In today's society, teachers are constantly under judgement. Each week, numerous editorials and articles are published from the NY Times, to USA Today, to the LA times.

George Siemens has a much different theory of learning that I have read before- the theory of Connectivism. After consulting his article, entitled:Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, I came up with my own theory of a teacher of today. I believe that teachers of today are coaches in numerous ways.

Each coach needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of each individual player. In addition, a coach needs to know how to help the team work together to be successful. My personal philosophy of Education is that we as teachers need to meet the students where they are, and focus on them as individuals to help them achieve in the classroom. At one point in the article, Siemens states that, "Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities" This stresses the need for flexibility and response to trends in the classroom. A coach needs to be responsive to the other team in order to try to stay on top during a game, and train players to be successful in various situations. I believe that in order to prepare our students for the twenty first century, the students need to be able to be flexible, and cooperate with others.

A video featuring Siemens, called The Network Is Learning , has Siemens stating "That network I create is what enables to me continue to stay current." A network is not something that you can instantly create. Establishing a network takes tools, in this case--web 2.0 tools, and an understanding of how to use those tools to the best interests and practices of your field at the forefront of your mind. A good coach knows that the game is continually changing and evolving, as new players show up on rosters and change the dynamics of individual plays, and team chemistry as well. As our students enter the world beyond public education, they need to be prepared for what awaits them. By modeling and teaching tools for web-based networking, and coaching htem on the practical applications

On a side note, one quote that resonated from the video was that, " If I'm not continuing learning, I am becoming obsolete in my particular field." This has been particularly relevant in my professional life over the past few weeks, and has me currently searching for webinars and online conferences to find fresh, new ideas!