As the world becomes increasingly digitalized, our children’s success in the future depends largely on how they are using technology today. Unfortunately, while some schools have made great strides to incorporate technology into their curriculum and teaching methods, many others have not caught up with the times – and our nation’s students are paying the price. It’s time that we change that! In this article, we’ll look at 21st century digital skills teachers must possess if they want their students to succeed in the future.
Google Suite
Google offers a suite of tools that can help educators better integrate technology into their teaching and business models. Google Classroom is an app that enables teachers to assign, collect, and grade assignments in real time. It also allows for the creation of virtual classrooms where students can collaborate and participate in activities with other classmates. Google Docs is an online document-creation tool, which allows multiple people to work on a document at the same time.
Canva
If you’re a teacher, you might be feeling a little left behind in the age of technology. It’s hard to keep up with all the new apps and digital tools popping up every day, so it’s important to have a resource that can help. Canva is an easy-to-use graphic design tool that lets you create beautiful images for social media posts, presentations, printables, newsletters, and more.
Video Editing
It’s important to have an understanding of video editing software, so you can edit your videos or know when they need fixing. It’s also important to be able to take a photo and then edit it on the computer in order to create professional social media posts. With these skills, teachers are better equipped to teach their students how to use video editing software and photography in order to promote themselves and their work.
Graphic Design
It’s true that you don’t need to be a graphic designer to use the digital design tools that are available for free online. But there is a major learning curve when it comes to these software programs, and if you’re new to graphic design, it may take some time before you can create professional-looking images. Fortunately, one of the great things about these programs is that they are constantly being updated with new features and presets.
Podcasting
Podcasts are a great way to share your thoughts and interests with the world. This is an excellent skill for teachers because they can share their knowledge on topics that may not be covered in school, or even talk about themselves. Podcasting also helps teachers develop their speaking skills, which can be useful when presenting lesson plans to students.
Presentation Design
Presentation tools such as PowerPoint presentation, Google Slides, Canva and Prezi are important tool that educators can use to create powerful and interactive presentations.
Website Development
E-learning is a digital learning strategy in which teachers use online tools to deliver content, instruct students and assess their progress. Teachers need the following skills to create e-learning courses:
a. Website development.
b. Video creation.
c. Photo editing.
d. Learning Management System (LMS) build-up.
e. Programming language.
Social Media Management
Social media is an integral part of teaching in the 21st century. It’s a way to connect with parents, students, and other educators. Teachers need to be able to create posts that are informative, helpful, and creative. They also need to know how to respond when someone leaves a comment or shares their post.
Search Engine Optimization
In this day and age, digital skills are a necessity. The internet has become such an integral part of our lives that it’s impossible to be successful in any industry without the understanding of how it works. One skill that is essential for teachers is search engine optimization (SEO), which can help increase the visibility of their content online. SEO is the process by which someone improves their website’s ranking in a search engine’s natural or un-paid results pages.
Final Thought
Technology is reshaping our world and transforming the way we live, work, and learn. The digital world is always changing and evolving, so what was considered a good skill yesterday might not be a priority today. As educators we need to evolve with the times to provide our students with relevant skills that will prepare them for tomorrow’s workforce.
Truly, these are the skills that all educators must acquire to be compliant with changes in global education.
Prezi is a good presentation tool that every educator must learn to use.
Canva is a great tool for educators. It comes with a free and premium version. But most teachers are not aware that they have access to the premium version for free.