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The previous age was dominated by hierarchies and power as access to knowledge was guarded and reserved for a certain privileged sect of society. Hence, it was an age of masters and teachers as they were paramount for the distillation of information. Learning was considered paramount and one’s sense of personal gain was dependent on one’s intellectual superiority. As a result, education came to be regarded as the degree to which one could withhold information and use it at will. One’s potential was equated with one’s competency with gaining information and influence rest in the laps of a few chosen ones. The primary role of the teacher in this century was instructional infused with rules and time constraints. The mind was considered as most significant and the competitive spirit was ingrained deeply into the crevices of the human mind.

The current times, the 21st century, broke the secrecy of the earlier times as information was made available to everyone across the globe at all times equally. The power structures were abruptly disseminated with the initiation of the digital revolution. The changes flooded lives at all levels, all at once, throwing people off balance and harmony. The heightened sense of empowerment with limitless choices spread vigorously with a rapid intensity, depleting people’s mental, emotional and physical capacities. Fear and insecurity dominated the times and there is an increased spate of mental and emotional difficulties. The role of the teacher as defined by the preceding century became obsolete as intellect alone failed to provide answers.

Now, as we are redefining our relationship with self, others, and the world at large, we are being challenged to discard all old patterns and configurations. The teacher as the ‘knower’ can no longer be revered as the focus is now on learning how to learn rather than just learning. The widely available knowledge interspersed with one’s experience leads one to harness wisdom and sail through the tides of the current century. During such times, the teacher is one who acknowledges the wholeness and interconnectedness of life and can work from a space of compassion to harness the student to access his or her inner wisdom, intuition, and emotions. In this age dominated by separation, isolation and heightened confusion, the true teacher uses the power of the voice to encourage the students to delve deeper to find their answers through a contemplative process infused with a collaborative and integrated approach. Hence, while the key is to create global citizens, who embrace the spirit of collaboration, the real teacher will also simultaneously encourage the student to gain an in-depth understanding of self. The teacher works as a guide and facilitator rather than a lecturer targeting only the mind. While we live in an age of innovation and experimentation, a teacher does not fail to acknowledge the scientific theories and research-based models passed on to us through previous centuries. A teacher recognizes that in the age of technology overload, he or she is merely a conduit that embraces the spirit of humility, commitment, patience, discipline and service. Lastly, one can only be accepted as a teacher if he or she is willing to relinquish the throne, walk the talk and engage in personal reflection. The teacher works to ensure that his or her ability to shine will motivate the students to polish their own and shine brighter still!

In conclusion, teachers of the 21st century will need to offload the baggage of previously used instructional patterns, pedagogies, learning styles, student-teacher relationships, and teaching approaches so as to give credence to the needs of the current age. As Rabindranth Tagore stated, “Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time”.

IAAT welcomed Tom Fehrenbacher from High Tech High, U.S.A. He conducted an interactive workshop on Project Based Learning which was attended by many educators across Delhi NCR.

High Tech High is the most celebrated project based learning schools in the U.S and has the distinction of being one of the ten member schools that form the Deeper Learning Network.

Haryana Public Schools Conference in conjunction with ‘I am A Teacher, is organizing a parenting workshop, with Dr. V.S Ravindran that will enable us to find a better connection with our children and encourage them to achieve their highest potential. This workshop aims at empowering us to find our own solutions to everyday issues and work towards creating a stimulating and nurturing environment for our children.

Samvaad by I Am A Teacher is a series of educational dialogues that would be held at frequent intervals every year on different themes and concerns related to education. It is a forum where we intend to bring together different stakeholders to dialogue and deliberate on various themes on education and gain insights for their own workspaces.

Our teachers need to realize the deep significance of their work. They need to see themselves as helping not only build, but also change and shape culture. Most often, the society sees a teacher as a mere wage earner, as an instrument for competitive ambitions of parents or schools, or implementer of goals set by other power centers. Teachers need to see and value themselves in the light of the fullest implication of their work, in the light of possibilities instead of constraints. Teachers need to be helped to see what their seemingly ordinary classrooms can do, the fact that they are and can be true leaders, because of the enormous societal and historical responsibility they bear on their shoulders.

This teachers’ day, we are bringing together some practicing teachers, student teachers, school principals, teacher-educators and educationists to deliberate on the role of teachers as leaders of change. We would want to explore what can be done by teachers in their day-to-day practice to shape young minds towards creating a new kind of a societal order.

His schools have been referred to as an exemplar for real and hands on learning in the U.S. by President Obama himself. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a 25 million dollar grant to replicate his model of schools nationally and internationally. He is known for turning tradition on its head and delivering concrete results. Meet Dr. Dennis Littky, founder of Big Picture Learning, U.S. to talk to us about his radical school model and share with us how educators world over are riding the changing tides of learning and knowledge dissemination.

The tides are definitely turning and how. In today’s time, learning has moved beyond the confines of classrooms. Students now have the opportunity to learn what they want to learn, when they want to learn, from whom they want to learn and at what pace they want to learn—and these possibilities are limitless and growing. Does the current system of education work in building real life skills or are we still just focused on preparing for exams? While the students are prepared to conform and compete, the workplace needs leaders who can create and collaborate. This disconnect has left our students stranded, not knowing how to bridge that gap between “school/college life” and “real life”.

The Big Picture Schools, founded by Dr. Dennis Littky, part of the Deeper Learning Schools network, have truly bridged this gap like no other model. His radical work at Big Picture has prompted Fast Company to rank him #4 among the top 50 Innovators of 2004 and the George Lucas Educational Foundation to select Dennis as part of their Daring Dozen. His network spans 40 schools across the US, 25 in Australia and 13 in the Netherlands.

We are pleased to say that The Heritage School and ‘I am a Teacher’ have invited Dr. Dennis to come to India to engage in a dialogue about deeper learning and his work with Big Picture Schools.