Are schoolteachers obsolete?

[Nomad]

IMO, the primary duty of a good teacher is to inspire the students with a desire to learn and provide them the tools to do so. One of the most important attributes that a teacher can bring to the classroom is their passion; it will both infect the students and lead the teachers to continually try to better themselves and their teaching techniques.

Engaging all of the students, regardless of their different ethnic or socioeconomic background, and regardless of their aptitude on entering a classroom, is a skill that I don't think can be replaced with technology.

Of course, it's a skill that only the very best teachers possess.

 

[Rayban]

Very illuminating video.

I'm not sure that teacher will become obsolete, but their roles will more than likely change with the times. One thing that has always bugged me about teaching in classrooms is that students are very rarely taught how to learn.

I think the SOLE's are a very good idea. As we become more of an "instantaneous information" society, quick access to simple knowledge is a definite advantage.

There will always need to be a formal teacher student relationship when we consider things like formal qualifications and accreditations. But for simple, worldly general knowledge this is a fantastic idea.

 

[Empty Hands]

How many of you have taught yourself really complex stuff, that you didn't understand previously? Calculus, statistics, higher level physics, chemistry? It can be done, but a good teacher guides and makes those subjects far easier to understand in much less time.

A self-directed student may not even know what he needs to know. Take my subject, biology. A self-directed student may learn a lot about cladistics, different animals, maybe even some cellular anatomy and biochemistry. How would such a student know though that statistics and the theory of mass action are crucial to understanding biology? They may read that ions will flow down a concentration gradient, but will they understand why? Information sources teach what they teach, but they rarely make an effort to tie into each other. A mastery of the material means more than commanding facts, it means being able to make connections and tie in understandings from different disciplines that took centuries to fully develop, and are unlikely to spontaneously happen on their own. You need a lot of training in science before you can even get to the point of self-directed learning. I'm sure it's true of many other disciplines as well.

Granted, most don't master the information, and many teachers probably just teach from the list. That's an excuse, not justification.

 

[Rayban]

How many of you have taught yourself really complex stuff, that you didn't understand previously? Calculus, statistics, higher level physics, chemistry? It can be done, but a good teacher guides and makes those subjects far easier to understand in much less time.

A self-directed student may not even know what he needs to know. Take my subject, biology. A self-directed student may learn a lot about cladistics, different animals, maybe even some cellular anatomy and biochemistry. How would such a student know though that statistics and the theory of mass action are crucial to understanding biology? They may read that ions will flow down a concentration gradient, but will they understand why? Information sources teach what they teach, but they rarely make an effort to tie into each other. A mastery of the material means more than commanding facts, it means being able to make connections and tie in understandings from different disciplines that took centuries to fully develop, and are unlikely to spontaneously happen on their own. You need a lot of training in science before you can even get to the point of self-directed learning. I'm sure it's true of many other disciplines as well.

Granted, most don't master the information, and many teachers probably just teach from the list. That's an excuse, not justification.

Very true. This is what I mean when I say formal qualifications. I have taught High school Maths and even tutored fellow (junior) university students and it is so much easier when you have a complete and commanding understanding of the concepts and principles, in addition to knowing the steps to solve a certain problem.

I agree wholeheartedly that good teachers are important, but there is a great deal of value in getting kids to teach themselves about various topics of interest.

I believe School and university is the beginning of knowledge. It prepares you for a life of learning. Learning I think is the defining characteristic of humanity.