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?
With emerging technologies and varied teaching methodologies in this era, traditional way of teaching, which is teacher centered is gradually being replaced by student centered learning environment. An educator is a scholar practitioner in the teaching profession. Today, technology enabled learning environment has varied educator and learner roles. The roles are focused on what learners are able to achieve through personal efforts. In the light of this, diverse scholars have come up with the notions on how best to describe an educator. According to Siemens (2008), an educator is a master artist, network administrator, concierge or curator amongst other plausible metaphors.
To a large extent, these metaphors are acceptable. However, some of the metaphors might not have a high positive impact on learners in this technology era, where the expectation is that learners take ownership of their learning. Acquisition of knowledge would have better value when an educator is a “guide on the side” and acts as an inspirer or mediator when need arises rather than being a “sage on the stage”.
On this premise, an instructor in a digital classroom or workplace should take the place of a curator. A curator is an expert with a sound knowledge base of the subject matter. A curator provides an enabled learning environment in which learners get connected, explore and construct their own knowledge of the subject matter. The limitless access to explore would hone their higher order thinking skills. Learning is a lifelong activity. When learners cannot construct their own knowledge, it limits what they know. Irrespective of the metaphors used to describe an educator, an educator must be an inspiration to learners. Setting up an exceptional learning environment with adequate resources to encourage learners to contribute their best is part of the ways to inspire. When you inspire, you teach, mediate, coach, and mentor. From this perspective, educator can reach out to all learners amidst many teaching and learning challenges.Reference
Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf
