Conceptual understanding: Role of Teachers with new technological gadgets
By: Mohammad Eqbal
Each profession occupies a paramount importance and specific niche in society – Doctors, Engineers, Bankers, teaching however stands at the top as a substantive entity. The role of Teachers in a society is both significant and valuable. Teachers are the main pivotal pillars of a sound and progressive society.
Teaching is a profession that helps in knowledge sharing and makes all other professions and it’s rightly said that a teacher plays an indispensable role in shaping the generations. Teachers therefore rightly hold predominant position in the society.
However, with the world moving fast and the advancements in technology have propelled the education sector in the last one decade and teachers must have to change some teaching learning styles and techniques. Inevitably they need to choose optimal methods to get the best learning outcomes and the development of conceptual understanding among the students is of immense importance and must be developed among the learners.
The concept of conceptual understanding will help in transferring the practical based knowledge into the student’s daily lives and the success in solving the problems in subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Economics, can be supported by conceptual and procedural understanding.
Educators, researchers and policy makers must understand the changes needed for improving the education outcomes and attainment for students particularly in content areas like mathematics, science and even in foundational subjects that are essential for developing a bright career of our students.
Conceptual learning must be the basic core of our education system which will help students draw from what they have learnt and apply it as and when required. The focus on conceptual learning model will be a fresh approach that will focus on understanding concepts with more clarity rather than just organising and distributing data but It’s centred on “HOW” and “WHEN” a much needed change we can see in our teaching learning process and shall remember the saying “Practice makes a person perfect” that is the bed rock for conceptual learning.
IMPORTANCE
Conceptual learning will encourage the future learners as it will build a strong foundation that can nurture an understanding to actively engage in the practical based learning. The conceptual understanding will encourage the students to thoroughly build concepts. With the conceptual understanding and learning a teacher can bring out the best in students and can inspire them to strive towards a hopeful future.
Conceptual Learning involves students to engage in quality learning experiences based around key concepts and central ideas rather than using the more traditional method of focusing on learning topics.
Conceptual learning enables them to draw from what they have learned and use it to grasp new topics. It helps students and teachers alike to develop a deep understanding of how the concepts inter-relate with each other and build an exemplar that will empower them throughout their education and career.
Moreover, with the influence of technology all over the world, education has changed a lot in recent times and it has become more interactive with the intrusion of technological gadgets around the world. The new age technology is opening new dimensions in the education system but there is a gigantic role that teachers can play.
Technology has completely come in between us to transform and revolutionize the present education system and to oversee the best results, we must empower ourselves and should treat the adoption of technology as a part and parcel of teaching learning process as the use of technology can be a major factor influencing our education today. The systematic adoption of technology at the classroom level will help us in shifting our students from the memorization concepts to a conceptual practical based knowledge.
Moreover, teachers must equip themselves with the daily happenings around the globe and must share such hotspots with students to enhance their learning level and build an idea of competitiveness among the students.
Technological modelling tools would seem a good choice to allow students to examine and refine their ideas into dreams and we should move away from the memorization concept towards focussing in developing a scientific and practical based temperament and by utilising technological tools will help to promote deeper understanding of conceptual understanding among students.
But yes, I know there are factors which we can hit this approach of teaching learning process because we lack technological resources like computers, laptops, pads, projectors, and smart class rooms in our schools. But this can never be an excuse. We the torch bearers of the society must have attitude and belief in our heart and minds and should use our knowledge, skills, experience, commitment, dedication, enthusiasm and strategy to build strong foundation of our students and mold their ideas towards a bright future and must persuade ourselves that usage of technology will empower us and will help our students.
The usage of technological resources will give a futuristic shape to the conceptual understanding which shall help our students to have a far deeper understanding of knowledge and clear concepts. I am sure this will also empower them to make good decisions because they will internalize the right thing to do instead of memorizing a list of abstract rules.
(The author is a columnist and a teacher)
KV News
