21st Century Schools, 21st Century Teachers

21st century, schools, teachers, educators, education systems... There words were just stuck on my head for the past few days. It was almost as unavoidable as the fact that technology has literally changed our world! Every child in schools know about computers, going on Internet for their favorite online games... Teachers are using different technological tools to keep up with this trend and make lessons easier to engage in. As educators in 21st century, they have to absorb and learn everything new in order to be updated with their knowledge bank. Because they are, after all, what our future generation is looking up to. The blog about the schools and teachers in 21st century had given me too many thoughts of roles that teachers are carrying on their shoulders now. Simply teaching from what are printed on the textbooks are not enough,  they have to integrate the book knowledge with activities that students can gain experience with... That is not an easy task right now. An eligible fun experience, in today's students' standard, has to do with technology. How about some web-surfing on historical figures? Or take some pictures with a digital cameras for science projects? Students go very excited over those. But it is the spirit of learning and having fun that teachers wouldn't want the students to miss out. 

I remember when I first used computer in schools back in 3rd grade, it was even more exciting than going to recesses! Sitting in the bright, spacey room with the A/C on, each of us had a brand new computer sitting on our desks. I learnt how to set up my first email account, use the brush function on Paint.. Of course, these are no longer difficult to the 3rd graders today. Yet looking at the students' excitements and poor restrain from standing up when the teacher pulled out the document camera, it was like looking back at my old self who wouldn't stop admiring myself for being the brilliant artist.. on Paint. Technology is like an invisible textbook that has to be stored in every educator's mind, and the knowledge shall be passed on, and enriched with different things through the future years.