If you can be replaced by software, perhaps you should be
Posted: February 15, 2012 Filed under: Critical Thinking, Inquiry, Pedagogy Leave a comment »That seems like a pretty harsh thing to say. It seems harsh until you give it a little thought. If you think teaching is just about dispensing knowledge in measure doses so that it can be measured on a standardized test, then perhaps you should be replaced by software. Let’s face it, software can do it cheaper and longer than you can. Software is available 24/7, you’re not.
The good news is that inquiry based teaching will never become an endangered species. This isn’t the information age any more, it’s the knowledge age. Information is everywhere. It’s ubiquitous. Everything I need to know is accessible through my phone or the nearest wireless hub. Teachers are need to help students with the critical skills necessary to make sense of on-demand information. Teachers help students move from consumers to creators along the path of information to knowledge to wisdom. Software can’t do that by itself.
