The paradigm shift in education

It is absurd to think that after the incredible technological advances that have occurred in the last two decades, there is any sector of society that could be “contaminated” by its effect. In many cases, the truth is that Technology advances faster than our ability to update. Although this is not the case with the new generations. These have already grown up with a bottle in one hand and a tablet in the other.

It is not that some sectors that are more or less interested in change are making it possible. It is our children and young people who bring that change with them. It is their way of understanding and relating to the world that has already changed. An educational system that does not advance at the same pace and is in line with this artificial, but real, environment can cause them to lose valuable time that they will no longer be able to recover.

What is the paradigm shift in education?

Mainly in that The traditional linear system of education no longer has a place in our schemes. We have spent several years sensing that changes were coming, but they did not materialize. The teachers, the parents and the children themselves have been blamed. The school dropout rate is very high. Our children get bored in class (someone may think that this has always been the case, which does not mean that it has to continue being that way).

It is not a question of small adjustments or adding to what has been built. We are talking about a profound change in educational institutions. Changes in the media used, in the way content is delivered and in the way it is acquired.

Also a change in the values ​​of which we are a model. A change in the ways of acquiring skills. This was not a priority in the traditional educational system. However, Our youth They are going to need it in their adult lives.

Linear Education vs. Horizontal Education

Our children learn more today on the Internet and with their friends than in the classrooms themselves. The teacher no longer has the information. The information is on many screens, in many portals. The kids know how to look for it, when they are interested they no longer have to wait for someone to teach them. We will probably see an important change in the figure of the teacher in the coming years. Today’s students require tutors who guide them, not provide knowledge that they already have within their reach.

Linear education is based on a transmission of information totally disconnected from emotional meaning. This type of education presupposes that the child is ignorant and must be completed. It emphasizes the difference between teacher and student. There is no dialogue, there is no creativity. Learning is volatile, the student is passive.

The new horizontal education trends propose that the student be the one who seeks knowledge. It defends that the student is capable of thinking and that learning from experience is vital. The teacher has to focus more on skills than on content and know how to solve learning situations.

Emotions and motivation

What we already sensed a long time ago has been proven to be a reality. Positively valenced emotions improve our understanding and memory, while motivating learning. Emotions promote learning because they reinforce synaptic connections and the activity of our neural networks.

In this sense, neuroeducation is a valuable tool that will facilitate the work of teachers when developing the personal skills and aptitudes of their students and thus facilitate the learning process. That they know how the brain works and the relationship it has with the behavior and learning rate of children.

Furthermore, it is very positive that teachers know how a brain learns, how it controls emotions or processes information. The time of designing a class based on a textbook is passing into history.

Facing the challenges of the 21st century

There is a significant deficit of professional profiles that meet the needs of today’s companies. Our work environment has changed significantly. Our old educational system is based on the industrial revolution and its labor needs.. We can no longer train our young people in this way because the job market needs hands with different skills. More than repeating, it is about innovating with intelligence.

Creativity, teamwork, conflict resolution, critical thinking, leadership and innovation capabilities are skills that companies look for on resumes. Thus, what you have studied is important, but how you present yourself and what you are capable of doing is even more important. It is the only way that will allow them face their future work reality.

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