SCHOOL, TEACHER, LEARNER AND CURRICULUM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

ERLINNA E. DELA ROSA How should education be structured to meet the needs of students in this 21st century world? How do we know define” School, Teacher, learner and curriculum?”

Schools in the 21th century will be laced with a project – based curriculum for the life aimed at engaging students in addressing real – world problems, issues important to humanity , and questions that matter.

This is dramatic departure from the factory – model education of the past. It is abandonment. Finally of textbook – driven , teacher centered , paper and pencil schooling. It means a new way of understanding the concept “knowledge” a new definition of the educated person. A new way of designing and delivering the curriculum required. We offer the following definitions for School, Teacher and Learners” appropriate for the 21st century.

SCHOOL will go from buildings “to nerve centers, with walls that are porous and transparent connecting teachers , students and the community to the wealth of knowledge that exists the world”.

TEACHER from primary role as a dispenser of information to orchestrator of learning and helping students turn information into knowledge into wisdom. The 21st century will require knowledge generation , not just information delivery and schools will need to create a “culture of inquiry.”

LEARNER in the past a learner was a young person who went to school, spent a specified amount of time in a certain courses, received passing grades and graduated. Today we must see learners in a new context.

First – we must maintain students interest by helping them see how what they are learning prepares them for life in the real world.

Second- we must instill curiosity , which is fundamental to lifelong learni ng. Third – we must be flexible in how we teach. Fourth – We must excite learners to become even more resourceful so that they will continue to learn outside the formal school day.

— oOo— The author is Master Teacher I at Camba High School