TEACHERS' BELIEF AND READINESS IN DEALING WITH DIGITAL CITIZENS

           The world has radically changed, and technology is driving much of the change that we see. When many of today’s teachers were still in school as schoolchildren, the primary sources of information for them were encyclopedias and libraries. Today the Internet is the major source of information. With the Internet and other new technologies,many questions can be answered in just a matter of seconds. Today’s students visit Google more often than the library. Just as modern technology has already altered our world drastically, it is certain that there are many more changes to come in the future. These changes have major implications for the teaching profession. Current educational practices and strategies must keep up with our evolving world.

            So how a teacher carries out his or her teaching and learning session must adapt to the current generation. The teacher could not rely on teacher centred sessions such as 'chalk and talk' or by preparing various teaching aids which is used to assist the process. A teacher should believe in the power of technology, the teacher should integrate technology in his or her classroom. Many teachers' across the world are not familiar with the process of integrating technology in their teaching and learning. This is due to the following reasons:

1. Didn't know how to integrate technology

2. Doesn't believe that it is useful

3. Limited teaching time

4. Does not have the infrastructure or access to do so

5. Students are hard to control

6. Does not suit the topic of teaching

           Although some of the reasons given makes sense such as limited teaching time and access but the others are lame excuses. There are many softwares, websites and video's that can be used in the classroom and i am sure the teachers' can find those e-learning tools for any topics that they teach as long as they make a effort to search for it.

            Today’s learners are often referred to as “digital citizens.” Digital citizens process and deal with information differently from how previous generations do. Rather than having a linear thought process, they tend to piece information together from different sources in a “hypertext” fashion, jumping around between multiple sources. Digital citizens also tend to be more visual and interpret and develop images with ease. Their visual–spatial skills seem to be well developed because of experience with video and virtual games. Digital citizens learn better through discovery than simply being told information. Other key characteristics of digital citizens are their ability to shift their attention rapidly from one task to another and how they often choose not to pay attention to things that don’t interest them.

          In order to deal with today's digital citizens, a teacher should have the following characteristics;

1. The Adaptor

2. The Communicator

3. The Learner

4. The Visionary

5. The Leader

6. The Model

7. The Collaborater

8. The Risk taker

1. The Adaptor

The  teacher is an adaptor. Harnessed as we are to an assessment focused 
education model, the teacher must be able to adapt the curriculum and the 
requirements to teach to the curriculum in imaginative ways. They must also 
be able to adapt software and hardware designed for a business mode into 
tools utilizable by a variety of age groups and abilities.They must also be 
able to adapt to a dynamic teaching experience. When it all goes wrong in 
the middle of a class, when the technologies fail, the show must go on. 
As an educator, they must understand and apply different learning styles.
They must have the ability to adapt their teaching style to be inclusive of 
different modes of learning

2. The Communicator

“Anywhere, anytime” learning is a catchphrase we hear often. Usually it is 

paired with“life learner”. To have anywhere anytime learning, the teacher to

must be anywhere and anytime. It does not have to be the same teacher, 

but the  teacher is a communicator. They are fluent in tools and technologies

that enable communication and collaboration. They go beyond learning just 

how to do it, they also know how to facilitate it, stimulate and control it, 

moderate and manage it

 

3. The Learner 

Teachers expect their students to be lifelong learners. How many schools

have the phrase “lifelong learners” in their mission statements and 

objectives? Teachers must continue to absorb experiences and 

knowledge. Teachers must endeavor to stay current. How many people

 are still using their lesson and unit plans from 5 years ago?

Information technology and certainly in many of the sciences, especially

the life sciences; knowledge, understanding and technology are fluid and 

dynamic, they are evolving and changing. To be a teacher here you must 

change and learn as the horizons and landscape changes.

The 21st Century teacher or educator must learn and adapt. 

 

4. The Visionary

Imagination, a key component of adaptability, is a crucial component

of the educator of today and tomorrow. They must see the potential 

in the emerging tools and web technologies, grasp these and 

manipulate them to serve their needs. If we look at the technologies

we currently see emerging, how many are developed for education?

The visionary teacher can look at other ideas and envisage how they

would use these in their class. The visionary also looks across the 

disciplines and through the curricula. They can make links that reinforce

and value learning in other areas, and leverage other fields to reinforce

their own teaching and the learning of their students. 

 

5. The Leader

Whether they are a champion of the process of ICT integration or 

the quiet technology coach, the ICT Trainer and a teacher leading 

by example; a maverick or early adopter, the 21st Century 

Educator is a leader. Leadership, like clear goals and objectives 

crucial to the success or failure of any project. 

 

6. The Model

Teachers must model the behaviors that we expect from their students. 

Today and tomorrow more so, there is an expectation that teachers 

will teach values. Teachers are often the most consistent part of their 

students’ life. Teachers will see the students more often, for longer and 

more reliably than their parents. This is not a criticism of the parents rather 

a reflection. The 21st Century educator also models reflective practice, 

whether it is the quiet, personal inspection of their teaching and learning, 

or through reflective practice via blogs, twitter and other medium, these 

educators look both inwards and outwards. These teachers also model a 

number of other characteristics. These are not necessarily associated with 

ICT or the curriculum, but are of equal importance

 

7. The Collaborater

Educators must have the ability to lever age these collaborative tools 

to enhance and captivate their students. They must be collaborators; 

sharing, contributing, adapting and inventing. 

 

8. The Risk taker

How can teachers know all these things? How can you teach 

them how to use them? There are so many, so much to learn. 

You must take risks and sometimes surrender yourself to the 

students’ knowledge. Have a vision of what you want and what 

the technology can achieve, identify the goals and facilitate the 

learning. Use the strengths of the digital students to understand 

and navigate new products, have the students teach each other. 

The learning pyramid shows that the highest retention of knowledge

comes from teaching others. Trust your students. 

 

Bibliography:

 

1. Article 'The future teacher' retrieved from  

http://www.tncdsb.on.ca/new/resources/

2. PDF file 21st Century Learner by schools of hope www.ntca.ie