I am truly amazed at the changes education and pedagogy are making. Not too long ago, the purpose of a teacher was to transfer his or her knowlwdge to the students so that they could make meaning out of it. The teacher, along with the text book, were the only sources of knowledge. A teacher was respected regardless of the treatment he or she gave by students and parents.
Nowadays, teachers are not the source of information nor should their job be seen as transmitors of knowledge. Today, a teacher is a mediator of knowledge and a learner. Teachers do not give information, but rather help students find the information by teaching skills. Whether these skills are meant for research or analyzing, everything students learn must be provided by and taylored for the students. What amazes me even more is the importance of helping students understand their learning process. Students need to rationalize how they learn so that the can become independent learners. Like a professor of mine says, "Students must learn despite their teachers."
This new perspective of education allows the teacher to become a student as well. While I've been working at my current school, I feek like I have learned more than I had before. Discussions with my students have given me a new perspective on many topics. I have observed that my students benefit more from the discusssions they have than from any type of information I can give them. And with the new program I am involved with, Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, I am on the right track as a modern and effective mediator. I was not fortunate enough to have experimented these new theories and perspectives, but I can take advantage of them now just like my students do.
Could this be the way to improve this crazy world we live in? I am certain the answer is yes.
Nowadays, teachers are not the source of information nor should their job be seen as transmitors of knowledge. Today, a teacher is a mediator of knowledge and a learner. Teachers do not give information, but rather help students find the information by teaching skills. Whether these skills are meant for research or analyzing, everything students learn must be provided by and taylored for the students. What amazes me even more is the importance of helping students understand their learning process. Students need to rationalize how they learn so that the can become independent learners. Like a professor of mine says, "Students must learn despite their teachers."
This new perspective of education allows the teacher to become a student as well. While I've been working at my current school, I feek like I have learned more than I had before. Discussions with my students have given me a new perspective on many topics. I have observed that my students benefit more from the discusssions they have than from any type of information I can give them. And with the new program I am involved with, Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, I am on the right track as a modern and effective mediator. I was not fortunate enough to have experimented these new theories and perspectives, but I can take advantage of them now just like my students do.
Could this be the way to improve this crazy world we live in? I am certain the answer is yes.
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