Bradshaw

Bradshaw presents a good point in her article, " A social constructivist learning approach: The value of collaborative learning projects as educational methodologies." Collaborative learning could have so many benefits if it could be implemented effectively. The idea that you could have a partner school in another country to discuss your projects with is quite unbelievable really. Being able to share this type of information is something that would have only been dreamt of a few years ago.

The idea though that the teachers will not be seen to be as valuable as they have been is plausible but I think is a little over the top. The teachers role may change slightly but they are still the ones in charge and are still presenting the work to the students in the first place. How will the class go on without the supervision of a teacher or teachers for that matter. This type of learning just allows students to engage with the work in a different way. Allowing them to be in control of their work with a different edge to it. It will also be encouraging students to take some responsibility for their own learning, which is what we as teachers are supposed to be encouraging, especially with all the distractions there are in the world today with computer games, television, mobile phones, playstation, x-box and the list goes on. Having the oppinion of a teacher is reassuring to most students, and questions they have are more easily answered and understood when a teacher is there to answer them. A teacher reinforces what the child needs to know or what they already know the answer to.

Some students obviously work faster than others and school curriculum can vary slightly as well. In this case the school curriculum would have to change, especially for the more technologically talented students or "Digital Natives" as we like to refer to them as.

Teaching nowadays is supposed to be about catering for the diverse learning abilities and mutliple intelligences that any suggestions to an improved learning environment should be encouraged and trialed. This is what we as teachers are taught and are supposed to be teaching. Bradshaw makes some relevant and remarkable points however i do not agree to all of them in the way of a teacher being absent in a classroom setting.