THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM FOR FILIPINO LEARNERS
In line with the full implementation of K to 12 curriculum in the education in our country, a number of changes which were not easy took place. Changes like Kindergarten has become the very basic foundation of learning, additional two years in the high school that gave way to the creation of Junior High School and Senior High School, grading system, awards and recognition, content and pedagogy, classrooms and many others. These changes are all based on the needs, interests and demands of today’s learners.
In the 21st Century classroom, teachers are facilitators of learners learning and creators of productive classroom environments in which learners can develop the skills they will need in the next level of education and workplace. The focus of the 21st century classroom is on learners experiencing the environment they will enter as 21st Century learners and workers. The collaborative project-based curriculum used in the classroom develops the higher order thinking skills, effective communication skills, and knowledge of technology that learners will need in the 21st Century classroom. Lectures on a single subject at a time were the norm in the past and today collaboration is the thread for all learners learning.
Teaching strategies in the previous century are no longer suited nor fitted to today’s learners. Teachers are now equipped with the teaching strategies that will answer to the demands of the learners. Thus, relevant and meaningful learning experience can be provided to the learners.
The 21st Century classroom is learner-centered, not tacher-centered. Learners no longer study each subject in isolation. They learn to use inquiry method, problem-solving method and collaborative learning that lead to the mastery of the competencies needed to achieve by them. In terms of learning references, textbooks are no longer the major source of information. Learners utilize limitless sources, including technology, to find and gather information they need. They can surf and explore the internet, or use computer software programs to apply what they have learned or to find information. Technology, indeed is seamlessly integrated into daily conduct of instruction.
The focus of learners learning in the 21st Century classroom changed also. Before, its more on memorizing and recalling information. Now, it shifted on learning how to learn. Learners use the information they learned to demonstrate their mastery through performance. This is one way of producing lifelong learners. The emphasis of today’s education is to produce graduates who are ready to enter to tertiary level, ready to join the workforce, and ready to engage in entrepreneurship.