Survival in the Days of Internet of Education (IoEd) Re-skilling of a Teacher -1

As technology conquers new and existing space, school teachers have to rethink their roles.  Technology might at least dis-intermediate if not make teachers irrelevant.

So teachers need to re-skill and redraw their talents. Teachers have to assimilate technological skills to avoid being termed 'obsolete'. Teachers have to be not just efficient but technically effective. Pedagogic excellence has not just to be about presentation but about networking a whole host of devices. Connectivity blurs the membrane between class room study and self study.  

Teachers have to be of an 'Internet-park' mindset with disruptive thinking and an innovative approach. Learning in class room has to be data driven and evidence based. Critical thinking has to be analytically supported. Students have to be taught to sift from the millions of driblets of info packs that seep through the internet during.  Every student can access the same set of info packs but a successful teacher would be able to guide them to interpret these in real time.

Irrespective of the subject taught, teachers have to master the social media communication skills as much as written and oral communication. Visual media is most effective . Teachers have develop new delivery patterns, thus redrafting both teaching and learning. There will be alternative channels to deliver value.

Where IoEd will force new learning and teaching changes:

Changes	Examples
1. Internet based Learning and Courses	To be conversant with MOOCs, Khan Academy or similar; A rather irreverent approach to teaching
2. Educational Pedagogy Shifts
3. Development of communication skills	Teacher -to-student communication through telecommunication media
	Peer Communication through technology and community forums.
4. Electronic library usage	Existing and self developed  substitutes for books and journals; Reading and noting  from online journals; Using electronic Wikipedia
5. Data Mining - Sifting through large volumes	Analytic Skills ; Interpretative Skills
6. Connectivity issues Networking devices	Linkages to expert systems
7. Virtual Conferencing	Virtual conferences or forums
8. Incubator based simulated learning	e laboratiries, technically proficient
9. Involvement in e based research projects	Shared research  analysis of information
10. Peer networking	Innovative and result oriented exchanges  of experience and information via synchronous and asynchronous modes.

Note: These strands of thought are a part of the research work being undertaken by the author on the Internet of Education in Emerging Economies. 

Copyright of this article and its contents vests with the author of this blog: Jayaram Nayar. He can be contacted at email: jaynayar@gmail.com