Why Technology is Changing the Role of the American Teacher
School has changed dramatically since the time you were in elementary, and students have become less passive in their daily curriculum. That’s a good thing, but it’s also shifted the roles of students and teachers. Students have become more active, while teachers have become something akin to curators of the learning experience. Here, we’ll look at how this role is shifting and what it might mean for the future of education.
The teacher has shifted from being the center of attention to being more of a facilitator of the learning process. Teachers set goals, hold students accountable and guide the lesson plan. They often play the role of consultant, to compare to a position in the adult world, and tend to provide suggestions for improvement or help to tackle challenging dilemmas students encounter.
Teachers spend a lot of time roaming through classrooms now, armed with resources students can use to research their way out of a jam. This puts the burden of learning on the student, but provides an exploratory complex for that learning to take place.
The student is actively making choices about what he or she reads to gain information, how to manipulate what they’ve learned, and how to communicate that information to others. Collaborative projects have become far more common in this new age of education.
This is actually a benefit for teachers, who now find themselves supported by others with the technological knowhow to accomplish this dramatic change in education. Putting students at the center of learning is a logical step, but one we’ve not been able to do until recently. Technology will shape the landscape of the American school well into the future.
About the Author: Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phineas Upham website or Facebook page.