When I go to class, I don’t want to sit through yet another boring lecture by a teacher droning on about a subject I already know or can easily find out on my own. Lectures in class are a thing of the past. I have so many other ways to get information on my own time that all I want is to spend class time discussing what I’ve learned and doing something about it.
In the past, educators were the gatekeepers of knowledge. By being the gatekeepers, they had ultimate control over when and how the information was delivered. Students in the same class were all taught at the same level, and if they accelerated or lagged behind, because one teacher can only perform one lecture at a time. Everyone attempts to gain some objective from the same presentation. Rarely do the students have a chance to learn at their own pace and according to their individual learning style.
Keeping the classes at the same pace made it easier for educators to teach and to grade, but not for the students to achieve. In the past, teachers didn’t have the aide of computers and other forms of technology that can serve to differentiate instruction and to address multiple learning styles in one class. They really didn’t have much of a choice but to use what was in their head, the experience they had in life, and the textbook that was given them to teach from.
Today, technology has removed the need for in-class lectures. With the invention of the computer, the internet, and digital media, students now have multiple ways to gain information. Does this mean that they no longer need teachers? They can find information, read it , and absorb it independently. The question is, do they comprehend it? Does the students’ effort actually transform the information into knowledge? This is the role of the teacher today- to guide the students through their search and their intellectual growth.
The future of education isn’t in information delivery by the teacher, but in the educator’s ability to help students to navigate through and comprehend the vast amount of knowledge they have at their fingertips. Class time should be spent discussing what they’ve learned, applying the knowledge in practical exercises, and performing tasks in labs. The information delivery can be easily made online through various avenues. Teachers can direct students to current data, deliver videos, podcasts, and news articles that are relevant to their subject as well as their everyday lives. Students can set the pace of their own learning; they can come to class prepared to ask questions when they need to and to apply their strengths to productive problem solving.
Differentiated instruction is possible now as teachers move away from being the gatekeepers of knowledge to knowledge guides, moving students toward the best path possible in achieving academic success. The challenge is for teachers to think creatively and leverage the technology available to them for the benefit of their students.
