Tiffany LeBlanc

Rethinking the Roles of Teachers

The first section of The Horizon Report talks about the change that teachers are
facing with the amount of increased technology. Teachers are expected to be very
familiar with technology, which in turn means that they themselves are never finished
learning. This alters the teachers traditional role of primary authority to a guide. It is
becoming more common to institute flipped classrooms, where videos are watched
outside the classroom and activities done inside. This approach allows more one-on-
one interaction between student and teacher; as opposed to a lecture with questions
interjected by the students. As a result of the more intimate learning experience,
students seem to be able to retain more on a deeper level. It helps to encourage
stronger, deeper research endeavours. Also, it allows for students to have a larger role
in how they learn, as opposed to a vast generalized learning system, they can find ways
of teaching themselves how they learn best. Alternatively, it is also relying on the self-
motivation on the students part, procrastination being a major challenge. It can also be
aided by the use of tablets and other types of electronics. We, as upcoming teachers,
need to embrace the changes that are coming to us. We have to keep on top of the
changes in the technology and adapt, making the learning experience as enriching as
possible for students