Education in the 21st Century

As society rapidly changes in this age of technology, so does the field of education. With the acceptance and reliance of technology in society today, teachers have access to an endless supply of new tools that can be incorporated in the classroom to to engage students and assist learners. To be an educator in the 21st century means to be flexible and open to incorporating technology in the class in a variety of different contexts, not only present material to students, but for students to use as a tool to demonstrate what they have learned.

Technology is a valuable tool that can be used to enhance a child's educational and learning experiences by making learning more meaningful to the student. As it becomes more and more difficult to engage and retain student attention through a lecture, technology seems to be the answer. Technology in the form of smart boards and PowerPoint's can enhance a lesson and the materials being presented with cool effects, bright colors, graphics, examples, and video links. If a student is engaged in a lesson then they will be able to learn more.

Not only does technology help keep student attention and focus, but it encourages more participation and motivation compared to traditional teaching strategies. Internet research and WebQuests allow students to take an active role in their education by allowing them to research information and topics that they would like to learn more about. When students are in control of what they decide, they are able to become independent learners. Not only does technology promote independent learners, but it also facilitates active thinking because students are able to spend more time analyzing text and information than if it was given to them in the form of a lecture. Research is an essential part of education, therefore it would make sense that students should have access to a place, such as the internet, where they can find tons of current information. The internet also offers many interactive and multimedia programs, as well as access to hundreds of online courses and lesson plans.
In a quickly changing society it is essential that students have access to current up to date resources with information that concerns current and real would issues. Technology also allows students to feel connected to those issues and their community by allowing learning to take place beyond the classroom through blogging buddies or programs such as Skype.

Another role that technology plays in the learning process, is that it is able to meet the needs of diverse learners. Technology allows the teacher to use a variety of different programs to meet the different learning styles of the students compared to one teaching style for all of the students. Students who struggle with math or other subjects can use online manipulatives or other programs to help them learn. Technology also opens the doors to a wide variety of new learning experiences. There are so many different technology based projects for students to create to demonstrate their learning including an Imovie, PowerPoint, podcast, Frames video, blog, wiki page, an online portfolio, online assessments, or a WebQuest. Technology based projects are a great way for students to demonstrate that they have met course standards and unit outcomes in place of testing or writing essays or reports. Projects that focus on different learning styles, allow more students to be successful. Not to mention, technology based projects create more freedom of learning and more opportunity for creativity.

Despite the endless and limitless possibilities in which technology can be incorporated into the curriculum and classroom, it can only be a powerful teaching tool if it is used properly. As a teacher in the 21st century, it is the responsibility of the educator to keep pace with changing methods and better teaching strategies. The role of the 21st century educator is to keep students engaged in what is being taught in the classroom, to create independent learners, to provide students with unique learning opportunities, and expose students to skills and technology that they will use in the future.