I’m not sure this will ever come to pass, but talk about standing the world on its end. Chris Anderson of Wired and Ted answers the question “What Will Change Everything” with this: “The Web Empowered Revolution in Teaching“.
For one thing, the realization that today’s best teachers can become global celebrities is going to boost the caliber of those who teach. For the first time in many years it’s possible to imagine ambitious, brilliant 18-year-olds putting ‘teacher’ at the top of their career choice list. Indeed the very definition of “great teacher” will expand, as numerous others outside the profession with the ability to communicate important ideas find a new incentive to make that talent available to the world. Additionally every existing teacher can greatly amplify their own abilities by inviting into their classroom, on video, the world’s greatest scientists, visionaries and tutors. (Can a teacher inspire over video? Absolutely. We hear jaw-dropping stories of this every day.)
Whoa.
The term “teacher” has many connotations. I’m not sure you can put the adjective, “classroom” in front of teacher here. Maybe.
(just checking…) are these 2 “Chris Andersons” the same person?
There I go assuming again. ;0) Thanks for the edit.
I think a major reason I learn and try to effectively use the new technologies that are available is because of the way it changes me as a teacher by keeping me curious, testing my ability to learn and master new concepts, as I am asking my students to do each day in my classroom, and keeping my classroom from becoming too set in its ways.
I agree that the new technologies can give teachers the opportunities to reach a larger audience but I think this is a bit overstated in the article.
When I look at the classroom teachers that I have worked with that were the best teachers I have worked with few are still in the classroom. Being the intelligent and capable people that they are they are ambitious and look to progress in their careers. Most have gone on to become administrators, consultants, and college professors. I do not mean to imply there is anything wrong with these professions, but to suggest that good teachers are leaving the classroom not because they are ineffective but because they advanced as far as they would ever advance in the classroom the day the received tenure.
Perhaps the opportunity to perform on a larger stage will keep some of these excellent teachers in the classroom, I hope so, but I wonder. I think a large part of the problem with education is that we, as a society, offer few incentives to the best teachers, the ones we say we want in the classroom, to stay in the classroom. I think one reason that there are so many mediocre teachers in the classroom (and I am not sure that as many teachers are mediocre as some would have us believe) is because the really good teachers have found no reason to stay in the classroom. I think something needs to be done to address this problem as well.
I think the technology can help, I know for those that want to take the time to learn it, it provides regular challenges to our ability to learn, our ability to redesign the classroom, and our ability to stay excited about what we do. Before I can win a global audience with my enthusiasm and innovation I have to renew on a regular basis the sources of that enthusiasm.
But I think most teach not because they want the celebrity status that comes with such a public profession but because they love an academic discipline. If the technology can give me the opportunity to spread that enthusiasm to a larger group of students that is a wonderful thing, but for me the most important part of the technology is the opportunities it affords to grow and develop as a teacher and a learner.
I still think we have major problem with incentives to stay in the classroom, though, and I don’t think much is being done to address that. The best teachers I have ever encountered are, for the most part, doing other things. They are still in education, they are just not in the classroom.
Cordially,
J.D.
Thanks as always, JD. I agree that very few teach for celebrity status, but what I find interesting is the possibility of that and the possibility of having an effect much more broadly than just in your classroom or your district. I wonder whether or not our best teachers might stay in teaching if they could free agent themselves into a global classroom.
I think the label “celebrity” might be misleading. Technological advances and global communication could make the teaching career more desirable to young people. The cognitive shift in education has changed the image of the classroom from chalkboards, textbooks, and worksheets to Smart boards, interactive media, and webquests. Not only do these changes make learning more engaging for the students, it makes instruction more exciting for the teacher (for me, anyway). Teachers who are resistant to implementing technology in their classrooms are missing the boat!
In my classroom observations I find that “Smart boards,” interactive media and webquests represent AT BEST incremental changes in the delivery of instruction.
Changes in the delivery of content do not excite me and represent a tiny fraction of the potential afforded by computing.
As I was looking for “technology in education” blogs, I came across this post. It is, indeed, an interesting thought that teachers could become global celebrities. However, I know that is not something that I would necessarily want to be. I would prefer to consider the possibilities of reaching more people worldwide and, perhaps, making a positive difference in the lives of those I may never know personally.
Teaching is my second career. A previous post stated that teachers sometimes leave the profession because they have advanced as far as possible within the classroom and want to advance further. Having completed a successful career in Information Technology, I entered the teaching profession to make a personal difference in my student’s lives. I can think of no higher accomplishment than to help my students become independent thinkers and ethical, caring citizens of this global community.
I also entered teaching as a second career. I spent 20 years in sales and development but found as I got older that money was not all that it was about. Not that money is not important but when it is the one and only priority, that can be a problem. There is just so much more that becomes important and meaningful as you get older. I have discovered that if you do the right thing and take the focus off of yourself that the money will take care of itself. I had an old business partner who came from very humble beginnings who would say “you can’t give anything away.” He believed that the more generous he was with his good fortune that it would come back to him and his family many times over in any number of ways, and he was right.
When I read the article, I thought about Randy Pausch and how his ‘One Last Lecture’ conceivably impacted millions of people. The assertion that knowledge and inspiration can be spread quicker and to a wider audience because of technology is certainly correct but I do not know how important this is to most educators. In fact, I had somewhat of a cringe response about the idea of attracting educators to the profession because of a potential for ‘celebrity’ status. In my teaching career, I really do not care if my students remember me at all. I am more concerned that they recall what they accomplished in my class and that they are inspired to continue to learn. I agree with Susanna that the experience of having a positive impact in the lives of students is the most important factor for my job satisfaction. It is certainly nice as an educator to be able to share contributions from so many talented individuals because of all the new web-powered resources that continually become available.
Celebrity as in Kim Kardashian or is there any evidence that the web is bringing about real progress in more than a handful of classrooms?
Is someone watching your performance the same as teaching?
I don’t think Anderson is talkng about classroom teaching or schools in the traditional sense. I think he’s talking about a different model of teaching and learning. And maybe your insinuation here is correct, Gary, that the Web and classroom teaching may not be the best marriage. Dunno. But I do think it presses the point that the traditional view of teacher is being challenged by all of this.
I guess there is a continuum of what you mean by “challenged.”
I’d like for every teacher to be able to teach like Angelo Patri described a century ago, Holt/Postman/Kohl/Kozol described 40 years ago, John Taylor Gatto described two decades ago or Dennis Littky has demonstrated repeatedly over three decades of innovation.
The problem is that none of these “reformers” was focused on the delivery and remixing of content/information as is the current fad. They also expressed overtly political ideas about the nature of democracy and civil action to make schools reflect our ideals.
Your idea of “teacher a hero” is really worth consideration; making the teacher a figure worth emulating, not just to his kids at home, but also in his school life.
How do you “make” someone a hero?
Can the teacher control the content of the curriculum? Do they have control over scheduling and are free of micromanagement and constant interference from above?
Those factors might make teaching more attractive.
Next week my students are doing their first live video webcast of a large district event. I hope it goes well because my biggest problem these days is that my district has started blocking many of the web resources I have been utilizing (blogs, chats, web streaming, etc). The rationale is that they want to eliminate any chance that students may be exposed to questionable content (while they are in school). I bet if teachers start attaining celebrity status that there would be some reason that leadership would come up with to have it blocked. I would take being “free of micromanagement and constant interference from above†over “Celebrity†status any day.
Just saw the Macworld keynote speech and one thing jumped out at me. As a new addition to Garageband, you can now get artist lessons where a musician teaches you to play his / her own songs. For example, you can play guitar with Sting as he teaches you how to play the song Roxanne. The package includes HD video instruction, synchronised notation and animated onscreen instruments(see http://www.apple.com/uk/ilife/garageband/).
Some of the artists involved include John Fogerty, Fallout Boy, Norah Jones, Colbie Caillat Ben Folds.
So, what do you reckon…..Global celebrity as teacher?