Out With the Old, In With the New Digital Era Instruction: 21st Century Education Must Conform to the Needs of

Abstract

Modern day youths are known for their tech savvy ways and dependency on digital devices. They choose to spend their free time in front of a digital screen chatting, taking and sending photos, playing games, drafting emoji messages, etc. These youths are then expected to attend school and remove all electronic devices and pay attention for 6+ hours a day in each seat for at least 40-minute intervals. The relevancy to learn is lost; students can hardly see any relevancy in the content being learned at school with their own lives filled with technology and immediate driven results. Thus, it is imperative that educators evolve right along with society to ensure students are engaged and motivate to learn while still obtaining the necessary knowledge and skills for future successes. Educators must adapt 21st Century skills within their curriculum to better support students’ success in the modern world. Unfortunately, teachers lack adequate instruction for our 21st Century learners due to unsupportive administration and lack of resources to name a few. It is up to modern day educators to find the balance between content and 21st Century skills and inspire our current day screenagers to become successful adults in society post-graduation.