Educating Digital Age through Self-Empowerment

We are witnessing the drastic changes that are taking place day by day in social and educational parameters in the 21^st century. These changes are obvious and well expected but prove unexpected and leave bad experience with those who are not ready to move with the pace of these changes. Educationists call it a ‘period of transition’ from one civilization to the other but I take it as a paradigm shift from ‘being digital immigrant’ to ‘becoming digital native’. Believe or not, this century has gifted us with numerous inventions and comforts, moreover brought us closer through digital means to know more about each other, to share more with each other and to help each other as well. It has poured us into the ink of fortune of knowing new ways of knowing (cognition) to the beautiful phenomenon of this fascinating world. But are we ready (mentally and physically), and open too, to appreciate and practice these ways of cognition for the betterment of the society? Are we educating our young generation, who are the future leaders, in the way that prepare them to bring sustainable changes in the society? I would leave it to you to think and to respond.

Academics, around the world are talking about facilitation culture in the educational revolutions which is the culture of ‘hosting’ the transformation of knowledge to new information from the present status of cognition. Available literature on education and pedagogy, as per my best (limited) knowledge of it, suggest that a good learning environment is the first and foremost requirement that needs to be fulfilled for the pupils learning new facts. Environment will teach them or they will learn themselves from the environment. Again there is a question are we able to create the environment? Are we developing ‘How May I Assist You’ culture in our educational practices? This is the culture of visibility, openness and overwhelmingness towards the learners needs.

We deal 21^st century learners with the traditional old fashioned ways (mentality) of teaching. Here is the situation when anxiety creeps in because there are plentiful differences in ‘styles of delivering’ and the ‘ways of receiving’ the information. Gap is too high. This gap can be filled if ‘we’ (teachers) learn to cater digital natives with the ways they want to learn. But in maximum situations we find ourselves very reluctant (and unwilling too) to change. We need to change our attitude and thinking towards the role of a ‘teacher’ in the existing society. 21^st century teacher is a facilitator like a wonderful host who is extremely humble and sensitive towards the learner’s needs. We have to be ‘a facilitator’ who assists the learner in all respects by winning his confidence and stays behind the learner to gratify his performance. 

  Are the requirements of 21^st century not indicating towards an urgent need to change our ways of thinking? We need to quickly brush up our thinking styles and update ourselves with the latest approaches and tools of 21^st century to facilitate, not only to teach, digital natives. Once we are ‘ready’ with all the measures required to face the challenges, educational as well as technological and their blend into each other, to address the needs of digital natives, we feel very calm, confident and delighted. Then only we would be able to make a difference in the life of ‘a digital native’. Let us take a pledge to stay with, not for, the future leaders on the same page to assist them in their preparation to perform future leadership roles in the society so that they can create their own beautiful world. God Bless all. Amen.  

Communicated to and under publication in "physicsworld" UK