Eduporium co-founder, Irina Tuule, is discussing how the role of the teacher has evolved from what it once was to what it has become today. Shifts in the resources available to educators, in the way the economy works, and in the ways in which students learn have all prompted necessary changes to the methods educators use to teach. They're no longer perched at the front of the classroom using the sage on the stage model and they're typically not helping from afar by using the guide on the side model either. These days, teachers have become true facilitators of learning and this style has helped their students get the most out of learning by becoming an active part of it.
STEM tools allow both students and teachers to learn how to become better learners. By taking advantage of the characteristics of these tools and their potential for activating creativity, teachers become more equipped to lead the kind of learning that today's students need. Rather than lecturing for an entire class period or nudging students in the right direction, as facilitators of learning, educators genuinely play a part in helping children assess, discover, analyze, collaborate, and problem solve. And, it's this kind of learning that is ideal in both 21st century classrooms and for students to experience in order to obtain success in 21st century careers.