Student/Learner 3.0: “The Teacher”
Posted by Tanski in Thoughts, tags: learner, student, teacherI was shown the YouTube video Student/Learner today and I didn’t quite understand it at first. Check it out before you read anymore.
As I said earlier, I didn’t quite understand it at first, so I discussed it with some of my peers. I had the question- if the teacher can play the learner and the learner can play the teacher, can the student interchange with both of those or none at all?
I was answered with no and yes. No being that my peers thought the student couldn’t be a teacher because the student couldn’t teach–he was just the student. Also, they said a student “stays a student” until he wants to learn–then he becomes a “learner.” On the other hand, they said a student could be a teacher because he could tell others about what he knows. He can be a learner the moment he decides to learn. I made this mental cycle in my mind.
Notice that the arrows start from teacher, go to student, and then learner, and it repeats. I examined this video for a while longer, and came to the conclusion that a student becomes a learner and learns things. When he is full of knowledge, he becomes a teacher (This doesn’t have to be a job, maybe one person talking to another person) and then the teacher becomes a student again and the cycle repeats. After I thought about this for a while, I realized you go from any one role to another, not exactly in the order I had. Its more like this:
Notice now the arrows go in both directions. So I conclude that you can go any direction in the cycle and you can always change. Remember to be like the girl on the right in the video and always be ready to learn and change!
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Thanks for taking up the challenge to think about this concept further. I hope all
studentslearners will think about the differences (and similarities) between teachers, student, and learners.We all play each role at different times. I view the “student” as one who waits to be given the answers and wants the teacher to open up their heads and pour in the information. The “learner” on the other hand is stimulated to find the answers on their own. Good teachers work as facilitators in the process. Good teachers also know it’s all about the learning and not about the teaching. Just because something has been taught does not mean that it’s been learned.
Forgot this: Keep up the good thinking!
I think a student is someone who has made the conscious decision to learn. Learners are those who obtain new knowledge, either intentionally or unintentionally. Those who make the decision to teach are not likely to be successful if they are not also active learners.
I loved your comment “when he is full of knowledge”. If we could be so fortunate!!
I’m glad you’re pondering this, Tanski. Here’s my take on the video: If we expect students in school to be only “students” — as defined by the video — then all we expect is for them to take in only what teachers give. If we expect students in school to be “learners,” we transform school… Learners seek new knowledge, ask questions, and create new understandings about things that are meaningful to them. Learners can go so much further than students in their education.
Being learners are what keep us interested and interesting throughout life. There is always someone who has more knowledge and experience than we do, and we are lucky to be able to share their expertise and develop our skills. Think about how boring we would be if we stopped learning at any point in our lives.