What surround you shapes you. This is an axiom borne not out of linguistic aesthetics and literary adventurism but of social fact vouched by time and experience. With the advent of modern technologies such as computers and the fast changing world of telecommunication brought about by cell phones and wireless internets, students now days think and behave in a different paradigm compare to the generation ten years ago. Though not a gospel truth, but I dare say that student of today are more visually oriented but not reading-people. Highly creative but emotionally short-tempered, technologically advance but easily distracted, materially prosperous but not personally appreciative. This, I said, for students nowadays do not have the propensity for reading books, not patient enough to learn their grammar and history, not willing to listen and write their mathematical notes, compare to generation twenty years ago when things have to be earned through sheer patience and handwork, and projects papers have to go through typewriter and love letters to be posted through snail mail that takes a week if lucky, or if not, can possibly take eternity to reach its given address. In contrast, the MTV culture nowadays has spread far and wide and has made our viewing public, especially the young, developed adverse reaction in listening and consequently, much more prefer watching and thus gave way to passive critical thinking.
Taking a closer harder look today is the era of “instant gratification” with instant noodles, instant coffee, instant cyber learning in the web, and all instantly happening at once in just a micro-short span of time…simultaneously, the cable TV and the internet have hundreds of thousands of “data” and “shows” to choose from, and yet no student can honestly say that he/she can finish completing a TV program without changing channels many countless time during and in between the shows, with the instant wonder of the Xerox machine, students are content simply photocopying every lecture and class assignment without lifting a finger to write and re-write important details in their notebook which in analysis should have been a very effective way of indirectly imprinting information retention in their minds. Such is the convenience of the cyber space that even research papers, theses, assignments and projects are simply downloaded from the internet, paraphrased, re-packaged and “salvaged” if not plagiarized in a cut-and-paste technique. Thus ,students of today are prone to wishy washy, half-hearted academic effort and fails usual victim for easy-life and contemptuous mediocrity. With this screaming and blatant reality, a modern teacher has to cope and use a counter-defensive techniques and strategies to preserve the nobility of education. The following are my reflections on the techniques and strategies of a modern teacher which I believe run protective in educating of youths.
First, a modern teacher has to ride in the tide. He must understand the wonders, intricacies, advantage and dangers of modern technology. He can never give a better judgment of how the young behave and should behave of he himself is a product of self-inflicted ignorance and unconscious bigotry. He has to know the facts, and the best way to know it is through experience. The learning the cellphones and the internet is a must, if he wants to walk side by side with his students, accompanying them solicitously in their life’s journey.
Second, a modern teacher does not despise changes and innovations. He welcomes it with open arms, yet keeps himself if vigilant to the lights and shadows of a new discovery. Becoming antagonistic to students advance technological skills will not help but only exacerbates the problem. Students want an elder who knows how to sympathize and is interested to the things they are interested with. As far as I know, the best teacher is only one step if not a few steps ahead of his students. A teacher who in so much as a prophet but will fail to become effective teacher to the young since nobody will be able to understand him clearly and in effect, lost interest in getting his point.
Lastly, a modern teacher is modern in the way he teaches but should always be old in the way he thinks. He knows that beyond this ever changing world of technologies and innovations, there are “constants things” that never and should not change. A modern teacher knows beyond the use of computers, Microsoft power point, email information dissemination, cyber blog and Friendster posting, the secret of effective teaching methodology is found in the heart, not in the techniques. A heart knows how to love and listen and share, creates a natural teacher in us.
A teacher who is willing to walk extra miles with their students is always loved beyond measure of techniques and strategies.
By: Bernardito B. Cadatal | Teacher II | Sta. Rosa Elementary School | Pilar, Bataan
