Expanding Roles of Teachers for the 21st Century
Expanding Roles of Teachers for the 21st Century
Rhea D’Souza, Assistant Teacher, Lilavatibai Podar Senior Secondary School.ISC, Mumbai
Introduction:
"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
—John F. Kennedy
Change is the inevitable reality that every generation has to come to terms with and the 21st century is no different. This change more often than not is dynamic, intrusive and urges us to action. A key characteristic of the 21st century, it is a time for man to continue to push his limits further. All spheres that affect man’s life today, business, technology, religion are in a state of flux and constantly evolving to the expectations of the 21st century. In this context the sphere that lays the very foundation of our skilled workforce – Education, seems to have been left behind. This paper examines the paradigm shifts that have occurred which have a direct bearing on Education and how those primarily involved with its execution – Teachers – need to be prepared for ever changing and evolving roles. These shifts have been examined primarily from an urban context and may not represent or be applicable to rural geographies. The paper provides a conceptual context for the types of roles that are evolving and are likely to be relevant.
Setting a Context:
In order to understand the impact a teacher has on the child in her care, we need to understand the key influencers in a child’s development. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory looks at a child’s development within the context of the system of relationships that form his or her environment. The systems outlined Microsystem (immediate environment in which the child is present – family, school or neighbourhood), Mesosystem (links between any two microsystems), Exosystem (larger social system in which the child does not function directly), Macrosystem (outermost layer in the child’s environment – cultural values, laws, beliefs) and
Rhea D’Souza, Assistant Teacher, Lilavatibai Podar Senior Secondary School.ISC, Mumbai
Introduction:
"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
—John F. Kennedy
Change is the inevitable reality that every generation has to come to terms with and the 21st century is no different. This change more often than not is dynamic, intrusive and urges us to action. A key characteristic of the 21st century, it is a time for man to continue to push his limits further. All spheres that affect man’s life today, business, technology, religion are in a state of flux and constantly evolving to the expectations of the 21st century. In this context the sphere that lays the very foundation of our skilled workforce – Education, seems to have been left behind. This paper examines the paradigm shifts that have occurred which have a direct bearing on Education and how those primarily involved with its execution – Teachers – need to be prepared for ever changing and evolving roles. These shifts have been examined primarily from an urban context and may not represent or be applicable to rural geographies. The paper provides a conceptual context for the types of roles that are evolving and are likely to be relevant.
Setting a Context:
In order to understand the impact a teacher has on the child in her care, we need to understand the key influencers in a child’s development. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory looks at a child’s development within the context of the system of relationships that form his or her environment. The systems outlined Microsystem (immediate environment in which the child is present – family, school or neighbourhood), Mesosystem (links between any two microsystems), Exosystem (larger social system in which the child does not function directly), Macrosystem (outermost layer in the child’s environment – cultural values, laws, beliefs) and
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