{"id":747,"date":"2016-08-12T18:44:07","date_gmt":"2016-08-12T18:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.studypug.com\/blog\/?p=747"},"modified":"2024-08-08T23:25:36","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T23:25:36","slug":"why-teachers-arent-utilizing-tech-in-the-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.studypug.com\/why-teachers-arent-utilizing-tech-in-the-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"The 21st Century Classroom: Technology in Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"

Educational Alternatives: The 21st Century Classroom<\/span><\/h2>\n

For most people, education means the classroom environment<\/a> with a teacher up front with a chalkboard and the students sitting in rows to listen to lectures and jot down notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

This style of learning was formed over centuries of trial and refinement, from the Ancient Greeks to the Industrial Revolution and all the way to modern times.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s now facing another sea change with the advent of online technology and the new ways that people can learn in the 21st century classroom. Welcome to a new world of alternative education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"classroom\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Examples of Unconventional Learning<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are some current examples that have been shaking things up for the rest of the world. For instance, <\/span>Finland is now known for an educational system that would make conservatives\u2019 eyes twitch<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her Scandinavian neighbors are all known for their own high educational standards, but Finland\u2019s is rather even more unorthodox in comparison. For one thing, Finnish students rarely get exams or homework.<\/span><\/p>\n

They also don\u2019t start school until they\u2019re 7, and their first six years of education are not graded; their only mandatory standardized exam is taken at age 16.<\/span><\/p>\n

Students are not segregated between those who perform very well and those who don\u2019t perform as well; they\u2019re all taught in the same classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Also, teachers in Finland only spend 4 hours a day in the classroom and take 2 hours a week for \u201cprofessional development\u201d. There are also more teachers per student available compared to the rest of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are some forms of education alternatives that are different from the traditional sense of education that we are used to. Many of these are ideas that others would view as counterproductive to learning, but they\u2019ve proven to be great for keeping students engaged in learning. Finland has the highest graduation rate among all European countries and the smallest gap in student performance in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

This means that more citizens in Finland are \u201cproperly educated\u201d compared to the rest of the world, making them an envy of educators everywhere else. It seems that there is some sort of value in studying alternative education programs implemented in these regions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s a novel form of teaching that is now used in 15,000 schools and taught to around 5 million students. Some may think it\u2019s rather silly, but its wide implementation shows how well it works. It\u2019s known as <\/span>Flocabulary<\/span><\/a>, a rather unconventional way to teach vocabulary and United States history that was inspired by hip-hop music.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was founded in 2004 and has since become one of the great ways to keep students engaged while learning proper English vocabulary and pronunciation. While it may seem silly for traditionalists, it has proven its effectiveness. <\/span><\/p>\n

Education Systems and Concepts Prior to the 21st Century<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s look into the <\/span>more established ways of education and schooling<\/span><\/a> that has been the standard for a very long time. There\u2019s Montessori education and the Socratic method, two schools of thought in education that have stood the test of time and proven to be great foundations for facilitating teaching and learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also <\/span>homeschooling<\/span><\/a>, which <\/span>has yielded some of the most brilliant minds throughout history<\/span><\/a> \u2013 as well as its evolution that\u2019s also worth noting: <\/span>\u201cHackschooling\u201d<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also unschooling, which many would view as counterproductive but has come up with great results as the learner gets to choose what he\/she wants to learn instead of being subjected to mandatory education. So what other educational alternatives are there?<\/span><\/p>\n