Preparing Students for Future

Future is uncertain and unpredictable and as said by one of the futurists, Ray Kurzweil, “we won’t experience 100 years of progress in 21^st century – it will be more like 20,000 years of progress at today’s rate”, imagine the amount of input needed by teachers and the students to mentally prepare themselves for such a big leap. Teaching has always been synonymous to making a child literate but in the present scenario, we prefer not only making them literate but also making them aware. The ongoing significant changes from being just learners to being the decision makers about what to learn and how to learn will herald the education world. It would be taken by storm and unsurmountable changes and unthinkable situations would be dealt with. World Economic Forum strictly highlights the staggering gap between what people learn and what they actually need.

The solution to this unseen blizzard would be opening our arms to it and welcoming the changes. Becoming what is expected and giving the unexpected would be the tagline for the future. The 4 C’s would play a pivotal role in determining their future. They are Collaboration and Teamwork, Creativity and Imagination, Communication and Critical Thinking. Some key features to be kept in mind when preparing our resources for the unseen are:

1.     Today the students resonate with the fact of being smart and technically sound as compared to the teachers teaching them. Make use of this capacity.

2.     The teacher-student concept is rapidly vanishing. With the coming of new age technology and most modern apps the student feels sound to sit back at home and facilitate himself/herself, so where does a teacher stand? The role may be mitigated however the revival is thereby facilitating them in understanding the concept, by putting it in action, by involving them not only as listeners but as grown-ups having their own mind to question. The more the questions, the merrier.

3.     Spiking their curiosity, their inquisitiveness, and imagination by current issues, more of a practical approach.

4.     As teachers, parents and even as a human, we notice that patience in today’s world is dwindling. We are ready to fight for the smallest or the prettiest of issues. Teaching them about Failure has become a necessity. They may or may not see Success but Failure is something that we experience at some or the other point of time. Instilling in them the values that Failure would allow them to perform the same task in a better way, it will allow them to overcome the defects and lead them to the path of success.

5.     Rather than thinking of problem cropping they have to think of the solutions popping.

6.     The focus of teachers should now move from testing the students to placing them on the trajectory of employability.

7.     Respecting their individuality. Every child is a hub of talent. Explore it.

As individuals belonging to the 21^st century, we are in a state of utter confusion about our youngsters. Working on assumptions or hit and trial methods we try to pull off the success rate in our children. Because one child was brought up well in certain condition we try to put everyone in the same mold. However, we forget to understand that if God has made us so different from each other, he must have definitely thought of us to be brought differently. We just have to apply our brains to understand them.