integration of technologies in the teaching-learning process. This technological change has revolutionized the process by redefining the educator’s roles, which has remained similar to the traditional roles. There must be a need to redefine these roles not to dismiss traditional roles but to align them to modern and changing educational needs. The 21 st century that is characterized by educational technologies forces teachers to assume the role of technology guides. This new role enables educators to guide their students so that they can filter the information that is available in the technologies (Costley, 2014). Educators help students to distinguish between applicable, useful and educational information from appropriate, obsolete, and insignificant information. More so, educators have the role of educating their students on how to use computers to get useful information as well as the legitimate methods for conducting internet searches. The current educational landscape has redefined educators’ roles so much so that now they are viewed as multifaceted professionals who pose as surrogate parents, mentors, disciplinarians, and mentors. Teachers should pursue these roles in adherence to Colossians 3:23 which states “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” In these roles, teachers are invited to make efforts to know their students not just in the classroom but also outside by understanding their drives and aspirations. To this end, teachers should apply emotional intelligence to create a psychologically safe environment for students as well as determine students’ readiness for learning.
Relationship between Learning and Teaching
Teaching and Learning as they apply in academic setups are two concepts that could be viewed as either complementary of distinct depending on the situation. Teaching which is associated with educators, facilitates learning, as it is a way of putting across ideas, skills, and behavior. On the other hand, learning which is considered an outcome of the teaching process is the absorption and maintenance of knowledge, skills, and behavior. At this point, it is imperative to note that teaching does not necessarily mean that learning will take place. According to Koonce (2019), an educator can spend significant resources and time teaching without any learning take place. The reason why teaching does not equate to learning is attributed to several internal and external factors such as class size, standardized curriculum, differentiated cognitive abilities and type of classes. Large class sizes tend to overwhelm not only the teachers who may lose sight of weaker students but also learners who must compete for the attention of the limited educator. Standardized curriculum hampers the teaching-learning process as it fails to consider learners with diverse learning needs and abilities by imagining that all learners are the same.
In line with the relationship between teaching and learning, one can conclude that learning can take place without learning if students interact with educational materials on their own. While it is evident that both teaching and learning are essential processes in the educational sector and go together, they should be approached differently. Learning seems to be more important than teaching, as it is life-long and as such, much emphasis should be on enhancing the learning process. Despite such a conclusion, Koonce (2019) asserts that teaching remains pivotal to the learning process considering that teaching is designed in a way that supports learning. Teaching which focuses on communicating knowledge to learners, espouses four elements necessary for enhancing learning. The teachers to decide what the students ought to learn, help students to learn, ensure that students have learned and lastly, secure the new knowledge.
Conclusion
Technology and changing needs of students has brought a revolution to the educational landscapes as well as redefining educators’ role. Before these technologies, educators were considered as the sole custodians of knowledge which fueled teacher-centered education. Traditional education did not emphasize on individual students who presented diverse learning abilities and needs but rather standardized the curriculum. What these strategies do is to dilute education and make it unavailable to the most deserving of students who require maximum support. However, all this has changed in this century, which is focused on efficient strategies that could help learners, and educators reach their potential. Education is no longer focused on producing good grades in standardized tests, something that benefits educators more when being are considered for promotions. Instead, education is learner-centered and educators’ role is to facilitate learning by integrating educational technology, offering support and creating a psychologically friendly environment that supports learning. Educators are called upon to engage in continuous learning so that they can be in a position to understand the workings of these technologies to offer maximum support. Of importance here is the need for teachers to guide students and strategies to maximize the benefits of these technologies while reducing adverse effects. The new educational landscape is conscious of the relationship between teaching and learning and is keen on ensuring the complementarity of these two concepts. In this case, educators must ensure that teaching equates to leaning by dealing with internal and external constraints such as class size and standardized curriculum that affects learning.
References
Aguilera, E. (2019). On disruption and integration: two views of digital media technologies in K-12 schools. Pedagogies: An International Journal , 14(1), 78-87. https://doi.org/10.1080/1554480X.2019.1565668
Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson, C. W. (2011). Disrupting class: How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns . New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Costley, K. (2014). The positive effects of technology on teaching and student learning. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education . https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED554557.pdf
Fitzpatrick, M. F. (2015). Presenting a practitioner’s response to the 21 st -century skills debate: Encouraging and promoting thinking beyond task. In G. L. Koonce (Ed.), Issues and trends in education leadership (pp. 64-69). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Hilton, M. (2015). Preparing students for life. Issues in Science and Technology , 31(4), 63-66.
Jacobs, J. (2014). Beyond the factory model. In G. L. Koonce (Ed.), Issues and trends in education leadership (pp. 79-85). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Koonce, G. L. (2019). Issues and trends in education leadership . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
