Is there a need for teachers?

Yes,

This is later than I would like. But it seems to me that I have only now begun to think in a more comprehensive way about this course in general, and the assignments in particular.  Anyway, this is to record my thoughts and feelings about the material.

I begin by saying that when I first encountered Dr.Mitra, it was courtesy of the friend I alluded to in my group e-mail.  My friend is the kind of person I consider unique in his own way.  He worked in the airline industry for over 20 years, then one day, just quit, got  his A'Levels and by his forties had done his first degree and was teaching at his alma mater-an all boys secondary school.  In the intervening years, he has done his Master's degree in English, and continues to undergo teacher training.  Last year, he-with his wife and son-went to China for dragon boat racing.

I mention him because he is very much like his own version of Dr. Mitra's students.  His medium of instruction was not the computer screen so much, but the world of books and the worlds he encountered through his travels.  In his own way, he believes that teachers stifle the growth of their students because they do not want them to reach beyond their own versions of life.  He firmly believes that schools as we know them indoctrinate, instead of educating for the future or leading to enlightenment for the present.  Yes, he finds that schools are useless.

Me?  When he sends me stuff like this, it is easy for me to agree.  Then I realise that a great part of teaching these days is that many teachers stop learning after their degrees!  I once met one who didn't want to do a Shakespeare text because she hadn't done it at school or university-so she 'had no notes' to teach with!!! You cannot teach what you do not know.  Many teachers distrust such 'intangibles' like student-centered learning or collaboration, simply because it means that students will have to take their learning into their own hands. Let me say though, that there are means and ways and subjects in which teacher-guidance is definitely required.  I refer here to subjects like the sciences and technical-vocational subjects.

The advent of ICTs means that we have to be humble and serve the learning process. We can no longer control it.  The research alluded to in the articles indicates that students learn and function in ways far more differently. How does one say that the changes are more than intergenerational?  Change seems to take place every decade instead of every 30 year generational span.  I feel better now about the idea about just leaving students with material and asking for their interpretation...all I might be doing is stipulating the extent to which I would like them to use ICTs...