Preciado 1

Ariel Preciado

M. Williams

English 1A

13 September 2013

It is common knowledge that modern technological advances are happening at a rapid pace, and furthermore they are implementing themselves into nearly every facet of the world we live in.  Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the 2013 classrooms across the globe.  With the opportunities and advantages that these various technologies present to the academic world, it is imperative for instructors at all levels of education to become aware of what options they have in educating their students.  A teacher who does not stay connected and involved in these advances, runs the high risk of falling behind in the curriculum.  Globally, the classroom is a vastly different environment from what it once was.  Computers have not replaced books, but they have enhanced the learning experience in a variety of ways.  As early as Kindergarten, students will have access to and be learning lessons and skills via the computer.  Any teacher who does not hone their own computer skills, and learn the various teaching softwares that are in constant development, could easily become an obsolete instructor.  It would be of great disservice to any student to be instructed by someone who is not aware of the technological opportunities that exist for them.  Another thing to keep in mind, is that it is often the School District who introduces and implements these advances into the classrooms, therefore a teacher who does not ‘keep up’ puts their career at risk.

Another area to consider, is how a teacher presents the knowledge they are passing on, and the manner in which they connect with their students.  When considering this notion, it is crucial to remember that at some point, every teacher was once a student themselves.  With that said, it must be acknowledged that each student learns in an entirely different manner.  Therefore it becomes important for a teacher to have the ability to attempt to see the academic world from the students point of view.  Without this type of empathy, a teacher could have students who get left behind in the lessons.  The inability to connect with one’s teacher can lead a student to, ‘tune out’t.  Once a student has given up on the learning, it becomes even more work to engage them and reel them back into the process.  Test scores and graduation success rates will continue to drop, or the student may find the available niche to do just enough work to sate by, therefore never really acheiving their full potential.  An instructor who remembers what it was like to be sitting in the classroom from a students perspective, will have the unique ability to find various ways to breakthrough and truly pass on knowledge.  They will be able to instruct with an open mind and find various ’tricks of the trade’ that hook a student in, and make them excited about learning.    Keeping in mind, that the teacher is not a classmate or friend persay, but an engaging instructor who can tap into the minds of their students.  

There is an old quote from Confucius that states:  “A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present.”  This quote emhasises the importance of a teachers continued education.  An instructor who is ‘behind in the times’, unaware or in ignorance of the various changes to a modern curriculum, could do great harm to a students learning experience.  Take for example a teacher of the sciences.  This is a field that changes quite frequently, and an instructor who does not stay up to date on topical and current events can run the risk of giving out false or outdated information.  Also in the subject of History, there are constantly new discoveries and changes being made to what was once thought to be fact.  A perfect example of this, is the one indisputable fact that the earth was flat.  Granted this was long ago, but it is a prime example of how newly discovered facts can change and revolutionize what is being taught to the masses.  An instructor, teacher or professor who does not rest on their laurels, but rather chooses to continue their own education will always give the gift of proper and current knowledge to their pupils.