Stephanie Arthur-Worsop: Modern way embraced by educators

It is encouraging to see more Rotorua schools adopting new ways of teaching and pushing the sector towards unexplored territory, all for the benefit of student learning.

In yesterday's Rotorua Daily Post, I spoke to the Rotorua Seventh Day Adventist School principal about the renovations to her classrooms, turning them into modern learning environments.

The refurbishment includes open space classrooms, solar light panels and the replacement of individual desks with group tables.

Walking around the naturally lit, colourful rooms with lots of floor space, I couldn't help compare it to the muslin-covered walls, wooden desks and flickering fluorescent tube lit classrooms I was taught in at primary school.

But with that said, it's not just about how pretty the classrooms look - if it were, I would have failed miserably at school.

No, a whole new wave of teaching techniques will accompany these special rooms.

In an age where all the information in the world is at our fingertips, it is often asked why we still need schools, classrooms and teachers.

Rather than staunchly dig their feet in the ground and cry that they want it in the way they have always had it, we are seeing our teachers move away from industrial learning to find out how to maximise learning in the classroom to suit the modern student.

I am a big believer that a child dedicated to their education can do well anywhere, but when the individual needs of a student are not met, especially at a young age, it can be hard to foster a love for learning.

According to the Ministry of Education website, the majority of school buildings were built between 1950 and the 1970s.

Since then, teaching practice and student learning needs have evolved significantly.

New technologies and building materials have allowed for vibrant, well-connected learning spaces and all students deserve to be taught with and have access to this.

We have so many dedicated, passionate teachers in our city who are not afraid to grow with this changing sector and are at the forefront of a new age of education.

As an outsider looking in, I can only see it yielding positive outcomes for present and future learners - something that is reassuring during such uncertain times.