21st century classroom!What is the 21st century classroom?
i think we should redefine the classroom of the 21st century.The world all around us is changing so rapidly...What with all the ssocial networking,all the information,all the pressure to succeed....
Yet one thing remains constant.The classrooms.We still follow a colonial /soviet style academic regimentation.Rules ,fixed timetables ,same fixed lectures.I think the academic culture in most African universities has not changed much.
In other words we are studying in the same academic framework that our parents went through.But i always think that to much regimentation kills creativity and the beauty of life.Remember Athens and Sparta .Regimentation leaves no room for creativity.Just procedures and rules and boredom.Yet life must be made exciting.Even academic life.
Man is born free.And should learn freely.
What is the best way??
Maybe if only students were given room.Less lectures and more of field work and personal studies it would ease up life a bit .And perhaps unleash the forces of creativity.
Imagination thrives in an atmosphere of freedom.Academic excellence is beautiful and i love it when i excel with flying colors.My bone of contention is the system that we use to arrive at excellence.It should allow room for a little bit of imagination.
I think the 21st century lecturer can interact with their students easily via Facebook ,Blog Catalog and other social networking sites,should give students more time to be with themselves in order to discover their talents,strengths and weaknesses.
In such an atmosphere of academic freedom ,universities will be beautiful and illustrious and i would not wish to get as quickly as i am wishing now!!!#!!!1
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Black Mercenaries1 day ago
Futuristic Africa
14 comments:
i am sure this will interest lot of stuff
You have quite a vision; best of luck in achieving them for your country!
Great BLOG! Please visit mine below The Coming Depression
I agree that freedom of speech and expressions of thoughts need full encouragement ,especially in a system where discipline and a strict regimen is followed. I feel the first step is creating a friendly environment between the teachers and students.
interesting!
this is good stuff....
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visited yours.
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Cool..Nice one ...I would like to read more stuff..
I've been enjoying my free Ivy League education (mostly Princeton and Yale) and my classes at Cal Berkley, thanks to I-tunes.
I think the biggest challenge to the 21st Century classroom isn't connection -- that is improving all the time, ie the Ivy League and Berkley podcasts, social networking sites (I found your site), and technology improvements overall.
The biggest challenge is going to be in ranking and evaluating accuracy and authority. Regimented learning and academic peer review was how this system has advanced in the past and probably why it hasn't changed much under your current system.
A more free-wheeling academia requires a mechanism for establishing accuracy and I don't think wiki- is it.
The other problem is that technology and social networking is a two-edged sword. It provides greater connection, but it also has the ability to restrict our viewing to only those things we are interested in, rather than exposure to a divergent set of views (another benefit of a regimented general education.)
A hybrid system is definitely in order that provides for broad spectrum learning and an authoritarian structure (Einstein incorporates and transcends Newton, Shakespeare trumps Stephen King, etc.), while allowing for creativity, connection and academic freedom to flourish.
I agree with you about the space for creativity part. I always felt that in my studies someone was peering over my shoulder checking my every move. It makes you uptight and you perform like a robot.
I agree with you on the freedom of speech as well, but I have been to several colleges where they have a "freedom of speech" zone where you can say ANYTHING with a loudspeaker. I mean anything, most of it was religious talking about going to hell. I thought it was wrong, but I was glad that he was allowed to do so.
Yes I really agree with you. I am a teacher myself and once a student. I believe that lectures alone is boring. Teachers should give activities and always make sure their classes are interesting as possible. Thanks for sharing your views.
Having taught Visual Arts for nearly five years here in St. Lucia, I hear you!
While I believe some structure is useful if not necessary for a lot of people - some people's creativity is unleashed better in some measure of structure - the old Colonial, regimented lacking in fostering of creative thought way of schooling is a dead horse - we need desperately to encourage creativity in our people for we have some huge obstacles to overcome!
Interesting thoughts you're working through in your blog - keep it up!
Thank you very much for the lovely pot and I greatly value your ideas.
here in my country too we need more freedom in our schools as well as creativity. too many rules stifles creativity too. keep on being a visionary!
i just comment tanks
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