Put me in the game, Coach!

In his book Avatars of the Word, James Joseph O�Donnell speculates on what the real roles of educators will be in an information-rich world:

[It will be] to advise, guide, and encourage students wading through the deep waters of the information flood. [Educators] will thrive as mentors, tutors, backseat drivers, and coaches. They will use the best skill they have . . . to nudge, push, and sometimes pull students through the educationally crucial tasks of processing information: analysis, problem solving, and synthesis of ideas. These are the heart of education, and these are the activities on which our time can best be spent. (O'Donnell, 1998, p. 156)

I feel completely comfortable with the concept as stated by O'Donnell.  He seems to believe that the role of educators is morphing into something completely different than what it is now and I agree.  O'Donnell foresaw these changes in 1998 and we are starting to feel the impact of this idea now in 2013.  I have always said that I am my students' biggest cheerleader.  I support the things they do and celebrate their advances.  These are behaviors that I imagine would be part of coaching.  Being a backseat driver is an interesting idea for teaching. Most teachers are used to "driving" the class and taking students on a journey that they are leading.  Utilizing O'Donnell's ideas, teachers would take on a different role; it would be one of correcting.  Nudging, pushing, pulling, cajoling, sometimes outright bribing students encourages them to success.  With current technology, students are able to make discoveries about the world around them through streaming video and credible websites.  It is now our role to encourage students to do something with the knowledge they have gained.  Students are expected to be thinkers not just good memorizers.  We need to work with them so that they can analyze and evaluate...and in the end become creators of new knowledge and technologies.

 Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 1. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/