A networking space for teachers and students of the Horizon Project 2008
The ROLE of a teacher Changes. . .
Not only do I agree with what he says, I am living it.
The need for a teacher will never degrade, a teacher is a must have for a positive learning environment.
However, the ROLE of a teacher is changing.
A teacher should, as Don Tapscott said, no longer be a transmitter of information, but a regulator of educational settings. Our teacher Mrs. Vicki could stand in from of the class room all day and lecture us on exactly what to do and how to do it. We would ace tests and learn a lot . . . for a while… However by next year about 65% of what we learned will be irrelevant due to technology changes and development. Instead, she gives us projects to complete that pose challenges to us that can repeat themselves. Such as giving us a project to make a video by using a program we are unfamiliar with. Though we may not ever make another video, it is inevitable that we face the challenge of having to use an unfamiliar program, ergo, we will be prepared to deal with this for the rest of our lives.
So in conclusion, the role of a teacher is now: to regulate the educational environment; to introduce students to the realm of ambiguities; and to no longer evaluate our overall knowledge, but our constructive, creative, and adaptive capabilities.
Currently I am the project manager of Social Operating Systems with four groups consisting of 18 people. There is absolutely no way I could tell them all what to do. This would be too stressful, time consuming, as well as unproductive. Instead, the more fruitful solution would be to let the creativity of 18 different people, rather than just one, paint the venue of this Wiki.
The need for a teacher will never degrade, a teacher is a must have for a positive learning environment.
However, the ROLE of a teacher is changing.
A teacher should, as Don Tapscott said, no longer be a transmitter of information, but a regulator of educational settings. Our teacher Mrs. Vicki could stand in from of the class room all day and lecture us on exactly what to do and how to do it. We would ace tests and learn a lot . . . for a while… However by next year about 65% of what we learned will be irrelevant due to technology changes and development. Instead, she gives us projects to complete that pose challenges to us that can repeat themselves. Such as giving us a project to make a video by using a program we are unfamiliar with. Though we may not ever make another video, it is inevitable that we face the challenge of having to use an unfamiliar program, ergo, we will be prepared to deal with this for the rest of our lives.
So in conclusion, the role of a teacher is now: to regulate the educational environment; to introduce students to the realm of ambiguities; and to no longer evaluate our overall knowledge, but our constructive, creative, and adaptive capabilities.
Currently I am the project manager of Social Operating Systems with four groups consisting of 18 people. There is absolutely no way I could tell them all what to do. This would be too stressful, time consuming, as well as unproductive. Instead, the more fruitful solution would be to let the creativity of 18 different people, rather than just one, paint the venue of this Wiki.
Tags: halloffame, hz08_keynote
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Comment by Vicki Davis on May 19, 2008 at 3:58am - Phoenix - this is an amazingly insightful post. You always have such a way with words and your insights always amaze me. Excellent, excellent work here. I didn't even see it quite this way, but what you say makes so much sense. You'll be on my blog in the morning! Wow!
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The Horizon Project is a sister to the Flat Classroom Project. This Ning is where teachers and students will connect, communicate and collaborate for the Horizon Project 2008. Co-founders: Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis
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