The world is full of free teacher resources. A three year old can easily turn aside from his chest of elaborate plastic toys and take up a length of rope. With this he might exercise his imagination by restraining imaginary monsters or working out some elementary rules of physics. The magic of teaching and learning is to know how to play and learn with the length of rope, a piece of string or a stick.
Lesson plans illustrate a different perspective on learning and teaching. Inspectors and professional peers like to see that a teacher is not just wandering aimlessly through classes but has a specific objective for every lesson. In this way learning proceeds in a well organized way with one concept after another being added to the stores of knowledge and skill that students need to demonstrate before graduating.
Some of the world's greatest teachers like Socrates and Jesus probably never sat down on a rock to draw up a lesson plan. The Socratic method proceeds in an apparent haphazard manner with a teacher taking his cues from the answers that he receives. Jesus seems to have made up his lessons extempore as he wandered through fields and up mountain sides. They might have failed to qualify as teachers and been denied certification.
In some education systems bureaucratic requirements actually prevent teaching. Giving feedback to students and interacting with them meaningfully may be pushed far down the list of priorities with form filling and staff meetings actually consuming the attention and energy of staff. Where educators are faced with this problem they may turn to the Internet for assistance. With a departmental plan in mind lesson plans may be quickly downloaded. Even if real teaching takes place subversively such plans can meet administrative requirements.
In the final decades of the twentieth century educational technology has provided opportunities for the complete transformation of education. In fact, so many resources have become available that education authorities have succumbed to what psychologists call displacement behavior. Faced with libraries that can be carried in a pocket and computers that can teach authorities still use tax payers' money to built old fashioned classrooms.
The traditional school library is deeply ensconced in educational tradition but is faced with the reality of a paperless society and the fact that the world's major libraries can be accessed from smart phones. Many people steeped in twentieth century education have great difficulty in adapting to the astonishing developments that have taken place. An irony of the times is that students are often more adept at handling the most recent educational resources than the teachers are.
Another irony of the twenty-first century educational scenario is that whilst some bits of educational paraphernalia have fallen into obsolescence some older principles and practices have come into their own again. For example, language laboratories and 'computer rooms' are expensive white elephants now that wireless connectivity is available through new technology.
Free teacher resources that are relevant and useful are available on education websites. In the Global village websites can find wide relevance. Although the wisdom and experience of teachers will never be replaced by software or hardware it is important that experienced pedagogues should complement what they have to offer by using the latest materials available even it it means getting students help in accessing them.
Lesson plans illustrate a different perspective on learning and teaching. Inspectors and professional peers like to see that a teacher is not just wandering aimlessly through classes but has a specific objective for every lesson. In this way learning proceeds in a well organized way with one concept after another being added to the stores of knowledge and skill that students need to demonstrate before graduating.
Some of the world's greatest teachers like Socrates and Jesus probably never sat down on a rock to draw up a lesson plan. The Socratic method proceeds in an apparent haphazard manner with a teacher taking his cues from the answers that he receives. Jesus seems to have made up his lessons extempore as he wandered through fields and up mountain sides. They might have failed to qualify as teachers and been denied certification.
In some education systems bureaucratic requirements actually prevent teaching. Giving feedback to students and interacting with them meaningfully may be pushed far down the list of priorities with form filling and staff meetings actually consuming the attention and energy of staff. Where educators are faced with this problem they may turn to the Internet for assistance. With a departmental plan in mind lesson plans may be quickly downloaded. Even if real teaching takes place subversively such plans can meet administrative requirements.
In the final decades of the twentieth century educational technology has provided opportunities for the complete transformation of education. In fact, so many resources have become available that education authorities have succumbed to what psychologists call displacement behavior. Faced with libraries that can be carried in a pocket and computers that can teach authorities still use tax payers' money to built old fashioned classrooms.
The traditional school library is deeply ensconced in educational tradition but is faced with the reality of a paperless society and the fact that the world's major libraries can be accessed from smart phones. Many people steeped in twentieth century education have great difficulty in adapting to the astonishing developments that have taken place. An irony of the times is that students are often more adept at handling the most recent educational resources than the teachers are.
Another irony of the twenty-first century educational scenario is that whilst some bits of educational paraphernalia have fallen into obsolescence some older principles and practices have come into their own again. For example, language laboratories and 'computer rooms' are expensive white elephants now that wireless connectivity is available through new technology.
Free teacher resources that are relevant and useful are available on education websites. In the Global village websites can find wide relevance. Although the wisdom and experience of teachers will never be replaced by software or hardware it is important that experienced pedagogues should complement what they have to offer by using the latest materials available even it it means getting students help in accessing them.
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