Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 2/2.3.1

Why Teach?

Introduction

This article will explain the importance and purpose of education. Furthermore, this article will explain the importance of teachers learning and teaching new technologies to students. The video link below contains vital information for future students and teachers alike.

"Did You Know"

Learning Target

By the end of this article you should be able to define and or explain:

• the purpose of education,
• the importance of education,
• and the importance of teachers learning and teaching new technologies to students.

Purpose of Education

One can think a long time on what it means to educate. For myself, I tried to remember what my teachers taught me. The definition of education is "to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of…"(2002). From this information we can agree that the purpose of education is to develop or teach knowledge, skill, and character to someone else. The better question is how does one develop and teach these qualities to a student?

The Importance of Education

John Dewey, the father of education, wrote, "Collateral learning may be more important than the actual lesson being learned"(1963, p. 48). According to Dewey, the importance of education it is to facilitate and collaborate with students to create a stronger learning experience for all (Dewey, 1963). Collaboration with students, parents, and faculty, will create a stronger learning atmosphere that will teach the students knowledge, skill, and character. With that in mind, which type of classroom will facilitate the importance of education in the best way possible, a student-centered classroom or a teacher-centered classroom?

John Dewey said, “Collateral learning…may be and often is more important than the actual lesson being learned”(1963, p. 48).

A student-centered classroom is the type of classroom where students learn from each other and make sense of their own experiences and information collaboratively(Tapscott, 1999). A student-centered classroom can accommodate collateral and communal learning. This type of classroom is not the only type of classroom that will teach knowledge, skill, and character to students. A teacher-centered classroom is the type of classroom where the students sit and listen to the teacher(Tapscott, 1999). With that said, a teacher-centered classroom will teach, but it may not engage all of the students in the class like a student-centered classroom is capable of. A student-centered classroom teaches students at their own pace, in a unique way for each student. A student-centered classroom is more likely to educate all students, including the students who are distanced from other students due to the Digital Divide (Tapscott, 1999).

The Digital Divide is the division that happens amongst all humans. This divide occurs because some people can afford to have a technology and learn basic technological skills, while others do not have access to technology or technological skills. The people most likely affected by the Digital Divide are the people low-income (2000). In a study done by Don Tapscott, a noted author of education, he found that the most effective way to teach students in the Digital Divide was through student-centered learning (Tapscott, 1999).

Therefore, the importance of education is to teach all students; collateral and communal learning works best for educating all students in a student-centered classroom. Communal learning reaches students in the Digital Divide while other learning avenues do not (Tapscott, 1999). With communal learning, all students can develop the skills of knowledge, skill, and character at their own pace. That is the importance of education, to teach all of these skills in the best way possible to all students. In the end, the importance of education is to teach all students and learn full-circle in the classroom, which is one of the main purposes of education, to teach and learn and be taught again.

The Importance of Teachers Learning and Teaching New Technology

Now we know that purpose of teaching is to teach knowledge, skill, and character in the best way possible, and the importance of education is to teach those skills to all students. What is the importance of teachers learning and teaching new technologies? Scott Meech, a teacher and noted author of educational journals said, "Even if we don’t prefer to use a new technology, we need to know the students will use them”(Meech, 2007). With that said teachers need to remember that even if a student knows how to use tools of technology that it does not mean that the student knows how to utilize the tool for education’s sake.

“By 2010 new information is predicted to double every 3 days and it is now said that a supercomputer’s compatibilities now exceed that of the human brain” (Fisch and McLeod, 2006).

As teachers, we need to know that the way of the world is pushing toward new, better technologies. Therefore, we are preparing students for jobs, majors, and technologies that do not even exist yet, for problems we do not even know are problems yet (Fisch and McLeod, 2006). This means it is our responsibility as teachers to teach students information while integrating technology as much as we can, this way our students will be prepared for whatever the world throws at them. With that said, the importance of teachers learning and teaching new technology is so students can learn information through the newest, most up-to-date technology possible. Then, students can go out into the real world with the information necessary to succeed along with the skills to use the newest technology known to man.

Why I think teachers should teach

I think teachers should teach because there is a lot of information available at our student's fingertips, but I do not think students care to learn about any of the information available to them. With that said, I think it is our job as teachers to teach students all the knowledge we know; hopefully, we will inspire students to learn on their own and teach others. As teachers we help mold our future leaders so, it is up to us to guide our future leaders into the 22nd century. I believe teachers should teach to help our youth learn all the knowledge of today to help create a better future for tomorrow.

"Tomorrow is not waiting for the teachers to teach, the teachers need to teach for tomorrow to be born in our students"-Genese Gee

Conclusion

The purpose of education is to cultivate and hone students' skill and knowledge to a higher place than it was before they stepped into the classroom. It is important to do so because all students should have an opportunity to learn and teach others what they have learned on a daily basis. This process of learning should be done in the best way possible. Currently, the best way possible is through collateral, student-centered, technology-integrated classrooms. If this task takes place in every classroom, then all of the students will certainly have a brighter future for tomorrow.

References

(2000). Online Content for Low Income and Undeserved Americans; Digital Divides New Frontier. A Strategic Audit of Activities and Opportunities, Retrieved February 4, 2009, from https://www.blackboard.odu.edu/courses/1/200820_SPRING_ECI430_27060/content/_1410230_1/embedded/DigitalDividesNewFrontier.pdf?bsession=31682963&bsession_str=session_id=31682963,user_id_pk1=62926472,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=.

(2002). The Meaning of Education. Teacher's Mind Resources, Retrieved February 4, 2009, from http://www.teachersmind.com/education.htm

Dewey, J. (1963). Experience and Education. London: Collier Books.

Fisch, Karl., & McLeod, Scott. (2006). Did You Know. shifthappens.wikispaces.com

Meech, Scott (2007; April 7). What Teachers Must Know to Help Students Know. Educators' eZine.

Tapscott, Don (1999).Educating the Net Generation. Educational Leadership . 5, 6-11,56.

Questions

1. How should a teacher learn and teach new technologies?

A. they would learn new technologies and integrate the new technology into the classroom as often as possible

B. they might Google new technologies every month and inform the students of the new technology

C. they might use power points for every class talking about new technology

D. the teacher might order new technology for a classroom every year to use in their class

E. they might integrate technology whenever the tools are available

2. What is the purpose of education?

A. to develop learning skills

B. to develop knowledge, skill and character

C. to develop communication skills

D. to develop skills to use in society and a profession

E. to develop skills to use outside of the classroom

3. What is the importance of education?

A. to make a child smarter

B. to have fun and teach kids at the same time

C. to teach all students in a way they understand

D. to make students learn in unique ways

E. to teach the curriculum in a unique way to students

4. Why is it important for teachers to learn and teach new technology?

A. because students need to know what the most up-to-date technology is

B. because it is important

C. because teachers need to know the most up-to-date technology to keep up with the times

D. because students deserve to learn through the highest form of technology possible so they can succeed later in life

E. because students deserve the best type of education

5. How might a successful technology-integrated classroom look?

A. the students would be playing video games

B. the teacher would be teaching via monitor on the wall

C. the students would all have computers

D. the teacher would teach via smart board every class

E. the teacher would be discussing how to integrate a new piece of technology for the next assignment

Answers

1. A. (they would learn new technologies and integrate the new technology into the classroom as often as possible)

2. B. (to develop knowledge, skill, and character)

3. C. (to teach all students in a way they understand)

4. D. (because students deserve to learn through the highest form of technology possible so they can succeed later in life)

5. E. (the teacher would be discussing how to integrate a new piece of technology for the next assignment)

Reader ResponseTbandy001 (talk) 01:44, 15 April 2009 (UTC) I agree that the digital divide is a big problem in low income families and that's too bad because it shouldn't. I feel like we are all human beings and we all deserve the same opportunities as the next person. And because this problem does exist the best thing you can do as a teacher is make the environment student centered because you never know how far some else has come or what's going on in their home. But all of that should not take away from the students education or potential to excel.