Role of Teacher in Digital Age

In today's digital age the role of the teacher remains important and irreplaceable. Teachers empower students to follow their passions, to be creative, productive people, and to learn new things that they never knew they could learn. But the role of the teacher in the 21^st century has changed, in the same way that our technology and the way that we relate to each other has changed. When your goal is to transform learning environments from the classroom to online learning, one of the biggest challenges is finding the humanity behind the machine. Both professors and students need to adapt to the many changes in the world of education.

Technology allows teachers to upgrade their knowledge about a matter faster by online courses or YouTube channels. This means that teachers can continually upgrade their knowledge and offer up to date information to their student. Technology allows teachers to discover solutions to problems collaboratively. They can join communities of experts, share their knowledge and give an answer to their students about almost everything without delay.

Technology allows teachers to use search engines to find examples to enrich the content of their lessons, foster in students the interest for a subject and increase the engagement with their matter. As students can also use search engines, the teacher can push them to be active learners and foster in them the thirst for discovery and knowledge. In this new context the teacher should act as a quality and quantity filter for the huge amount of information available on the internet. Today teachers can raise the importance of student ideas and recognize that they are central to the learning experience of the group of study.

When educators will move their teaching methods from teacher-centered to student-centered, from talk and show to inquiry, they will be able to leverage on each student’s abilities, interests and learning styles. Teachers have become facilitators. It is no longer enough for a teacher to get up on a podium and spout their knowledge in the hope that some of their wisdom will stick. A teacher must be engaging and ultimately, instead of handing the material to the student to memorize for the final exam, the teacher must guide them through their own realizations and understanding of the subject matter. The style of teaching online, therefore, must be adapted. Teaching becomes more flexible and much more personal. A teacher is expected to guide a student, not just through the process of the discovery of the material, but also to the discovery of their own potential.

Therefore, a teacher is expected to work hard to ensure their students not only learn about the key concepts of the course, but also learn to use the necessary technology. Teachers ensure students use the most appropriate tools, while giving constructive feedback, so they feel accompanied at all times. Optimal learning happens when students have a safe, constructive, online platform. Students are not only visiting a virtual campus. They also need a personal space for community, or collaboration areas to really thrive. This is the human behind the machine, and a strong online community leads successful students who feel supported throughout their studies. Student capability assessments not only include the student’s knowledge in their field, but also their ability to use relevant technology.

Reference

1. https://www.euruni.edu/blog/future-prof-online-learning/