In the advent of modern technology and numerous social media networking sites, students tend to develop among themselves a new standard of processing information, as they get used to a structured, well organized and visually attractive websites as they browse the net. They get used to navigate freely and effortlessly with a menu of endless possibilities and data bases. They start to look up to the internet as their “Indispensable Companion,” who comes handy every time they look for knowledge. At the onset of this scenario, the classroom teacher finds himself a nemesis, one that can never be equalled in giving away vast amount of information in an instant.
As students come to class, they subconsciously compare their learning experiences in browsing the internet with that of a teacher-led classroom experience. This challenge may seem insurmountable for teachers as there is no way we can even come close to delivering numerous amount of information in an instant, especially those not within our line of expertise. When students start to believe that they have a better alternative in getting information, they start to lose interest in the classroom proceedings, and we start to lose our connection with them. The idea that they can get better and more complete set of information later on, and in the comfort of their homes or other internet kiosks has made them decide that there is no point in getting engrossed in classroom discussion anymore.
As a teacher, it is our duty to promote learning inside the realm of our classrooms and never lose the attention of our students. It is also our calling to be the best alternative that our students can have at the moment in getting information. So what can we do to keep them interested? The answer is quite simple; make every learning experience in the classroom close to their everyday experiences and more concrete conceptually. According to a study, most students’ interest and achievement in different subject areas improve dramatically when they are led to make connections between new knowledge and experiences they have had, or with other knowledge they have already mastered. Students’ engagement increases significantly when they are taught why they are learning the concepts and how those concepts can be used outside the classroom. According to contextual learning theory, learning occurs only when students process new information or knowledge in such a way that it makes sense to them in their own frames of reference (their own inner worlds of memory, experience, and response). Teachers are encouraged to choose and/or design learning environments that incorporate many different forms of experience in working toward the desired learning outcomes.
Let us keep in pace with the growing needs and interests of our learners. As teachers, we have a potent weapon in our hands, one that can possibly make the big difference in the lives of our students. Let us try to keep their hunger for knowledge and make our classroom an everyday laboratory of experiential learning, one that they can better understand which is simulated with their daily lives.
By: Mr. Lirio E. Postre | Teacher III | BNHS | Balanga City, Bataan
