Fourth Industrial Revolution In South African classrooms: A new way to teach. A new way to learn.

The current buzz phrase in education in the 21st -century is the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also referred to as the 4IR. Khathu (2020) said that according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), an international non-governmental and lobbying organization, 65% of children commencing school today will work in an entirely new job that does not yet exist. The 4IR (2000) in Baynes (2020) is defined as the rise of computer-generated products, 3D printing and artificial intelligence (AI). Thus, automation began and machines started changing people’s lives. How will 4IR influence education and literacy practices in schools? According to Baynes (2020, p. 27), a language teacher can do the following:

• The 4IR will affect the way teachers teach.
• Teachers need to include YouTube clips, discussion groups and movement within the classroom. Therefore, teachers need to be familiar with PowerPoint, recording and making videos. In addition, teachers’ computer and technological skills need to be of a high standard.
• When considering the 4IR, teachers have to be aware of how our access to data affects our ability to respond, how much innovation is possible and how teachers transition from older learning platforms to newer ones.
• Teachers need to understand the terminology such as Virtual Reality or 3D printing in order to impart this knowledge to their class.

To conclude, teachers’ technological awareness and how teachers use technology in the language classroom are essential to being a 21st -century teacher, who engages and challenges the critical thinking of their learners.

Reference list Baynes, C. (2020). English Home and First Additional Language and Literacy teaching in the Intermediate Phase. Pretoria, Business Print. Khathu, R. (2021). 4IR and the SA education system [Online], Available: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/371/193213.html [accessed, 21 February 2022

Author: Rita Bloem