How can teacher upskill and retain to remain relevant and upgrade
TEACHERS not only need to keep up with the changes and transformations, but also must unravel and repackage knowledge, skills, pedagogies and learning outcomes to stay relevant and connected to the future.
No teacher wants to be labeled -“outdated” or “obsolete”. The moment teachers become outdated they cease to stay relevant and fail to connect with their students. Teachers who are outdated start feeling that they are unwanted and unfit to be teachers.
The realities of education is being shaped by advances in technology, the digital and digitised education not only required students, teachers and stakeholders to be technology savvy but also, be able to operate using different modes of thinking and doing.
Charles Darwin famously stated: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” In today’s world of relentless change, I am tempted to paraphrase him to say: it is not the most qualified of the species that will survive, nor the most skilled. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
“There are many different models out there. Scotland’s teaching council, for example, does a review of CPD every five years. You learn throughout those five years and then present your evidence of learning at the end of that period.
“The hallmark of any profession is you have to show you have been learning and upskilling yourself in order to maintain your licence to practice, or teach in this case.”
“Teachers can do this by using varied, effective strategies to instruct diverse learners, using tests and other information on students' performance in instructional planning, and focusing on literacy and numeracy development. We have seen many examples of how teachers have made an impact on the lives of their students.
1. Sharpen your existing skills
Mode 1: is about refreshing and enhancing your core skills. Do what you can to make them better and faster. Stay abreast with new developments within your field. Test your knowledge beyond what your daily humdrum requires. Be prepared for the rainy day when you get a chance to showcase your best. This is your sweet spot; ensuring that it is sharp enough to be your competitive advantage in a dynamic work environment is a first step. This will ensure your value and relevance today.
2. Expand your knowledge
Mode 2: is about learning adjacent skills. This could be a horizontal or vertical movement. It displays an alert and curious mind, an approach to learning that is in itself is a skill in high demand today. Use any opportunity you get to upskill. Take courses, enrol for certifications, leverage free online learning modules. By gaining skills that are growing in demand, you place yourself in a strong position to accelerate your growth by having the skills to quickly take advantage of new career opportunities.
3. Future-proof your career
Mode 3: is about discerning changes coming up in the work environment. It might be a good idea to understand where you stand along the half-life of your skill sets and assess your depreciated value. Take a hard look for a reality check, and then chart out a long-term roadmap. You will find that this might not be a solo effort. It could require collaboration, co-innovation and learning to work within ecosystems.
While organizations must invest in providing the required training opportunities, the key to success lies with the individual today.
Exploring a world where careers span 60 years, even as the half-life of learned skills continues to fall to only about five years, it points out, “In the past, employees learned to gain skills for a career; now, the career itself is a journey of learning.”
This is the world we live in today, an inescapable reality.
Here are some more ideas for teacher to enhance their supplementary skills:
1. Enhance your computer literacy and proficiency in using technology for academic purposes.
2. Learn to integrate technology into your teaching- Videos and PowerPoint presentations etc.
3. Have your presence on social media- Twitter/Facebook etc.
4. Become part of a professional group and be aware of the trends in your field. Let your mission statement include these two terms: re-skilling and up-skilling.
These skills that cannot be digitized and automated are becoming increasingly valuable in the workplace – fortunately, many of our great teachers are already focusing on the development of these very skills, such as communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving, and showing empathy to others. These skills can indeed be developed and enhanced by using technology in our classrooms, if we are very careful about how it is done. Without this care, these very same skills can be crushed – just like when you hit your thumb with a hammer!
No teacher wants to be labeled -“outdated” or “obsolete”. The moment teachers become outdated they cease to stay relevant and fail to connect with their students. Teachers who are outdated start feeling that they are unwanted and unfit to be teachers.
The realities of education is being shaped by advances in technology, the digital and digitised education not only required students, teachers and stakeholders to be technology savvy but also, be able to operate using different modes of thinking and doing.
Charles Darwin famously stated: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” In today’s world of relentless change, I am tempted to paraphrase him to say: it is not the most qualified of the species that will survive, nor the most skilled. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
“There are many different models out there. Scotland’s teaching council, for example, does a review of CPD every five years. You learn throughout those five years and then present your evidence of learning at the end of that period.
“The hallmark of any profession is you have to show you have been learning and upskilling yourself in order to maintain your licence to practice, or teach in this case.”
“Teachers can do this by using varied, effective strategies to instruct diverse learners, using tests and other information on students' performance in instructional planning, and focusing on literacy and numeracy development. We have seen many examples of how teachers have made an impact on the lives of their students.
1. Sharpen your existing skills
Mode 1: is about refreshing and enhancing your core skills. Do what you can to make them better and faster. Stay abreast with new developments within your field. Test your knowledge beyond what your daily humdrum requires. Be prepared for the rainy day when you get a chance to showcase your best. This is your sweet spot; ensuring that it is sharp enough to be your competitive advantage in a dynamic work environment is a first step. This will ensure your value and relevance today.
2. Expand your knowledge
Mode 2: is about learning adjacent skills. This could be a horizontal or vertical movement. It displays an alert and curious mind, an approach to learning that is in itself is a skill in high demand today. Use any opportunity you get to upskill. Take courses, enrol for certifications, leverage free online learning modules. By gaining skills that are growing in demand, you place yourself in a strong position to accelerate your growth by having the skills to quickly take advantage of new career opportunities.
3. Future-proof your career
Mode 3: is about discerning changes coming up in the work environment. It might be a good idea to understand where you stand along the half-life of your skill sets and assess your depreciated value. Take a hard look for a reality check, and then chart out a long-term roadmap. You will find that this might not be a solo effort. It could require collaboration, co-innovation and learning to work within ecosystems.
While organizations must invest in providing the required training opportunities, the key to success lies with the individual today.
Exploring a world where careers span 60 years, even as the half-life of learned skills continues to fall to only about five years, it points out, “In the past, employees learned to gain skills for a career; now, the career itself is a journey of learning.”
This is the world we live in today, an inescapable reality.
Here are some more ideas for teacher to enhance their supplementary skills:
1. Enhance your computer literacy and proficiency in using technology for academic purposes.
2. Learn to integrate technology into your teaching- Videos and PowerPoint presentations etc.
3. Have your presence on social media- Twitter/Facebook etc.
4. Become part of a professional group and be aware of the trends in your field. Let your mission statement include these two terms: re-skilling and up-skilling.
These skills that cannot be digitized and automated are becoming increasingly valuable in the workplace – fortunately, many of our great teachers are already focusing on the development of these very skills, such as communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving, and showing empathy to others. These skills can indeed be developed and enhanced by using technology in our classrooms, if we are very careful about how it is done. Without this care, these very same skills can be crushed – just like when you hit your thumb with a hammer!
Articles
PPT's
Videos
|
|
|
|