ROLE OF TEACHERS IN 21st CENTURY

The IT (information technology) and internet communications revolutions of the past two decades have transformed teaching-learning norms and systems around the world — particularly in post-industrial societies of the first world beyond recognition. With the introduction of ICT (instructional communication technologies) into classrooms of progressive top schools Hyderabad worldwide, it is now possible to supplement and enrich chalk-n-talk and textbook teaching with live multi-media presentations on smart boards, to facilitate deeper understanding of curricular concepts and subjects. Moreover, the internet revolution has created a vast universal digital library accessible to all, enabling students to reach the world’s best teachers with the click of a mouse.

As we move further into the new millennium, it becomes clear that the 21st Century classroom needs are very different from the 20th Century classroom needs. In the 21st Century classroom, teachers are facilitators of student learning and creators of productive classroom environments in which students can develop the skills they will need in the workplace. The focus of the 21st Century classroom is on students experiencing the environment they will enter as 21st Century workers. The collaborative project-based curriculum used in this classroom develops the higher order thinking skills, effective communication skills, and knowledge of technology that students will need in the 21st Century workplace. The interdisciplinary nature of the 21st Century classroom sets it apart from the 20th Century classroom. Lectures on a single subject at a time were the norm in the past and today collaboration is the thread for all students learning.

Despite the technology revolution beginning to dramatically impact learning outcomes worldwide, too many schools Hyderabad still continue to adhere to teaching-learning systems of the 1950s, which place a high premium on memorisation (of dates, places and facts that are quickly forgotten after formal examinations). The 21st century has heralded an era in which vast amounts of information must be assimilated and integrated by students — information they need to retain well after their exams. The human brain is a seeker of connections, and teachers’ focus must be on producing students well prepared to confront and manage a rapidly changing universe. Educational institutions also have a responsibility to produce not just academically qualified, but well-rounded and responsible global citizens.

If students are to be productive members of the 21st Century workplace, they must move beyond the skills of the 20th Century and master those of the 21st Century. Teachers are entrusted with mastering these skills as well and with modelling these skills in the classroom. The characteristics of the 21st Century classroom will be very different from those of in the classrooms of the past because the focus is on producing students who are highly productive, effective communicators, inventive thinkers, and masters of technology.

IMPORTANCE OF NEW MEDIA IN EDUCATION

We have gone from a time when citizens of the world were consumers of media to a time when we are becoming producers of content a time when information is controlled by many more than just a few, as it has been in the past. It is only a few years old, but the potential of what New Media can do and the role it will play in shaping society and setting the agenda on issues that affect the lives of people are going to be significant and crucial as we move forward.

There are several reasons why one would like to use new media in technology education. In the first place there is a motivational reason for that. Many teachers have the experience that the use of new media excites pupils. They are more motivated to go through the content of a course when this course is supported by new media in which video fragments, animations, interactive information is offered to them. Research has confirmed the positive attitude of pupils towards learning about and with computers. In the second place the use of new media is almost unavoidable when Technology Education is to offer a valid representation of what goes on in professional practice. In almost any profession new media have become widely accepted. Pupils and students should get to know these media in education to prepare them for whatever future career. In the third place new media can support different learning styles and thus can help teachers do justice to those different learning styles. Of course this only works when the new media are used in a proper and sophisticated way. But when that is the case, they can be a powerful tool to deal with differences between different pupils and students in one group.

If cbse schools Bangalore and education systems can shift from content to process, part of the path will be cleared for the development of new literacy’s. Such a shift includes letting go of our subject based curricula to open orientations: inquiry based learning, learning about cognition, thinking about thinking, learning the value of cooperation. Certain soft skills, such as respect for diversity and intercultural communication, will come to the forefront in teacher development because these are the issues that ‘pop up’ when dealing with new and constantly changing environments. Many schools Bangalore is these days using the new media to support and enhance the learning process of their students.

How Schools can Go Green

Everyone is keen to protect the environment, and schools today are driven by a highly vocal pressure group of small, eager faces who want to save the polar bear and protect trees; or older, more discerning, but no less vocal teenagers who want to discuss the issues of global warming versus climate change. Educate students! This is a school's number one role in going green: change the mindset and behavior of the next generation. Some Bangalore Schools should teach students about global warming, climate change, renewable resources and all of the exciting technologies utilizing these, about recycling of solid wastes and water, and about green building.

Being environmentally conscious is something that deserves more than simply a day or week in the school year. Neither is it just a lesson, but rather a way of life that needs to be taught to children of future generations, particularly on how they can take care of the environment. As centres of learning, schools also offer a prime opportunity to teach by example. Sustainable design and construction practices help achieve all these objectives.

There are numerous strategies that schools going green can adopt. Make all necessary building renovations or new buildings green. Building green means complying with green building standards such as LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design), administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. By meeting these standards schools can create a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money. Minimize the use of paper in handouts to parents. In many cases parent communications can occur through email. When printing is necessary, use both sides of the paper. Recycling can include traditional recycling pickup of paper, metal, and glass products, as well as composting associated with a gardening program. Schools can recycle their printer cartridges, and earn money for the school for doing so through organizations. Schools can go further and involve the community by creating art projects such as a mosaic mural out of recycled materials from chipped coffee mugs, cracked china, and other non-porous items that ordinarily would have been headed for the garbage can.

Grow a garden, and integrate gardening into the curriculum. School gardens give students a wonderful outdoor botany laboratory, as well as education in sustainable environments, local growing seasons, and the nutritional value of locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs. Rethink student transportation. Bus and car idling in parking lots leads to high levels of emissions into the atmosphere, so set up the pickup and drop off to minimize idling time. Turn off computers at the end of the day. Many schools in Bangalore have large computer labs, and turning them off, rather than leaving them in hibernation mode, can make a significant difference to electricity consumption.

How to protect children from internet threats

The internet provides children and young people with a wealth of opportunities for their entertainment, communication and education. But there are also risks of harm through the deliberate behavior of others online, and through exposure to inappropriate content. With children spending time online at younger and younger ages, it is vital that we explicitly teach young children how to protect themselves online. Most young children get the "Stranger Danger" talk at school, so they know about how to handle strangers in their neighborhood and in face-to-face situations.

As children grow up in an increasingly digital world, they need to be aware of the risks they face online. Everyone can play a part in keeping children safe and the internet industries have a particular responsibility to create tools and information to help. Internet safety policies and guidelines can help make the Internet a safer experience for your family members.

Tips for children are:

·         Always ask your parents' permission before using your full name, address, telephone number or school name anywhere on the Internet.

·      Always tell your parents or guardian if you see something online that you know is wrong or that makes you feel uncomfortable. Don't respond to messages that make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy.

·         Never give out a credit card number or password online.

·         Never send out your picture without your parents' permission.

·         Be careful when someone offers you something for nothing, such as gifts or money.

·         Don't ever accept a gift or an offer that involves having someone visit your house.

·         Never arrange to meet someone you've met online in person unless you discuss it with your parents and an adult goes with you.

·         Talk to your parents to set up rules for going online. Decide with them the best time of day to be online, the length of time to be online and appropriate areas to visit.

·         Get to know your "online friends" just as you get to know all of your other friends. Be sure that you are dealing with someone that you and your parents know and trust before giving out any personal information about yourself via email.

Boarding Schools can play a major role in this as they can influence children to be safe online. Schools and teachers can do awareness campaigns and make them use simple technologies available to keep them always from threats and help them use internet in a positive way as well.

Making reading interesting for children through various ways

Reading is great for both you and your children and is a fantastic form of relaxation and escapism. Reading books helps your children develop their language skill, extend their vocabulary and their understanding of the world. Your children’s spelling and writing skills are also improved by regular reading. A good book gives them a mental place to go where the day to day worries aren’t so ever present, it gives them new people to meet and gets them involved in other people’s stories. Reading develops your children’s creativity.

Some of the options which schools, teachers and parents can make available are given below:

Make books available and accessible.  Children who become readers almost always come from homes where books and other reading materials are present throughout the house.  Don't put your children's books out of the way where your child cannot see them or cannot reach them himself.  Remember babies, toddlers, and preschoolers are small.  Put the books near the floor, within their reach.

Read yourself.  Modeling to your children is one of the best ways of teaching children to read.  If your children see that you read, you choose to read, and you enjoy reading, they are more likely to develop the same habit and pursue the same activity. Don't forget to give books as gifts at birthday time, holiday time, or whenever.  There are so many inexpensive, good books out there and something given or received as a gift becomes more valuable and cherished.

Make reading fun!  Something that is enjoyable is favored.  Act out stories, use different voices, and most importantly use enthusiasm.  Presentation can be everything.  A boring reader makes for a boring story no matter how exciting the story may really be.  You might just find that you are having more fun as well.

Read frequently.  Offer to read to young children every day, even several times a day.  Encourage older independent readers to read every day as well, and engage them in conversation about what they're reading.

Turn off the television and provide quiet time.  Turning off the television forces our children to "find something else to do" and too much television can have a harmful affect on a developing younger child, especially when it comes to teaching children to read.

Above all, make your read aloud sessions fun. This is a great start to teaching children to read because children love to make sound effects, so add them wherever you can when you read aloud.

And we can dream of a generation with wisdom and thinking skills to match the requirements of the competitive world. This is possible only if schools and parents put in their effort.