Being an educator isn’t about what you do; it’s about who you are. The best teachers and educators are those who bring their personality, passion, and experience into the classroom — they don’t just teach about a subject, they open up a conversation that includes themselves and us, the learners. For such an educator the classroom becomes a think tank — a place where learning from each other becomes the norm and not the exception. In this co-created space an educator becomes a facilitator. A facilitator of learning guides and assists students in learning for themselves – picking apart ideas, forming their own thoughts about them, and owning material through self-exploration and dialogue.
To bring about a reform in educational systems one needs to understand the role of facilitator. The traditional pedagogical teaching approach emphasizes the role of the teacher as the holder of the wisdom; facilitation puts the onus on the participants to become involved in their own learning. This collaborative approach reinforces more of the 70% in the 70/20/10 formula — 70% of what we learn is on the job and through our experiences. For learners, this is their reality. A good facilitator is one who is a connector and integrator, the glue that brings the collective experiences of the classroom together in a shared learning experience.
The focus of our work with more and more schools is to re-imagine classrooms and teacher facilitation using the Arts.We invite educators, teachers, and heads of institutions to explore this with us as we bring our programs to schools and learning spaces across the country. If enough of us will just think together about reimagining the way we all learn and take steps in converting these to actions, these efforts and ideas to reform education for all will become a reality. If a “critical mass” to shift to a well-established alternative is achieved, a new alternative does not just automatically displace older alternatives, it provides more choices.
And As John Dewey, philosopher & psychologist says, “Art is not the possession of the few who are recognized writers, painters, musicians; it is the authentic expression of any and all individuality. Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. Art is the most effective mode of communications that exists.”
Source: SnehadharaBlog