Adapting to the Modern Classroom
Website Editor • February 26, 2020
Parents need to adapt their understanding of the modern classroom
Times are changing and so are the ways children learn. It is easy to see that in our digital world traditional textbooks and classes are not keeping children engaged anymore. They get bored and lose interest in paying attention to what is happening inside the classroom. Children are always attracted by new things; in this case technological breakthroughs, and are more than willing to learn when they are stimulated. So, in a world where the child is surrounded by technology and digital media, it is somewhat unnatural to expect them to still want to learn in the old ways. Therefore, parents should be prepared to understand how the modern classroom functions, in order to provide the best support to their children.

The modern classroom is adapting to reflect the way things are changing in the wider world, but also from a desire to make school and education better for future generations. Our children are brighter and smarter and feel the need to be challenged in order to learn, and appropriate technology can make all of this happen. When used correctly, technology can contribute to the development of well-prepared young adults who have everything they need to embrace life and their future careers in the best prepared way.
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The United Nations has described the disruption to education caused by the pandemic as ‘unparalleled’. At the virus’ worldwide peak in April, it is estimated that over 90% of all enrolled learners, from kindergarten to bachelors and beyond, had their education affected by school closures and the pandemic (UNESCO). For many university students and older children, they have had to adapt quickly to online learning. They can keep in touch with their peers and teachers online and continue their studies, albeit in a highly modified way. As challenging as this may be, this experience will help equip them for a future that is increasingly online. For parents of younger children, they are assuming a new role: their child’s home school teacher. This is in addition to their usual childcare and household duties, their work responsibilities and often emotional and financial worries caused by the pandemic. Stressful? Yes. The good, and somewhat surprising, news? The experts advise that you don’t teach your children - at least not in the way you might expect.
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