Teachers of the Early Generations vs Teachers of the 21st Century
TEACHERS OF YESTERYEARS
Disseminate information through lectures
Require students to memorize contents from
textbooks
Make use of text and workbooks as their
reference.
Give assessment through written
examinations
Focus on their responsibility and relationship
with the students as recipients knowledge
Followers of policies prescribes by the school
Use lecture as teaching methods
Deliver the same lessons every year
Too focused on self-achievement
Target to finish the lesson within the period
Autocratic in which teachers are in control of
everything in all events of the classroom
Holder of knowledge/ Gatekeeper of
information
Technology illiterate
.
TEACHERS OF 21st Century
Allow student to solve-real world problems
Allow student to construct their own
understanding of the subject-matter
Make use manipulate materials; makes use of
multitude of prints and electronic sources
Give performance-based assessments
(Performance tasks)
Widen their responsibility and their
relationship whit colleagues, community, and
other stakeholders in acquiring clear and
obtainable standards for knowledge, skills,
and values that students are expected to
acquire
Participate in the decision-making in schools
Use variety of teaching methods appropriate
in the student’s learning
Spend time in researching to update his/her
knowledge of the subject matter
Mentor new teachers
Target the learners to be ready in the
challenges of today’s learning
Democratic in which teachers allow students
to take responsibility in their learning
Foster learner autonomy where students also
learn to take responsibility in their learning
Facilitator of learning
Technology or digital literate
Teachers of the 21st Century do not merely transfer knowledge to the students. More than
teaching the subject matter, they teach students how to learn how to live life. Teachers of the
21st century are:
Channel – Teachers serves as a channel in connecting the curriculum, software, hardware, and
dynamics of teaching in their instruction
Communicator – This does not only refer to having a good language in communicating
knowledge to the students, but being a teacher who can communicate with their students
anytime and anywhere with the use of the tools and technologies.
Learners – Teacher never cease I learning new knowledge. When teachers want their students
to beyond the usual and learn to face the challenges of education, they themselves should be
lifelong learners for them to be able to extend their knowledge and skills to their students.
Learning the technologies of today will give the teachers a big leap in the advances of today and
tomorrow’s teaching and learning
Futurist – Teachers are futurist not only on what they want their students to achieve at the end
of the lesson, but on how they will deliver the lesson with the use of emerging tools and other
wen technologies that will help the learners understand the lessons better
Leader – Teachers are leaders in their own way by leading their students to the proper and
appropriate use of learning materials including technologies
Exemplar – Teachers are models when it comes to behaviour, language, dealings with
colleagues and students, use of facilities, and others. They are likewise models not only in what
they teach but according to what they practice, even with the use of technologies- social media
networks and blogs by avoiding the use of technologies in education.
Collaborator - Collaborators not only inside the classroom, but also in space. Teachers
therefore, must pull up their collaborative tools to be able to continue to share and contribute
their knowledge to the learners.
Venture Player – Teachers are venture players in taking chances to apply new knowledge, skills,
practices, and technologies especially if these will level up the student’s understanding and
learning. Students could be more advanced that the teachers when it comes to new
technologies and applications. This is where teachers would take risk in learning these new
technologies and become technology savvies that would contribute much in their teaching and
student learnings.

STUDENTS OF THE EARLY GENERATIONS VS STUDENTS OF 21ST CENTURY

Students of Yesteryears Students of 21st Century
Receiver of facts and information Active creators of knowledge
Learning is based on repetition Interactive knowledge constructor
Textbooks user Internet users to access a vast of information
Passive recipients of information Actively engaged in class activities
Competitive learners Collaborative learners
Factual thinkers Reflective, critical, and creative thinkers
Unilateral thinkers Divergent thinkers
Inactive process of learning Dynamic process of learning
Dependent learners Self-managing learners
Single Taskers Multitaskers
Single sensory input provider Multi sensory input provider

INSTRUCTIONS IN THE EARLY GENERATIONS VS INSTRUCTIONS IN THE 21ST

CENTURY
Lectures – is an effective mode of instruction but may not be as effective as other pedagogies
which would make teaching and learning more interesting, engaging, and would absolutely give
students quality education and authentic learning, These are some of the useful and effective
teaching methods and strategies

• Interactive Lecture
• Case-based learning
• Problem-based learning
• Project-based learning
• Simulation
• Role play
• Experiential learning
• Laboratory work
• Field work
• Peer tutoring
• PISER (Peer Instruction and Student Electronic Response)

Traditional Learning Environment New Learning Environment

Teacher-centered instruction Student-centered learning
Single-sense stimulation Multisensory stimulation
Single-path progression Multipath progression
Isolated work Collaborative work
Information delivery Information exchange
Passive learning Active/exploratory/inquiry-based learning
Factual, knowledge-based learning Critical thinking and informed decision making
Reactive response Proactive/planned action
Isolated, artificial context Authentic, real world context
THE 21st CENTURY SKILLS

Making education of quality does not focus alone on the cognitive aspect of learning.
Incorporating the non-academic skills is likewise vital in the teaching – learning process.
These skills are described as the ‘transversal skills’ which encompass the 21 st century skills,
soft- skills, generic skills and non-cognitive skills –values and attitudes, including
collaboration, self – discipline, resourcefulness and respect for the environment
[UNESCO’s Asia Pacific Education Research Institutes Network (ERI-NET), 2013). According
to ERI-NET 2013, these are competencies required for learners’ holistic development and
for learners to become capable of adapting to change.

In today’s world, companies and industries are looking for employees who are not
just cognitive achiever but more so who are skilfully competent in making the economy
better and stronger. This would be achievable if schools and teachers will improve their
education and teaching the 21st century skills.

According to Partnership for 21st Century Skills Organization, the following 21st
century skills are relevant to the student’s professional growth to be effective,
professionals, citizen, and leaders of the future.

1.Learning and Innovation Skills: Communicaton and collaboration, critical thinking and
problem solving, creativity and innovaton.

2. Life and Career Skills: Leadership and responsibility, productivity and accountability,
social and cross-cultural skills, initiative and selef-direction, flexibility and adaptability.

3. Information, Media, and Technology Skills: Media literacy; information literacy;

information and communication technology (ICT) literacy.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has suggested six (6) key elements for fostering
21st century learning:

1. Emphasize core subjects. The focus of core subject is beyond basic competency
(reading, writing, arithmetic); this is more on understanding the core academic content to
higher level ( English, Reading or Language Arts, World Languages, Arts, Mathematics,
Economics, Science, Geography, History, Government and Civics).

2. Emphasize Learning Skills. Learning skills are not limited to what is being learned in
school but also learning persistently throughout their lives, most especially in learning
information and communication skills, thinking and problem-solving skills, and
interpersonal and self-directional skills.

3. Use 21st century tools to develop learning skills. Students need to learn and be
proficient in the use of information and communication technology and communication
technology (ICT) tools to access, relate, manage, evaluate, and construct new knowledge
or information; and likewise with the 21st century tools, the learners should be able to
communicate and participate not only in the classroom but more so in the community
and society.

4. Teach and learn 21st century context. When students are more engaged in the lesson
and the lesson are more relevant in their daily living, students then will understand better
the lesson and can truly say that they learn.

5. Teach and learn 21st century content. Including in the curriculum and teaching
extensively the significant content areas like in global awareness, financial economic and
business literacy; and civic literacy would help the students to be more competitive not
only locally but also globally.

6. Used 21st century assessment that means 21st century skills. Improving and going
beyond the standardized tests will give students quality learning. Teachers must give
assessment that would measure students’ creativity and skills that could be applied in
real-life situation.