Are teachers necessary?

Are teachers necessary?

Good teachers are, yes. School is about more then learning new material, it's about doing so in combination with the real-life application and experience of said material. A good teacher will provide both challenge and experience (real-life, hands-on approach) to their lessons and additionally, provide the students perspective they otherwise would not gain from simulations or studies, alone.

Originally posted by LadySkadi

Are teachers necessary?

Good teachers are, yes. School is about more then learning new material, it's about doing so in combination with the real-life application and experience of said material. A good teacher will provide both challenge and experience (real-life, hands-on approach) to their lessons and additionally, provide the students perspective they otherwise would not gain from simulations or studies, alone.

edit on 22-4-2011 by LadySkadi because: (no reason given)

well your post is pretty vague. why can't students still be challenged in an online environment? and if they are still tested, then they would still be applying 'said' material in a more direct, hands on style. remember, the teachers are still real, the experience is still a part of real life, its just a different learning environment. i suggest you watch the ted video i posted on the previous page about the founder of the khan academy, it will give you a little more insight into the point. and if you don't mind, could you clarify what perspective the students are gaining that they wouldn't gain otherwise?

i'm not saying your wrong, i'm just debating with you

reply to post by emptyOmind

I can't watch video at the moment, but I will... For now, consider that good teachers will help students to bridge the gap between *what they've learned and *how to apply it, when it counts.

While it's true that there are many different approaches to teaching and they are all beneficial in some way or another, it doesn't trump actual application of said knowledge and for that, your teachers (those who can-do and have-done) are invaluable. This applies to all fields and examples in every situation can be found in which academic and situational experience will trump academic experience, alone.

Good teachers will bring that experience and creative solution, problem solving and adaptability to the classroom and prepare students for this, going forward. Good teachers will push students to think beyond what they have learned and good students will come to understand that in order to "get around" the rules or "make your own rules" you first have to learn the fundamentals.

I once had a Business Law professor that used to tell us "if you're going to steal, steal big" and then proceed to prove his point with real-world application, something that was not in the textbook ('erm... not that I'm promoting theft) the concept also applies to legal loopholes... The point is education and application are symbiotic. Or should be. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be the case, these days.

reply to post by emptyOmind


Yes but before you start axing the teachers plese take out the bloated admistiratibe burucracy of the public school system.

All pyramids are built from the bottom to the top take it down in the reverse order top to bottom.


That goes for all the other failing systems

reply to post by emptyOmind


i agree with the people above in saying that teachers are a great way to teach teenagers. I am currently in my last year of high school and alothough i am still taking subject that are not the most interesting of the available, it is the teachers passion that changes my views on certain subjects. As we grow up we are constantly influenced by our socalization. this is anything from cultural background to how are neighbours are. Teacher, who have been through the stages that a student is nowing going through can greatly impact on their lives in the sense that they can give advice on vertain angles to tkae per subject rather than getting sidetracked and learning about useless skills.

reply to post by Jesikaaah


thanks for the replies everyone, it was interesting to read them all. ya'll have given me some good points to consider. thanks for your time : D

Very surprised to only see a very little reference to the Khan Academy. I have recently visited the site and have found it very informative. Not only does it have something for all beginners as well to advanced and way advanced problems and videos to solve the problems presented within the site.

My two cents on needing a physical teacher, well ya I'm sure in certain cases some people need that human contact, and the re-assurance of another person, with a gold star an physical pat on the back. But myself I was a book learner that looked at my teachers like an audio book just rehashing what I has already read. And have spent many an hour watching video's now on the Khan website as well as talking the practice problems that go along with it and find that it has been an over the top helpfull tool in learning.

I as well feel the platform could end up being the future for sure, with a go to meeting, skype type format for that face to face feel as well as the idea exchange. I would hate to see all teachers be done in bye it, but I would feel that the governments of the world would love getting rid of the unions and the money used to keep them working. Maybe spend a little more on health care

reply to post by emptyOmind


I am cautious to use the word 'necessary', and would replace it with 'beneficial' for the reasons poster #2 (BioStatic I believe?) listed: social development, and whatnot.

That being said, I would like to present a thought I had. I have been visiting Khan Academy dot org for a few weeks now refreshing my memory on Trigonometry. Teachers and professors have to present the same topic multiple times per day, and they send you home with 'homework'. What if your 'homework' was to watch the lecture online, and during class-time you worked through examples with the teacher there for guidance. This would alleviate the teacher of presenting the same topic over and over, class-time would become more productive, if you missed a part of the lecture you could always replay it.

It seems modern school is completely backwards. Currently you go to school and get lectured at, and take home homework with problems. Imagine switching this around completely backwards, hearing the lecture at home and using school time to solidify your understanding of the topic.

*The only negative I can think of is that many students neglect homework altogether. Neglecting your homework in this case would mean you essentially missed the lecture, and mandatory class time would be wasted if nobody watched the lecture. *shrugs*

ETA: I have thought of a more concise way to put it. Videos can not offer the same assistance that class-time can, to problems and confusions with the lecture. This is exactly why the lecture itself should be presented in video format, so that any questions you do have can be asked in class. This way the full hour can be used for solidifying understanding, rather than the teacher lecturing and sending you home with problems, with which you have no assistance. *It was concise in my mind, its a different beast getting it out in words.

Originally posted by SaneThinking
Very surprised to only see a very little reference to the Khan Academy. I have recently visited the site and have found it very informative. Not only does it have something for all beginners as well to advanced and way advanced problems and videos to solve the problems presented within the site.

My two cents on needing a physical teacher, well ya I'm sure in certain cases some people need that human contact, and the re-assurance of another person, with a gold star an physical pat on the back. But myself I was a book learner that looked at my teachers like an audio book just rehashing what I has already read. And have spent many an hour watching video's now on the Khan website as well as talking the practice problems that go along with it and find that it has been an over the top helpfull tool in learning.

I as well feel the platform could end up being the future for sure, with a go to meeting, skype type format for that face to face feel as well as the idea exchange. I would hate to see all teachers be done in bye it, but I would feel that the governments of the world would love getting rid of the unions and the money used to keep them working. Maybe spend a little more on health care

thanks for your input, but the khan academy is an integral part of this post, i posted the entire 20 minute TED lecture from the creater of the khan academy, in case you didn't see that

reply to post by IntegratedInstigator


i wholeheartedly agree, i think that's exactly how it should be

reply to post by queenofsheba


So then shouldn't we remove the tests, which are useless and vapid, and get back to actually teaching hte subject rather than test answers?

Interesting thread.

I would say that rather than "teachers vs. no teachers," the debate should be about how to reform the system. This would probably mean "fewer teachers." People don't like the Orwellian connotations (and believe me, they make me more than a bit nervous myself), but is sitting in front of a TV screen really all that worse than spacing out to a dull lecture, provided the content is on the level? When you consider the fiscal crisis underway, too, its soon going to come to a stark choice of "cut or die" for school districts everywhere. Why not use technology to the fullest?

Originally posted by TheWalkingFox
reply to post by queenofsheba

 

So then shouldn't we remove the tests, which are useless and vapid, and get back to actually teaching hte subject rather than test answers?

Hmm, good question. Testing, at the surface, seems to be an integral part of confirming that the knowledge has been passed down. The correct question might be, 'can we improve testing in any way'; in the context of this thread, would it be in congruence with the khan academy method of teaching? When the homework becomes schoolwork, and the school lecture becomes home study......... what then becomes of testing?

*Star for positing a heady question.

Good teachers are like diamonds in a sewer, my experience at both school and post school learning is that most are inept at actually teaching.
Some are sociopaths and worse and children are sent to their clutches every day.
If members here related their horror stories from school we would seriously ask ourselves if we should send chidren to school.
The subject of getting on with others was brought up , but sometimes its better being alone than experiencing the hate of others,and many children are scarred for life by the cruelty of other children espescially in the teenage years,the best advice is to interview the school before sending your children to a potential hell.
kids will put up with the worst torment sometimes and not tell their parents.
How many leave school early because of bad teachers and environment?
Anyway great thread.

Originally posted by Dr Expired
Good teachers are like diamonds in a sewer, my experience at both school and post school learning is that most are inept at actually teaching.
Some are sociopaths and worse and children are sent to their clutches every day.
If members here related their horror stories from school we would seriously ask ourselves if we should send chidren to school.
The subject of getting on with others was brought up , but sometimes its better being alone than experiencing the hate of others,and many children are scarred for life by the cruelty of other children espescially in the teenage years,the best advice is to interview the school before sending your children to a potential hell.
kids will put up with the worst torment sometimes and not tell their parents.
How many leave school early because of bad teachers and environment?
Anyway great thread.

I was a kid who moved around a lot, saw a lot of schools. I went to a combination of four elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high schools, and did summer school twice.

I have had exactly one bad teacher in the entire time; Mrs. Oruzu, my 6th grade general science teacher. She was insane, and most of the students had a better science education than she did; that was her first and last year teaching there. Nine schools. Twelve grades. And out of all of it, exactly one bad teacher.

reply to post by TheWalkingFox


Iam glad for you, but I had perhapsthree good teachers at High School, two English Teechers, the other a Maths teacher , both the English Teachers were female.
In between the two good English teachers I had a BAD female English teacher , I went from a top grade yearly result under the good teacher to a bottom grade result with the bad teacher, she even accussed me of calling her an expletive B*** and reported me to the Headmaster.
I was nearly expelled and what I said to the Headmaster was true 'I thought it but i never said it" the exact words , I had a witness who knows nothing was said but he was ignored.
Luckily I changed schools and finished with the Highest grade again.
I wanted to be a writer, perhaps a journalist , but the only school I could attend after 16 was the school I left as at the time I was living in a small town.
So I did a trade , something I hated, but I stuck it out, and then I realised I was in effect a prostitute.
My point is bad teachers should be sacked on the spot, I wish this one had been, she hated me , and gave a kid who had won short story competitions a D grade average.
She tried to get me expelled for thinking something she somehow received, and effectively changed my possible future, by her cowardly ineptness.
The last good English teacher told my parents I was a talented writer ,I used to love writing fiction, but instead as a sixteen year old I couldn't face going back and getting persecuted .
But that is my sob story.
I could add I was caned six times by a Headmaster for something I plainly couldn't have done , he broke the cane midway, and cooly got out another weapon from his cupboard and finished the job, swinging the last two strokes harder and harder ,as if the new cane gave him added power.
But Fook them always.
That was a long time ago.