Starting with 21st Century Teaching

The face of education has changed dramatically over the past years. Teachers are working hard to equip children with the skills needed for success in the 21st century world. In addition teachers must foster learning environments that encourage critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, communication and responsibility. Early childhood teachers prepare kids for the boundless future ahead. Today's kids are born in the age of the Internet. To connect with these kids, teachers must learn to speak their language and become conversant with the technology that comes so naturally to the young. Integrating technology means tapping into interests and providing enriching learning opportunities. Teachers need to keep up with the latest fashion, as well as meaningful reflection about how to use them to enhance learning. Teachers stress the importance of many innovative tools that can enhance student learning. Teachers can further facilitate goal setting through the use of organizers, anchor charts and of personal charts for early learners towards reading and writing.

Effective teachers are increasingly using a student centered approach encouraging interaction among the students themselves. The teacher allows children to discuss class materials with buddies or in groups, thus maximizing the level of participation. Teachers turn classrooms into lively scenes of movement, a variety of activity sheets are useful for cooperative learning.

Naturally, this approach asks more from the teacher. It can be easy to blend math, science, or social studies content with reading or writing. However, it is more challenging to combine all the subjects at once. Allowing children to select activities based on areas of interest is another great way to differentiate. Offering choices is an excellent motivator for kids. In contrast to the traditional teaching of subjects in isolation, teaching multiple subjects simultaneously can help students go much deeper in learning concepts and skills. Project based learning involves children carrying out a project that ends up with a concrete result of some kind. Problem based learning asks the teacher to guide children in developing solutions to real-world problems. In inquiry-based learning, children generate their own questions according to their curiosities or interests, which they then investigate. These methods work so well because teachers don't simply tell students what they should know, but instead they engage children in exploring and uncovering the information in a more meaningful way in which all the subjects come into play together. Assessment for Learning, or Formative Assessment, is a data-gathering process used by teachers to help them customize instruction to match students' students who have not fully grasped the previous content yet. To prevent this problem, teachers can monitor how the children are learning as they teach, using observations, class discussions, exit tickets, learning logs, peer assessments, self-assessments, and slate work, among other methods. Teachers can gauge the progress of individuals, groups, or the whole class, and they can adjust the process by supporting or challenging students as needed. Early childhood teachers training support learning by providing activities and materials which have important role in the class room.

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