These articles help me understand digital pedagogy and what it is
about. People trying to put it into different boxes, but it cannot be placed in
a box. These articles also gave me new found hope. Because of all the
information and podcasts available online, the question arose whether teachers
would soon be needed at all? The traditional is a teacher forcing
information into learners/students. Not about if the student may be interested
or not, not if they understand the concept, no this information to you, can you
give to the next person or provide an answer in the exam.
These articles point out two very important points
to me; teaching is not about you as a teacher and secondly teachers have a
future.
Teaching is not about how much information a
teacher can cram into a student’s brain, nor is the best teacher necessarily
the best teacher. Teaching and as I understood
from these articles is creating an optimal learning environment and
facilitating the learning process. Students should be able to learn through
understanding and not just because teacher said so. A teacher should not aim to
get the highest grades at her school, having the most distinctions, if this
happens to be a reward for a method of teaching through understanding great. As
a teacher you passed matric, had your chance, now be there to help and
encourage these learners, teach them that learning never stops.
Today there is so much information freely
available, so people start to question the need for teachers and having to pay
salaries if the information is free. Teachers are guides, a helping hand,
mentor, the only constant in some peoples’ lives and are there because they
want to be. Yes, children can be given information and told to study it, watch
podcasts from all over the world and read forevermore, but does receiving all
this knowledge mean that they understand it? Teachers are there to facilitate
the learning, help learns discover new things, search for more, to be intrigued
by the unknown and to value knowledge. This sounds pretty easy, so can anyone
do it? No. Being a teacher is professional job entailing much patience and
care, it’s not especially in South Africa one of the most highly regarded
professions and that is sad.
If you are reading and comprehending this message
above, thank a teacher.
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