How to
address the strength of 21st
century children at Elementary Education
By: Mrs. Narayani Singh, Head Mistress,
KV Bacheli, Dantewada, CG, India
Fulbright Distinguished award in
Teaching Program 2015
Key words - Elementary Education, Technology,
21st century children
Elementary Education is the first formal education in life. It
imparts knowledge to the children from 5 years to 10 (12) years old from 1st
grade to 5th grade. Formal school education begins from 5 years of
age in my country. In the formative years of a child’s life, it lays down the
academic foundation, imbibes good habits & concretizes positive attitude. A
child starts forming his perception towards life, community & humanity.
Every child is unique & gifted with special talents. So, it is the
sole responsibility of the mentors & parents to manifest the latent talent
- providing appropriate opportunities and conducive environment in the school
and at home. I find the mentoring of children challenging for evident reasons.
Today’s children are digital children. Their exposure through travel from the
very childhood and revolution in the field of technology – computer, mobile
phones, internet, TV, films etc.. have touched their life profoundly.
Apparently, there is a sharp shift in the children’s strength and interest.
They demonstrate commendable confidence level; exhibit their dancing, singing
and performing various arts pleasingly. Prior to admission in schools many of
them will be brimming with excitements to join it. Education system, schools
and parents must take care of today’s generation style of learning to
accomplish the elementary education fruitfully.
In my opinion, conventional teaching stands ineffective leaving the
children with boredom & puzzle. It is marked that, little kids operate the electronic
devices like android phones, computers, TV remote etc. with sheer efficiency.
Amazingly, they leave the grown -ups/ teachers behind at times; consequently
the respect of the mentors seems at stake. On the contrary, the same children
show lack of interest & withdrawal gestures in classrooms, poor performance
in academics is contemptible. For some subjects, they feel like discarded.
Hence, humongous shift in paradigm is obvious.
To
address the needs and demands of 21st century children the
curriculum, books, pedagogy, activities, assignments, and evaluations are to be
designed accordingly. Rethinking and revisiting the strategies &
methodology of elementary education are obligatory.
21st Century
Perspective: Let us think about the prospective of the 21st
century learning. Conspicuously, it is to create global citizens dissolving the boundaries
of nations, cultures & languages. The Education System should incorporate
the issues of fast changing trends across the globe. Today’s world is
experiencing an information explosion, quick and easy mobilization, worldwide
acceptance of globalization, cultural union, environmental Issues such as the depletion
of natural resources, energy crisis, green - house effect, O3 layer, natural
calamities, pollution blast and humanitarian issues like poverty, riots, illiteracy,
diseases such as Ebola epidemic and many more. Elementary education must
include these aspects.
For the techno savvy children activity
based Teaching-Learning and technology
should go hand in hand integrating the following continuum:
1. Activities routed through Technology: The learning activities should
initiate routing technology. The autonomy to intrude self - approach for
acquiring information at the prima facie on any topic / area of learning will
be easy through technology for the children. Bubbling with energy – interest –
curiosity, they will embark on search engines on the internet. With the
guidance of mentors, it will always be exciting for the children to filter the
relevant information, infer the concept, compare the results, conclude the
findings to construct knowledge. Mentors will steer their learning to
activities to implement their knowledge in practical ways which will lead to wisdom. Definitely,
technology will play tremendous role in quenching the thrust of learning at
elementary stage also. I have evidences of playing Temple Run Game & Subways video games on an android
phone by children of below three years old using even one hand. The size of the
phone, speed of the game, the skill of the little kid, movement of tiny fingers
all leave me speechless. It is my strong believe that venturing with such types
of technological skills, education at school will yield the maximum.
2. Technology and Global
perspectives-
Think together
– work together – learn together make the learning effective and permanent.
Learning together is not confined to a particular standard of school. It’s
conception is learning in collaboration across the globe. We know the actuality
that the world has shrunk today. Science & Technology are leveraging the
closeness of the races & cultures defeating geographical precincts. Through
World Wide Web the exchanges make possible the observation & identification
real. For instance: South Bastar Dantewada in India has no ocean or desert but
dense forest. The students and teachers of New York or Dubai can exchange the
scenes of ocean & desert with forest. The impact of climate on life style
will undeniably be visualized the true story. The topography, diversities in
organism, climate & life style of the different parts of the world can
directly be exchanged resulting in boosting up the eagerness and concept
building.
3.
Technology & diverse cultural spectrums –
Cultural
threads are the most powerful elements to shape the individuals. Elementary
schools should integrate the learning with diverse cultural spectrums.
Integration of teaching with cultural fragments sustains the zeal among
students connecting learning with life. Technology is an effective tool in this
regard. Children’s
educational films, documentary
films and YouTube videos
stimulate the world cultures existing and vanished. It opens the avenue to
respect & cohesiveness with other cultural heritage.
Indubitably it
leads to peace & harmony. It contributes in inculcation of values and
belongingness among the children from the early stage. Customs and traditions,
old or new are to be judged and convinced to adopt.
In a subtle ways language enhancement-vocabulary addition, correct pronunciation,
intonation will also be added.
4.Technology & Inter-disciplined Approach-
The Internet serves to maximize opportunities for the Project Based
Learning.
Inter schools’ team of the students along with Coach/Coaches form different
countries. Working with friends stationed away is a different kind of
experience. Project based learning integrates different subjects like- Languages, Math and
Environmental sciences, Music, Art & craft, Games & sports, life
skills and soft skills. Conducting meetings, allocation of work responsibility,
doing surveys going down to communities, interviews, the collection of data,
group discussion, library browsing, photography, videography, elocution,
setting rubrics for evaluation, solving the conflicts, uploading of the project
findings on website and in the end celebrations, all ensure the wide and deep
learning. Such approaches address the strength and the need of new
generation learners.
Technology & Sensitization on Sustainability of Environment: Organizing the various
events in India like cleanliness drive, energy conservation week, world environment day, world yoga day, pulse
polio day etc.. contribute towards the sensitization of sustainable development
activities. Technology supporting Learning Modules on such programs must be
prepared as an important segment of curriculum. Technology Aided Activities could
include TV programs, News bulletins, Advertisement videos, slogans, SMS etc..
to catch the attention and interest of students. For instance – Ad video on save fuel -
New Diamond finger ring for wife …. The ad is based on the concept of pooling
of the car to save fuel. Teachers should draw attention on the message of the
advertisement-
i) The objective is to save energy,
ii) Result of saving energy,
iii) Contribution to environment if energy is saved,
iv) Develop the habit of saving energy
v. Contribution towards sustainable development from the childhood,
vi. Creation
of their own video with the same concept,
vii. It will
satisfy the interest, aptitude, strength and creativity of the children.
There are many Ad videos on TV channels, You Tube,
Magazines & Newspapers in India related to health & hygiene, Nutritive
food, Amul Doodh pita hai India, Safety from Malaria, Dengue fever, Pulse Polio
(Do boond Zindagi ke), Life Insurance etc.
5. Values – The ultimate goal of education is to live life gracefully. And values
add grace to life. Without values education is incomplete. Today’s generation too often demands
evidence to be convinced. Until the values are not convinced, children will not
adopt. We know that the old values and practices can be brought for awareness
in the schools with the help of films / other technical media.
Teaching strategy & Pedagogy to
be thought of: Global Studentship & Global Teaching -
Bringing the world in the classroom through technology, opening to the
world by travelling and exchanging the teachers across the globe is recommended. Global
school concept is advocated from the upper elementary stage for the students of
IV & V grades.
Curriculum and books - Electronic books should
also be available to access on phones, tablets, P.Cs at any place.
Bilingual
books for I, II & III grades for Indigenous population and first generation
students, Brail scripts books, Wave books (audio) for differently abled
students are must to include all sections of the society for education.
Compilation of progressive
modules Concepts and fundamentals on the different topics integrating subjects
– languages, math, Environmental Sciences, Art, Music, Craft etc. Soft skills & life
skills should be main adage to the elementary education. Topics should address
skill & competency development.
Activities of vital areas should be focused on cerebral and dexterity
development. And learning and construction of knowledge should be on
individual’s identity & experience.
Today’s children are digital children. Education system must take care
of their interest and strength. And technology will make curriculum, books,
pedagogy, activities with Global perspectives and cultural spectrums, values
inculcation, assignments, and evaluations delightful. It will enhance the
ease to School Management Committee, parent-teachers collaboration,
payments, the training of teachers, stress managements and counseling.
Absolutely, technology will bring a new dawn in Elementary Education to
create global citizens considering the demography of the school.
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