Nextgeners: Pedagogical Considerations
by Bryant Griffith /
2016 / English / PDF
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NextGeners bring vibrant life experiences, risk taking, and creativity into the classroom. They demand to be included in the 'why' and 'how' of learning. Teachers bring a love of learning, empathy, content and theoretical perspective that serves as a setting for how the classroom should operate. This book addresses two concerns arising from this dichotomy. First, teachers may have a theoretical perspective but not explicitly embedded in practice. This needs to change. The author argues that NextGeners understand personalized viewpoints but often miss that teaching and learning are grounded in a process of historical interactions. Second, NextGeners are social beings living in and defined by social media and the web. We must invite both to share how to construct shared understanding and build a learning community that makes sense in our emerging paradigm.
This is about self-knowledge as well as knowing others, and for me the two are interconnected on many levels. The acts of knowing are also the fabric of learning and teaching, and teaching is an act of many parts. I argue that if you are approaching a career in education at any level from the primary perspective of imparting knowledge and being the subject matter expert, you have one part of the puzzle. Another perspective is to see your role as a caring, loving person who interacts with and guides students as they set the pace of learning.
