PROMPT: 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?
I completely embrace two of Siemen’s (2008) metaphors of educators: Educator as concierge and educator as curator. The role of creating learning experiences and direction the learner to explore and use new resources are key roles of the online educator. Given the highly visual nature of online learning environments, the metaphor of curator has a lot of potential. In the art world – the curator creates the presentation in a manner to attract and engage the viewer, a similar talent is necessary in the online course environment.
I have some reservations about his metaphor of educator as network administrator (Siemen, 2008). While I agree that a major role of educating is forming connections or relational propositions among concepts, I have reservations about the label network administrator – because it likens the human brain to an object. The human brain is a type of highly complex network, but unlike mechanical networks with prescribed connections, each human brain is unique and has its own system of information storage and retrieval which is determined and influenced by the situational context and developmental stage of the person.
The one part of Siemen’s (2008) metaphors that I disagree with is the educator as master artist. There is literature supporting that the “master” is often not the best teacher. A master is clearly an expert but often their expertise is so internally driven, that they are unable to explain or describe to others how they know what they know. Therefore I believe the master artist can be a role model or a source of inspiration/motivation, but I am not certain they can “see the pieces apart from the whole, to guide the development of expertise in others.
In my current position I have presented workshop to faculty new to the online teaching roles. A model I have used looks are the educators roles as: pedagogical, managerial, social and technical (Berge, 1995). Here is the link to the article: http://www.emoderators.com/moderators/teach_online.html
A number of years ago I created a workshop entitled “preceptor as connoisseur”, I think that metaphor also fit the online educator. A connoisseur a person with expertise, who appreciates, judges and shares and just like the wine or gastronomic connoisseur the educational connoisseur is an expert in their discipline and takes others (learners or tasters) on a journey to developing individual expertise.
References:
Berge, Z.L. (1995). Facilitating Computer Conferencing: Recommendations From the Field. Educational Technology. 35(1) 22-30.
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
Master Artist
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie. I thought your opinion about master artist was interesting. I agree with the fact that sometimes master artist is not a best teacher. For example, best opera singer is not necessarily a best voice trainer. I believe this happens because the focus of master artist and focus of best teacher is different. Goal of master artist is to develop a best form of the art possible where best teacher's goal is to support learners to develop their knowledge/skills as best possible.
However, I believe there are art of having master artist as a role model for learners. In the online environment, what would you think a best place for the master artist? For example, having master artist as a guest speaker would be one way to have student to experience great form of the art as a great example/model for their future growth.
Yes -- I would see the master artist as a guest in the course.
ReplyDeleteMy comments come from a theory in nursing -- Novice to expert (Benner) which identifies 4-levels of practice: Novice, advanced beginner, proficient and expert. While the expert is the nurse you want if you are the patient, the expert is not the best teacher. According to Benner’s work the expert tend to know but can explain how they know, thus are not great teachers. The difference is the skills that make a great practitioner (or artist) and the skills that make a great teacher.
Thank for your comments.
Your piece is thoughtful and strong. The overarching idea, in my interpretation, is that teaching is both an art and a science. I would also agree with Siemen's notion of "educator as network administrator." Stated differently, educators perform a sort of gatekeeper function wherein they maintain standards of participation and performance (not in the pejorative sense of keeping learners at bay to secure their own positions, although this happens, too).
ReplyDeleteNice post!