21st century marks the combination of computer age and nanotechnology that everywhere you go you cannot see an individual without a technology: laptop, ipad, iphone or smartphone. Gone are the days that teens know the walkman, cassette tape, radio, HirayaManawari, Batibot, Sineskwela and Mathinik. Show them those old school educational videos and you will find yourself floating in air. Gone are the days that they have a complete set of notebooks for school, paper and ballpen. Gone are the days that when you ask them to copy a lecture they’ll jot it down on their notebook or paper.
If we cannot return the old ways then we can only accept and embrace what is present and new. We cannot introduce something that is old to our students greater than our number. They are living in a modern world while teachers age with time. Students become younger and younger. Teachers grow old. As the teacher and the student enter the 21st century, one must adjust in the way the surrounding operates. Many times you can see students with smartphone or iphone than pen and notebook. Instead of copying the lecture, they will ask you if they can take a photo of it. Reviewers are not in paper anymore. They are now stored in IOS System, Android System, Phone Memory or SD Card. They love something so colorful, lively and loud. They now want lessons to be shown in videos with interesting background music or with entertaining voice over. Long Sentences in manila paper bore them. Try it in powerpoint and they will listen to your discussion. Even if we keep on comparing the old school students and these 21st century learners, it won’t change anything because students cannot adjust with us because they don’t live in the past. We can adjust with them since we can still live on the era they are living.
Instead of complaining day by day of what could’ve possibly gone wrong on this modern day education, let’s just welcome what it is on our way. We can’t go back but we can keep on going.
By: Ms.Ana Rosette S. Garcia, LPT | Jose Rizal Institute | Orion, Bataan
