Module 1 Assignment

Critique Siemens’s “metaphors of educators.” Which of these metaphors best describes the role you believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom or workplace? Is there a better metaphor to reflect your view of the role of instructors?

Siemens (2008) describes four roles of an educator. The educator is seen as a master artist, a network administrator, a concierge, and a curator. To be an effective instructor, you must keep your learners engaged. The students must be active participants in a digital classroom. As an master artist, the instructor observe and guides the students throughout the learning process. Students are given the opportunity to explore and create on their own without the direct guidance of the instructor. The network administrator allows the students to form groups. Learning is achieved on how effectively the group comes together and formulates new ideas and concepts. The instructor encourages the group to create new ideas through their thinking and then evaluates based upon their outcome. The concierge instructor is a little more hands-on in the learning environment. The concierge will still provide lectures and then allow the students to create and explore their learning on their own. Lasty, the curator instructor is the expert of the concept being taught and guides the students to their learning. This instructor provides guidance and direction to the students’ learning.

I believe that an effective instructor must be both a concierge and a curator. In this sense, the instructor must act as both a guide and expert. For example, students are expected to participate in weekly discussions. The instructor fulfills their role as an expert by asking questions and providing feedback that will elicit further thoughts from the students. By eliciting thoughts, the instructor is also serving as a guide that is leading or causing students to explore concepts and philosophies in new ways that will lead to their construction of new knowledge and an increased level of understanding. Acting as both a curator and concierge constitutes an effective instructor since the instructor "directs learners to resources and experiences" instead of just giving them the information (Siemens, 2008, pgs. 16-17). Both strategies are effective in engaging students as active participants in a digital classroom. All students need hands-on learning in order to effectively grasp the skill/concept that is being taught. The instructors are there to guide the students to that desired learning. The instructor as the expert and it is the instructor responsibility to guide, facilitate, and assess their students. It is the instructor responsibility to engage the student in the learning environment. The role of the instructor is very crucial to the effectiveness of the online learning environment. Lastly, the attached slideshow by Stephen Downes gives an overview of the many roles that an instructor must play in the digital classroom The Role of the Educator in a Digital World . Here is the article by Stephen Downes that goes along with the slideshow Stephen Downes: The Role of the Educator.

References:

Downes, S. (2010, December 2). The role of the educator in the digital world. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/Downes/the-role-of-the-educator-in-the-digital-world

Downes, S. (2010, December 5). The role of the educator in the digital world. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-downes/the-role-of-the-educator_b_790937.html

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf%20