“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”–Chinese Proverb

When long school days are partnered with short attention spans, teaching in today’s educational climate can prove to be a bit challenging.

Particularly when one considers that today’s student is of a different “culture” than those of former decades. Times are of a faster pace. 

There are more things demanding their attention: text messages via cell phones, videos, reality TV, social media, and You Tube activities, just to name a few.  This means that in some ways, they require a “smarter,” more innovative approach to impart important lessons and help them to develop to their full potential . In other words… instruction has to be “interesting” to keep them “interested”.

Creating inclusive E-learning can make a difference. Not only does it provide variety in today’s classroom, it is also useful in accommodating various learning styles. 

There are various forms of E-learning that can be used effectively in today’s classroom.

Here are a few examples:

Blogs – Blogs can be used to continue class discussions, and to encourage students to actively engage in group discussions. It would be considered like the online version of a debate class, (in some instances). It can also be used to share assignments and class updates.

Videos – Like those shared through You Tube, can serve to provide tutorials, to enhance teaching methods.

Facebook’s Timeline – And other social media tools can be used to create projects, and address the 5w’s of who, what, when, where, and why, to increase lesson comprehension for today’s students.

In a recent article at the Knowledge Tree, the author, psychologist Andrew Downie, explores the various advantages and disadvantages of incusive E-learning for students of varying backgrounds and disabilities. Here he stresses the impact of E-learning and discusses relevant issues to consider. 

Do you think E-learning is important to incorporate in today’s teaching methods?

 Image by Wesley Fryer