Critique Siemens’s “metaphors of educators.” Which of these metaphors best describes the role you believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom or workplace? Is there a better metaphor to reflect your view of the role of instructors?
As I read Siemens (2008) “metaphors of educators,” the metaphor that especially grabbed my attention was “educator as curator” and “educator concierge,” by Curtis Bong. The reason is because although the information on the web is available online, it is fragmented, unlike a textbook where the information is collected in an organized manner. In online education, an instructor can bring together resources for the student in order to have an effective learning and teaching environment. The resources can be posted in a class “library” as a suggestion. It is the instructor’s responsibility to be present as an expert or a “curator” who presents a “map” by providing clear instructions and enhancing the education of the student by navigating the student to new resources or learning devises that the student might not be aware of (p.16). In order to do so, an effective instructor has to create opportunities for the learner to express his standpoint in a more engaging form, thereby allowing him to reflect on the reading and to emphasize his point-of-view. I compare Siemens’ (2008) metaphor to my own instructions in the classroom. At the end of the eBusiness Technology class, students have to create a fictitious eBusiness. Throughout the semester, I provide them with tools in-class and online, but the students are the ones who generate new ideas and approaches and thus build upon acquired knowledge. When a student is an active participant, I believe there is also a better understanding of a subject.
References
Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and Knowing in Networks: Changing roles for Educators and Designers. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Presented to ITFORUM for Discussion: http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf
It sounds to me like you have come up with another metaphor for teachers: Teacher as navigator. I like that image. The students are the pilots of the ship of their own education, and we are the ones who let them know which way to go. Maybe there is more than one possible direction, and we can point them in several directions. They have to decide which way to go. I am seeing a whole Mark Twain picture here.
ReplyDeleteCan I take your class?? Sounds like you are applying the concepts and I am in total agreement – when the ideas and questions come from the students, the learning is relevant, applicable, quality, and long term. I also like the atelier model where students are posting their work and reading each others’ work. We were both drawn to the curator, but I can see value in all of the metaphors.
ReplyDeleteDepending on the learning goals and structure of the course, another metaphor that comes to mind is the mentor, which I have practiced with our high school robotics team. We have a high functioning, high level inquiry-based robotics challenge each year where the students design, build, trouble-shoot, test, ship, and compete with life-size robots. There is no teacher. The adults function as mentors as needed in different disciplines (computer programming, electronics, mechanical engineering, computer-aided design, pneumatics), trying always to facilitate learning without giving answers.
It very exciting for all involved. The eight students that have graduated have all gone on to post-secondary education (about half most likely would not have if it had not been for their involvement with the robotics team.
I like the metaphor!
ReplyDeleteHi Marlen,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my class! The last two days of the eBusiness class are group presentations where students present their fictitious eBusiness which also include written business plans. The audiences (students) take the role of investors and when the class thinks it’s only a “show” the “real learning” occurs. The students ask questions, discuss, present ideas and evaluate each other’s projects. I see it as a summary of everything that was learned throughout the semester or use of prior knowledge in new context!
Orit
Orit- First let me apologize for the lack of timeliness of my response; my mother in law has been in ICU for a couple of weeks and trying to keep up in class is a bit difficult right now. Now, on the topic of your blog posting I found one sentence extremely thought provoking and interesting. An effective instructor has to create opportunities for the learner to express his standpoint in a more engaging form, thereby allowing him to reflect on the reading and to emphasize his point-of-view. This segment of your blog posting was right on target with my own point of view of online education. Because online educators lack the physical interaction of a face to face course the information and material must be mentally stimulating for there to be interaction between instructors and students. The more engaged we are as learners no matter what form the education comes in the more we will learn. I also really liked Marlene's comment about educators being navigators. I think this is a term that you could seriously use throughout your learning. Wonderful post and I look forward to interacting with you more in the future.
ReplyDeleteKassidy
Dear Kassidy,
ReplyDeleteFirst, best wishes and speedy recovery for your mother-in-law!
Thanks for your reply. I had an interesting conversation with one of the professors regarding a student (I teach in a community college). She didn’t do well in his class, but she received an “A” in mine. I think the reason she did well in my class (face-to-face) is because I don’t lecture. I will start a thread of thought and let the class “run” with it using the learned material; instead of a lecture, I have discussions in class.
Orit