Defining Educational Innovation
When we listen, the Word innovation many people think about computers, internet and many others technology devises, but this way of thinking is not totally wrong, if we are talking about innovation it is a little bite wider: According to Merriam Webster, it's defined as: 1) the introduction of something new, 2) a new idea, method, or device: novelty .
So as a result of that, as English teachers we need to take into account this important issue. In order to be clear that educational innovation is not give a class with the most modern equipment or using the most expensive technology devises, it is not so. It is very simple, when the professor introduce a new idea or even method in order to innovate we are applying educational innovation with the purpose of avoid the monotonous class, that provokes better result in the academy purposes.
There is one important point that called me my attention; it is when the abstract refers to the following question, why does a new textbook succeed in the public education system of one country while identical materials fail in another? We need to take into account some factors such as economic, political, and cultural aspect, but the most important issue that I consider in order to get the successful or fail any course, it is the way the textbook is going to be taught. It could be the best textbook with the best strategies, wonderful activities, tested in the best University or Collage, but if the instructor does not apply well or even apply in a monotonous way, the best textbook does not work.
So, this is part of the innovation, the way of any professor teach has to be innovated in order to get better results in the learning process. For instance two professors are using the same textbook, teacher “A”, uses it in a normal way, he does not complicated, apply monotonous activities, teacher “B” uses it applying innovated activities, new strategies, make the students to be motivated, as a result of that, the first teacher does not get enough results, but the second one get the best results. So, that means innovation is extremely important especially when we are talking about Education, we as educators must be innovated as much as possible. For me innovation means get successful. That´s why new textbooks do not work at the same manner, the difference between one teacher and other it´s very simple, it is the way of teaching, the way professors apply innovation.
Another issue discussing in the abstract refers to the teacher´s optimism, I totally agree when it said that nowadays educators are less optimistic. Many years ago teachers were more optimistic, enthusiastic and of course very motivated, they knew very well the word vocation. But why professors are less optimistic there are some factors in consideration, for example lack of committed, lack of motivation and the methodology used. If we analyze those situations, a teacher without committed, or without motivation, become into bored teacher and even lazy teacher, provoking a series of consequences in the Teaching-learning process, due to this situation students are going to get the worse part, because the negative effect of the teacher, is going to act in the academicals results on his or hers students, that´s why optimism and enthusiasm needs to be part of the Teaching-Learning process.
Nowadays competitiveness is really hard, that means that many “teachers” are looking for a job, some of those teachers are looking for just a salary, and not a profession. In this job need to be committed, motivated and something very important have a vocation; with those aspects his or her teaching process is going to become excellent.
The idea in the process syllabus, has a good direction innovated through a problem solving model change, students need to interact in real situations by thinking critically, learn by doing that´s one of the most important goal, the idea of this purpose is that our students create their own solutions to the problematic presented in the society . There is one aspect that I disagree with; it said that the content, materials, methodology and assessment are negotiated between the instructor and learners; with this methodology we have advantages and disadvantages. If we talk about the benefits we have students get more confident, less shy, less complications, because they negotiated the way they want to be taught, with so, students become more comfortable, I am not saying that negotiated some points of the contents, materials and even the methodology is bad or terrible, but negotiated the whole course, for me it does not work. Discussing the negative effect, if the learners select what they want, it could be possible that reject some contents that are important, in this case students share the authority with the professor by adding or deleting information in the program or syllabus.
In order to conclude, Educational innovation must be apply every single day in the Teaching-Learning Process, educators need to be updated in their subject matter, using different activities, strategies, methods, approaches, with the purpose of benefit the students, innovation is part of our profession.
By the way there are plenty of textbooks; technology devises that are suppose the best, for study purpose, getting them is not necessarily get the best method in order to learn the one hundred percent, if the teacher or instructor does not apply efficiently.
If we want to get excellent results we must innovate our class, which means try to eliminate bored and monotonous classes, by introducing fresh ideas, creating a good environment, all of this, is with the purpose of get our students motivated and enthusiastic for the subject matter.
References.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovation
No comments:
Post a Comment