Being Innovative Produces Successful Learners in the digital society.

 

“If we teach today's students, as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow” - John Dewey

Today’s learners are more of digital natives than digital immigrants because they are considered to have grown up with the technology. They are “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet. Because of this, they “think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.”

Therefore teachers of this century more than ever have a vital role to play in helping students realize their futures by providing them with instruction that gives direction and allows them to hone their new cognitive and technological skills. In a nutshell, students need facilitated content to be fully capable citizens, whether its blogging on a social network site or solving a math problem. They may have limitless technology and information at their disposal, but can they access that information efficiently and effectively? Can they evaluate it critically and competently and identify objective facts from propaganda? Do they understand the real ethical, legal, and moral issues concerning access to and use of information? Can they create meaning from data? In essence, do they know the value of information, do they use it to enhance their learning?

  How effectively to prepare learners/students for the digital society?

  Teachers:

• Prepare instructional materials rich in hands on activities. Because today’s learners are experiential learners who learn by discovery rather than being “told.” They like to interact with content to explore and draw their own conclusions. Simulations, games, and role playing allow them to learn by “being there,” and also to enjoy themselves and have fun. 

• Prepare tasks that promote collaboration amongst the learners. This will help them to be more social. Learners enjoy working in teams. Interaction with others is key to their learning, and they want to be part of a community, collaborating, sharing, and exchanging ideas. 

·                     Apply the approaches like Constructivist theory that encourage knowledge creation by the learners themselves. This will help them  to construct their own learning – assembling information and tools from different sources.

•          Lessons should be Student-Centered Teaching This makes them  very independent learners, and will be  able to teach themselves with guidance; they don’t need sets of instructions like their predecessors .

In belief the teacher today should have instruction materials that promotes the following;

·                     Collaboration

·                     Constructivist Teaching

·                     Student-Centered Teaching

·                     Project-Based Teaching

·                     Challenged-Based Teaching

·                     Problem-Solving skills

·                     Real World Application

Some of the changes that I can make to be more innovative.

1. Create a class blog or wiki space where learners can share their views. This can also be used by the teacher to share with his/her students.
2. Use of technology tools like projectors, laptops, and internet where the learners are guided on how to research and evaluate information.
3. Make learners always work in groups.