Learning to Know as a

21st Century Teacher

Never before in the history of the planet
have so many people – on their own – had
the ability to find so much information
about so many things and about so many
other people.

-Thomas Friedman (2005)

CHANGES AND CHALLENGES
ST
OF THE 21 CENTURY
•STEEP
•S-SOCIAL
•T- TECHNOLOGICAL
•E- ECONOMIC
•E- ECOLOGICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL
•P-POLITICAL
 SOCIAL CHANGES
•This element describes society as a whole.
Changes under this category may include
demographics, lifestyles, religion, education,
and age distribution of the population. When
the social environment changes, people’s lives
are usually affected by these changes.
 EXAMPLE/S
•change in culture due to the development of
easier and better ways of communication
•TWITTER
•FACEBOOK
•INSTAGRAM
 TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES
•Technological advancements are seen
not only in schools and in the work
place, but also in homes and in
communities.
 EXAMPLE/S
•COMPUTERS
•MOBILE PHONES
•ROBOTS
•SMART BOARDS
•I-PHONES
 ECONOMIC CHANGES
•In 1996, Thailand’s General Prem Tinsulanonda
said that “in merely five decades, Asia has
become the region with the highest rate of
economic growth.”
•Since then, a rapid growth in economy in most
countries in the region has been observed,
resulting in other changes in Asian societies.
 EXAMPLE/S
•ASEAN integration: companies experience more
investments and trade opportunities
•In 2050, Philippines is one of the world’s largest
economy
•new infrastructures and products
 ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
•The ecological element considers the present-
day situation of the physical and biological
environments that you and your students, as
well as your school, can face.
 POLITICAL CHANGES
•This element consists of understanding the
political and legal environments of a country or
region where your school operates. As a
teacher, you have to understand and adapt to
the political and legal changes in your school’s
environment.
 EXAMPLE
•USA/UK
•predictive policing: the approach uses existing
information about past crimes and artificial
intelligence to identify the likelihood and
location of crime before it occurs
 TASK 1
•How can you equip yourself with the
necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
values to make sense of all these
information as you face the changes and
challenges of the current times and
beyond?
TASK 2

•As a future teacher, how can you, in

turn, help your students address
the changes and challenges that the
21st century brings?
TASK 3

•STEEP (answers are based

on your context)