Teacher as Facilitator

The teacher is often considered the intermediary between his/her students and appropriate grade level subject matter. The teacher is often considered both a facilitator of student learning and a member of the learning community. The teacher develops and models his/her role as a learner as well.

Teachers manage the open ended discovery of the learners. This requires each instructor to switch roles from a lecturer to a facilitator who provides resources, and encourages students to engage in problem solving skills. Teachers become excited as students become excited about learning.

Facilitating learning requires students to take more responsibility for their own learning. Teachers, however, must teach students to manage their own learning. Student motivation increases as they acquire a greater ownership in relevant learning process.

Facilitating learning requires teachers to encourage students to transfer their learning across both subject and discipline. Working and collaborating with peers requires students to look beyond themselves and to corroborate with others in the generation of ideas.

Twelve Roles of the Teacher...thanks to medicine!

I was researching the ever changing role of the teacher...thinking the vast number of hats I wore when I was instructing in the public school classroom. Though that has been some time ago (ah...10 years...), I am thankful that the Medical Educator in a year 2000 article had the forethought to break it down for me. From the website, www.medev.ac.uk/resources/features/AAEE_summaries/guide20_summary I will paraphrase.
Each of six (6) major teacher roles may be subdivided into two subroles as follows:

1. Facilitator = mentor + learning facilitator
2. Assessor = curriculum evaluator + student assessor
3. Planner = curriculum planner + course organizer
4. Resource Developer = study guide producer + resource material creator
5. Information Provider = clinical or practical teacher + lecturer
6. Role Model = teaching role model + on the job role model

According to the article, each role is inner connected. There is a questionaire students may complete to ascertain their perceived importance of each role and their commitment to develop competence in each.

Now the question becomes...how vital are each of the roles in classrooms today? Is there a hierarchy of development? What do these look like in the online version? What skills are necessary for the development of such?

Traditionally speaking...

A traditional teacher preparation program is normally defined as a four-year Bachelor of Arts or Science degree program that includes general education courses, a certification area of focus, professional education, 180 hours of field experiences, and one or more semesters of student teaching or internship in a school. Such a degree program integrates content knowledge, professional knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technology in depth and breadth to create meaningful learning experiences for all students.

Research shows that traditional teacher preparation programs are based on a theory-practice format. This arrangement allows students to begin with coursework (theory) and progressively move through stages of practice to become a teacher. Research also indicates that traditional teacher preparation programs provide long-term relevance through field-based experiences, microteaching opportunities, use of video technology, and case studies.

So what is wrong with that?

What kind of meaningful learning goes on when an intuitive traditional professor imparts his/her knowledge to a student of the new digital generation?

The Way We Were...

The role of the instructor has morphed over the years. When I was a student...the teacher was the sage on the stage...In my educational training, however, I learned that role was diminishing...Instead, I was exposed to the advantages and importance of being the guide on the side. Constructivism was on the march. As an early career educator, I depended greatly upon the teacher's editions and the advice of those who wrote textbooks, for I, too, had been indoctrinated with that vision...Now I am creating lessons based on constantly changing reality and real-time streaming information from a myriad of sources. No longer are my students depending on one text as the foundation...text is now supplemental...

Once I was a coordinator, now I am more of a team builder. Many times I have hailed the benefits of a benevolent dictatorship. No more. Now I train each of my future teachers to assume the role of a knowledge navigator, a person keenly aware of the processes needed to find legitimate information. I challenge them to carefully discern that which is truth from fantasy; to research the nuances of their practice, to align and practice their craft with coveted values and beliefs, in short, to understand that learning is a life-long endeavor.

Once, words spoken by the teacher were taken as authoritative. Today, to some degree, and in some circumstances that is still true. However, today I must realize that I am one single member of each student's community. I am but one voice. It is my challenge to make what I have to say relevant...to make the knowledge I have to share important to the students' understandings of their craft...It is my goal to not only be heard...but to be understood.