Teachers Matter

For the immediate future, what we can best tell about the most effective teachers is that they will help students most by accentuating facilitation of the thinking, problem solving processes that help them learn how-to- learn.

So ends the 2-part article The Changing Roles of Teachers by Stronge, Grant, and Xu.
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One of the first things you'll note about any classroom management strategy, whether it includes a focus on technology or not, is that it really is a good classroom management strategy no matter what's happening in that classroom.
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So begins the instruction in the video Classroom Management in a Technology Infused Classroom by the Waukesha Tech Integration Team.
The article How Deeper Learning can Create a New Vision for Teaching lists the following competencies when defining Deeper Learning:

• Master core academic content
• Think critically and solve complex problems
• Work collaboratively
• Communicate effectively
• Learn how to learn
• Develop an academic mindset

A common thread through these resources is that, while the definition of an effective teacher may be shifting, effective teaching is still at the heart of learning. I’m part of an ISTE certification cohort, and admit to being a little amused that several of my colleagues reference the changes they have experienced in the 7, 12, 15, 20 years since they began teaching. Their individual stories of continuous learning and adaptation are inspiring, instructional, and admirable, and the rate of change they reference is constantly increasing. I find some irony in the recollection that when I first walked into a 6th grade classroom nearly 40 years ago, the one competency on the deeper learning list that I did not even consider was mastery of core academic content. The only content related strategy that I had been exposed to was coverage of the textbook. But I intuitively and intentionally addressed the other competencies through deep questioning, group and individual projects, stimulating curiosity, and encouraging my students to learn deeply rather than broadly.
A watershed moment for me occurred at the annual ISTE conference several years ago when I heard Ian Jukes relate Moore's Law to what he described as the "exponential rate of change" in educational technology. I was able to let go of the concept that I had to keep up with all the new tools and devices.
The exponential rate of change also applies to the amount of information/content in the world. Clearly, the role of teacher as source of content is no longer applicable - if it ever was. But the role of teacher is still significant in the learning process. This quote from Jenny Pieratt's article in a recent edition of ASCD's Education Update sums it up well:  For a new PBL adopter, this instruction may look pretty similar to what was done traditionally—perhaps a science lab, maybe a mini-lesson or short lecture, or even a video or webquest. It is my observation that with more experience designing and facilitating PBL we begin to see less traditional, "stand and deliver" approaches to instruction, but that shift is hard, and we need to give teachers the time and space to let go of the things they behold. As they become copilots to students' deeper learning, teachers will undoubtedly become more committed to nontraditional teaching practices, but we need to be sure they experience success first. Avoiding anarchy by upholding their important role in the process of learning is crucial!