Growing up, I observed teachers all around me and couldn’t help but notice that all their creativity and innovation eventually led back to the textbook. As students, everything boiled down to the notebook and how we reproduced their content in our exams. Creativity and innovation were regarded with suspicion and choices were very limited.
Fortunately for teachers, that has changed in the last two decades. Teachers today have so much choice vis-a-vis teaching methods. Contemporary teaching practices enable teachers to experiment and ensure that all the students learn and engage with the curriculum. Learning differences have been accepted and teachers are encouraged to break free of the textbook, challenge traditional classroom models and innovate.
The introduction of Internet in classrooms was the first step towards this positive change. A change that has been completed with the introduction of tablets and smart phones in classrooms. If used well, tablets and smart phones are so much more than simple gadgets. They are research tools that enable easy access to knowledge and also an efficient tool for collaboration.
The wide variety of applications available on the Web today have opened a vast arena of possibilities for teachers. All we have to do is choose and implement wisely to ensure effective learning. Add to this the power of social media which provides a backchannel for timid students to reach out to teachers and classmates with their problems and provides an ideal platform for debates, leading to a more engaged class.
The biggest advantage that teachers have today though are not the tools or applications. It’s the freedom of choice. The freedom to go beyond the textbook and flip the classroom, creating an ideal atmosphere for learning. The more a teacher innovates, the better the students learn reinforcing the teacher’s motivation and setting into motion a cycle of mutual growth and learning.
With all this a teacher need no longer rein in her creativity. As I said, it’s a good time to be a teacher.
PlainGeets 
A very ‘correct’ & factual piece Geets…if i may add my two-bits, i wish you’d put more of yourself out there, into this particular piece of writing..since you ARE a teacher. Would’ve snippets from your own (however brief) life as a language teacher, and how the access you have to all the modern tools of teaching in today’s world have assisted you in so many different ways. Your own innovations (given free rein) have gone a long way in moulding your methods, in a manner of speaking, and how much you enjoy this métier…do add more, i know you have lots more to add hereupon, oui? I started out by enjoying the title…nice. 🙂
Hehe funny how Ami and you said the same thing. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include my experiences – felt that the post would become too long. But with your feedback, perhaps now I will write a second part to this post. 🙂 Merci Kay!
Good girl! Go on then…..look forward to hearing more from your ‘pen’ and your ideas-filled mind….:)
Coming up in a few days Madame! 😉
Yes,technology has improved our professional and personal lives to a great extent…it’s adorable. If it would interest you,I have some posts on my blog on teaching and technology:
theblogofpriya.wordpress.com