Ruth Reynard makes some interesting comments about teacher roles in the article: “The Changing Role of Instructors…” A few years ago, forward-thinking educators apparently concluded that technology had leveled the teacher-student playing field, giving students near-equal access to knowledge and information. So — the argument goes — teachers add less value as purveyors of knowledge; and they should no longer rule from front-and-center of the classroom. Instead teachers are now becoming “facilitators” in the learning process, because technology has enabled students to make significant contributions to their own learning apart from the teacher.Dr. Reynard goes on to say that the instructors role is again being challenged by technological advances: real-time, dynamic learning communities, media-rich exchanges of content, and increased opportunities for self-authoring.
The implication is that new topics and ideas are emerging and changing so fast that instructors must focus more on learning themselves. So, now the instructor’s role changes from facilitator to “learning partner.”Thinking about the role change to “learning partner” does not make me uncomfortable. Indeed good teachers have always been pro-active, life-long learners, staying abreast of advances in their field and feeding fresh ideas back into the classroom. Honestly, it is a great challenge to partner in such a way as to add value in the student’s learning process.
