Knowledge
Twenty-First Century Pedagogy & Innovative Teaching Methods
As we enter the 21st century, teachers need to figure out the best ways to make learning easier. The time has come to implement technological, economic, and cultural forces in all facets of the education system.
As we enter the 21st century, teachers need to figure out the best ways to make learning easier. The time has come to implement technological, economic, and cultural forces in all facets of the education system. There is a need to introduce new technology, economic resources, and cultural influences into the educational system at every level to promote experiential learning.
UNESCO recommended the following teaching strategies for the twenty-first-century experiential learning, storytelling, value education, inquiry learning, appropriate assessment, future problem solving, outside classroom learning, and community problem-solving.
Education in the twentieth century differed significantly from education in the twenty-first century. Learning has evolved from rote memorization to learner-centric approaches, theory to practice, teacher-centered to student-centered, and memorization to innovation. Teaching methods and didactics have radically changed in the past century. With the ability to access almost any information at any time from an early age, the educational space has expanded beyond the classroom. Learning has been transformed.
It has happened because of the flexibility offered by digital media as opposed to traditional media, the ability to multitask, the use of intellectual ICT tools versus pure mental performance, easier access to textbook content with one-click internet searches, and fewer classroom interactions due to the use of digital media. The result has been a scenario in which knowledge acquisition has evolved into knowledge creation. Teachers must adapt their pedagogy and teaching methods so that they are able to engage such large audiences, and hence the only option is to innovate as per the needs of students of new generations.
Gamification:-
Learning requires engagement. Educating through games, with enticing characters and intriguing situations, is the best way to engage students without overshadowing the pedagogy or concept This is a good method to prepare students with concepts before moving forward to another chapter. It makes the children eager to learn more and learning will be long lasting and adventurous. This is a good method to prepare students with concepts before moving forward to another chapter.
Spaced learning: –
A comparatively new method of teaching has been introduced called "spaced learning", which repeats the same lesson multiple times, but at different intervals. This method provides intervals for the students to continue to acquire the knowledge and create connections between repetitions of the same lesson. Physical activities or mindfulness methods are used to rejuvenate the mind before continuing the lesson. One can use different methods for the same content to achieve the competency of the child.
Collaborative Learning: –
Before exams, it was common to learn at home in solitude. As students help each other reach their goals, they are now members of a group. Students become better listeners and better team players. It allows them to share their creativity and gain more knowledge as they learn to tolerate others' opinions and even meet with different people to receive a genuine critique of their work. Additionally, it helps them learn how to deal with constructive criticism and cross-examinations and develops social skills among them. The use of manipulation can be brought to the practice in collaboration cooperation and respect for each other. Desks should be replaced with interactive whiteboard surfaces so that groups can work together more efficiently.
Flipped Classroom: –
A new pedagogical term has emerged called "Flipped Classroom." It is the reverse of traditional classroom instruction. Flipped classrooms allow students to watch a video tutorial, research online or work on content shared by the teacher at home. These materials are then used in the classroom to complete class assignments. When students arrive at school, they are prepared with the content, and if they have questions, they can discuss them in class. In addition, they can share with their classmates any ideas they have related to the content. Flipping a classroom allows students to have sufficient time to grasp the content and lifelong experience for the same.
Cross-Learning: –
Learning and teaching in cross-cultural settings can be informal or formal. A formal setting is utilized to teach content and provide study materials to enhance knowledge, and then a more informal environment such as museums, seminars, and after-school programs are used to stimulate curiosity and interest.
VAK (Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic) Teaching:
VAK is a modern teaching method that is based on the Multiple Intelligence theory. Learning can be classified into three categories: Visual (seeing or hearing data), Audio (hearing or feeling the data), and Kinaesthetic (moving or feeling the data). Each learner requires a different approach. One can use different mind maps and use of Art Integration can be used to focus on all three types of leaners that is visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic.
Computational Thinking: –
Computational thinking is a powerful approach to thinking and problem-solving. It involves breaking large problems down into smaller ones (decomposition), recognizing how these relate to problems that have been solved in the past (pattern recognition), setting aside unimportant details (abstraction), identifying and developing the steps that will be necessary to reach a solution (algorithms) and refining these steps (debugging).
Such computational thinking skills can be valuable in many aspects of life, ranging from writing a recipe to share a favourite dish with friends, to planning a holiday or expedition, to deploying a scientific team to tackle a difficult challenge like an outbreak of disease.
Being in the 21st century, there is an urgent need for educators to figure out the best ways for learners. The need of the hour is to introduce technological, economic, and cultural forces in the education system at all levels and change the core of the traditional educational system to promote experiential learning. At AEMS, we have adopted most of these innovative pedagogies to develop self-learning habits and help them to become lifelong learners.
About the author:
Khushboo Singh is the Principal of Angel English Medium School, Pune, and has over 15 years of experience as a principal and successful administrator, deeply immersed in curriculum creation, contemplative pedagogy, along with extensive evaluation of several curricula to arrive at best practices in teaching-learning, content creation, and educational research.