21st century language teachers: What is their role when it comes to learning?
As technological resources evolve, many alternatives to in-site education are emerging, and, with the rapid developing of AI's, many people are even considering that teachers are no longer needed. Taking into account this proposition, a question rises up: in a world where teachers do not exist in educational scene, what would their role be? Would they disappear? Even though it is impossible to come up with a definite answer or even a decent answer to this hypothetical dilemma, one thing that can be done is to reflect on current students' issues and how teachers may fit in 21st century issues.
A considerably large portion of current educative and pedagogical strategies are focusing efforts to integrate contemporary technology to the classroom setting. As more and more children are born and growing up in a society where technology is virtually indispensable, education is required to meet new era necessities regarding the use of electronic devices such as projectors, smartphones, TV's, etc. If we take a look to last decade's two to four-year-old children addiction to mobile media statistics we would find out that from 2011 to 2013 the curve spiked from a 39% to an 80% in the US, meaning an increasing of 41% (Dutra, 2019). The relevance of this data is seeing when, besides addressing a worrying circumstance of the world, it implicates children and teenagers are in constant need of media content. In a digital era of education, teachers and the whole scenery involved in learning processes must be able to recognize the problematics and opportunities this sort of devices bring in order to not only handle said problematics, but also creating a suitable environment for learning to happen.
Just by reviewing some literature on the effects of digital addiction it can be seen how fretting this situation really is. Endert (2021) has shown that there is a correlation of between the development of problematic patterns in ages 10-13 such as lack of self-control, academic success and a somewhat crooked sense of delayed reward and digital addiction (DA). However, these are just the tip of the iceberg; Ding and Li (2023) express that many other issues are associated to digital addiction: obesity, depression, hyperactivity and an alteration in the position of some prefrontal–striatal circuits. All of these problematics, essentially challenges in today's classroom, are ought to be addressed by modern teachers, as they will face several students with at least one of these issues.
Taking into account the current state of technology, its limitations and its virtues, it is likely possible that teachers are still going to be in the educational scene for a while; hence, they are the ones that must address these circumstances. It is no mystery that it is essential for educators to be aware of technological advancements in today's world in order to integrate them in the classroom. As it has been explored, children and teenagers are suffering from DA which is leading them to develop many other issues. In this setting of circumstances, teachers may have to look for alternatives using resources students are used to in order to gain their attention and help them develop their own learning process.
Up-to-date teacher's role, then, is that of a guide and of a researcher. As current trends are almost impossible to be kept up with (Wohlfart, Wagner 2022), teachers must create and find strategies using Digital Literacies (DL) encompassing videogames, images, audios, videos, wallpapers, etc., in order to captivate students. In other words, they have to be capable of navigate through DL's (Taheri, Pennington 2024) to best approach their students' process and particular needs. An integration, thus, must happen; it is not only how they use technology, but also how they can put it to human service while offering a connection with their students.
Integrating technological and digital technology to the classroom is one of the several objectives that many countries are keen on developing. This cannot be, however, done without any intervention from human beings; the contemporary digital landscape cannot be understood as a whole by its own, that's why teachers ought to bring and use the tools designed for education to their students (Ramdhane, 2024). Essentially, it is needed for teachers to be able to find resources, create them, navigate through the most relevant and not necessarily state-of-the-art platforms found in digital environments. Yet, bringing and using technology alone is not enough; the teacher's role must transcend the mere image of someone that proposes some topics and strategies to learn.
To achieve all of what has been said, is necessary for teachers to accept changes and to constantly study updates in educational changes. Essentially, it means to accept digital media (Taheri & Pennintong, 2024) and to build self-criteria towards the implementations and uses this type of technologies may have, as well as their impact in students' lives. In other words, teachers must be everlasting students with enough cognitive resources and tools to be aware of the possibilities and problematics new technologies may bring, being critical thinking, acceptance, patience and resourcefulness some of the qualities modern educators ought to develop.
References
Dutra, S. (2019). Adolescents: Screen Addiction. MASSACHUSETTS MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
Ding, K., & Li, H. (2023). Digital Addiction Intervention for Children and Adolescents: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 4777. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064777
Endert, S. (2021). Addictive use of digital devices in young children: Associations with delay discounting, self-control and academic performance. PloS one, 16(6), e0253058. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253058
Ramdhane, K. (2024). Teachers Engagement in the Digital Transformation Era: An Analysis of Challenges, Opportunities, and Best Practices. Al-Jamie Journal, Volume 9/N2. PP: 713-730
Taheri, R. & Pennington, S. (2024). "The Role of Teacher Education in Improving Digital Literacy: A Pre-Service Teacher Case Study," Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research: Vol. 25: Iss. 2. https://doi.org/10.4148/2470-6353.1385
Wolfhart, O. & Wagner, I. (2022). Teachers' role in digitalizing education: an umbrella review. Vol.:(0123456789)Education Tech Research Devhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10166-0
Further considerations
Thoughts on today's teachers mission: a brief reflection.
Teacher's purpose nowadays is required to surpass the limitations of classroom settings and become something else, something that connects and build deep ties to student's lives in order to make them feel listened and supported meanwhile they discover themselves. Advising during difficult times, listening to students' problematics, developing empathy and patience are just some ways to support students. We live in an era which has made us forget what we are, the very essence of our humanity. As society develops stronger attachment to technological devices to the point we forget about being kind to one another, where young people are often lost, teachers must be there to help them rewire their brains and remind them to be themselves, to help students create and find purposes in life, going beyond what has been established in every area they interact. Digitalizing classroom, then, should be just one of the many means that is suggested to be kept in mind when helping students create their own learning process in the 21st century. In other words, integrating current technology to learning strategies should be a teacher's excuse to not only guide them through their learning process and enhance it, but also to help students be better, to remind them to be humans and what does it means to be one.
Human touch will not ever be replaced; of course, AI's and learning platforms can actually enhance the way our students learn, but they do not provide the same contact and connection as teachers may. Pointing out problematics and issues, finding and constructing resources based on particular needs and many other cannot be done by machines just yet, they only offer a limited number of options that can be used as they are. When it comes to education, teachers are the ones that have to be able to facilitate in warm constructive ways the knowledge for students to learn. In spite of these considerations, it could be said that, when it comes to succesful language learners, teachers with a deep sense of vocation and the appropiate resources are a huge game-changer. Since many students today may seem not to be engaged in learning or they think that learning languages is a waste of their time, interactive resources and teachers with a deep sense of responsability towards human lives and human development are required in educational scene. Good teacher practices can be life changing; if a student thinks and feels that his or hers opinion and dilemmas are relevant, that their life matters, it can re-do the world for someone in need. When thinking fostering language learning practices it might be worth it to take into account what is being done in the classroom and what is happening outside.
Fostering critical thinking
Down below you will finde some access links to interviews to educators regarding their experience and strategies when addressing their students' needs.
The questions asked are attached herewith as well:
- Have you ever had to face students not being engaged with a class? Perhaps they were not especially interested with the topic at hand or the explanation itself. If so, what other ways of teaching have you developed to overcome such circumstances?
- Taking into account today's classroom challenges, which would you say are the most relevant and important skills modern language teachers have to develop?
- Could you share on of the most frustrating moments you have ever experienced as a language teacher?
- What didactic strategies do you use when addressing the particular needs of your students?