MVP 6-Kay

Quote: “While this means that teachers cannot take the traditional role of ‘expert’, this role is shared with students; it does not imply that teachers adopt an ‘anything goes’ response to media and popular culture. When engaging students with critical media literacy, teachers must try to move fluidly between roles, ranging from that of learner to that of guide, and sometimes ‘’authority.”

— Gaine Gainer, J. (2007).

Social critique and pleasure: Critical media literacy with popular culture texts 

Roles of Teachers

               I agree that teachers play multiple roles while teaching. For my own understanding, the role of learner means to learn from students. In the class, not only do students learn from teachers, but also teachers learn from students. This is where the “differentiation” strategy presents. As long as knowing and understanding the student’s individual needs, teachers are able to accessing their thoughts and offering help to them. Next, the role of guide is based on the role learner. According to students’ needs, teachers are capable of directing them to achieve their goals. I think that is why “group discussion” activity is teachers’ favorite. During group discussion, teachers can walk around and check if the students digest the knowledge. If not, they can lead them to see things in different angles. I remember that from last class, when our group got stuck on the case’s problem, professor Doucet raised a question in order to guide us think in different way. As result, we came up several key effects of the case study in the end.  Finally, I would say the role of “authority” is for teacher to examine if the materials are appropriate and relevant to the class. If yes, then teachers can use the materials to present the concepts. For example, I learned the strategy, “read aloud”, from last week. I knew that using story to present concepts and ideas are able to motivate young kids learning in class. Such “flexible roles of teachers” make me feel that as educators, we not only educating knowledge to students, we also help them to realize and develop their full potential in life.