Critiquing Siemens’s “Metaphors of Educators.”

There are four models of the role of the educator and students listed in Siemen’s 2008 paper, “Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers.”

I think the role that a teacher should assume in a digital classroom or workplace depends upon the goals of the classroom or the workplace as corresponding to the abilities of the student or worker.  It is unreasonable to generalize the single best role of a teacher for all digital classroom and work spaces.  For new or struggling learners, the teacher needs to take a more active part.  For innovative students on a roll of creative genius, the wise teacher would not interfere with the process other than to encourage.

In my review of the four metaphors, Educator as Curator balances individual exploration with guided instruction in order for the work process and product to be effective towards a known end.  The Educator as Curator model allows a teacher to take the role that is needed to meet the goals of the classroom or workplace and the needs of the student or worker.

Applying learning to the digital age, Educator as Network Administrator would seem to be a fitting design.  Learning in the digital age is all about the student making connections within the vast network of digital information.  However, the Educator as Network Administrator as an insufficient model because alone it does not meet the needs of the educator and learner due to the lack of a road map towards an end.

In conclusion, Educator as Curator is an optimal model, both in a digital age or otherwise.  The teacher in the digital age, just as in any age, needs to be flexible and in step with the work product of the student, as well as aware of the overall goal of the learning experience. 

References

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://itforum.coe.uga.edu/Paper105/Siemens.pdf