Module 7 Activity 5: Engaging 21st century learners

Student engagement is an integral part of 21st century learning and must be duly considered by educators when making preparations for the overall teaching/learning experience. The idea of ownership by learners for their success in the 21st century is one of the main concepts that truly grabbed my attention. The issues of self regulation, definition of learning goals and evaluation of learners own achievement are all geared to energize them and subsequently leads to a lifelong passion for solving problems, understanding and taking the next step in their thinking.

This is further enhanced by tasks/projects that are challenging, authentic, interactive and multidisciplinary which leads to a collaborative learning community that caters to diversity and ensures increased learning opportunities for all.The role of the teacher in all of this is significantly shifted from information giver to that of facilitator, guide and learner, while the learners become producers of knowledge with the capability of making worthwhile contributions  to knowledge building.

Module 7 Activity 4: Knowledge building

Knowledge building is undoubtedly critical to the success of 21st century education and as such, the task rests with us as educators to ensure that we work assiduously to create this culture within our educational institutions, for our learners to transform into critical thinkers.

Hence, to create a learning environment conducive to knowledge building, I will need to make a conscious effort to create research communities in my classroom, virtualize the process of education in keeping with the new trends in the technological circulation of knowledge, the implementation of a less hierarchical model of learning based on flexible organization of small groups/teams and utilize a more problem based approach to learning.

Module 7 Activity 3: Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an integral part of the learning and teaching process and even moreso, 21st century education where the focus is geared towards creating new knowledge. This activity highlighted several issues that caught my attention and provided me with inspiration as an educator. However, the element of socratic questioning resonates in a special way to me since it requires special skills to design and ask the relevant questions to effectively guide the thinking process in creating new knowledge. Hence, questioning is vital to ensure the key elements of clarity, accuracy, purpose, precision, relevancy, depth, breadth and logic in thinking critically.

Module 7 Activity 2: A vision for my subject in the 21st century

This was a very worthwhile activity that gave me the opportunity to look critically and develop a vision for a subject area in the 21st century. I was able to look at the curriculum defined skills in science in my country in relation to the key elements for the 21st century education and evaluate how those skills and key elements are aligned to modern trends in teaching my subject. The activity also allowed me to consder the use of connected resources by my students and me, how learning and learning spaces may change, the necessity of new skills to be incorporated in this subject and areas in which I needed to be more proficient to execute this task. This was a very rewarding exercise that stimulated my interest to be more indepth to the realities of 21st century education.

Module 7 Activity 1: What is 21st century learning?

This was a very interesting activity that channelled my thoughts on what is involved in 21st century learning. I was able to reflect keenly on my present day practice as an educator and compare it to the suggested key aspects of 21st century learning. I am being reminded by Tony Wagner of the seven survival skills required to address authentic education - the "whole child/person" and which does not limit our professional development and curriculum design to workplace readiness. It is clear that as educators, we need to address a rapidly changing world filled with fantastic new problems as well as exciting new possibilities by being creative and flexible.