The Next Revolution is Human
Richard Gerver, 2018
“As we come to terms with the digital revolution and become more comfortable with our role in it, I sense that we are coming to realize that technology is as incredible as it is inevitable, but that the answer to continued progress, within education and beyond, lies in people.
Richard Gerver, 2018
“As we come to terms with the digital revolution and become more comfortable with our role in it, I sense that we are coming to realize that technology is as incredible as it is inevitable, but that the answer to continued progress, within education and beyond, lies in people.
Google uses technology to empower humanity and make it better, not to usurp it. Indeed, when they researched their own success through Project Oxygen, they discovered eight key characteristics of their outstanding leaders, ranked in the following order of importance:
1. They're good coaches.
2. They empower their team and don't micro-manage.
3. They express interest in their team members' success and personal well-being.
4. They are productive and results-oriented.
5. They're good communicators and they listen to the team.
6. They help employees with career development.
7. They have a clear vision and strategy for the team.
8. They have key technical skills that help them advise the team.
1. They're good coaches.
2. They empower their team and don't micro-manage.
3. They express interest in their team members' success and personal well-being.
4. They are productive and results-oriented.
5. They're good communicators and they listen to the team.
6. They help employees with career development.
7. They have a clear vision and strategy for the team.
8. They have key technical skills that help them advise the team.
For me, it has always been interesting that even at the heart of a high-tech environment like Google, technical skills rank 8th―the top seven are all about human behaviors. It also strikes me that if we were to do the same thing with teachers, no matter what they teach, the list should look pretty much the same.”
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In response to the above and in reflection to my teaching, I find that the following are some possible ways to inculcate human touch in teaching:
1. Provide opportunities for practice of new skills. Guide and give feedback during the learning process so that students improve their output. All students value feedback.
2. Give students the opportunity to solve problems using their own creativity instead of spelling it out for them .They are more than capable. Let them use google on their phones to look things up.
3. Be lenient and be willing to listen to students’ concerns about their personal problems or problems in completing assignments. This encourages mature and open communication.
4. Share learning outcomes at the beginning of the semester, as well as at the beginning of every class so that students have concrete goals to achieve at every session.
5. Give students the opportunity to communicate in class with their group members. Have class discussions to encourage respect for other people’s perspectives and points of view and to engage in critical thinking.
6. Give students opportunities to lead in a team by giving a role or responsibility to every member based on individual strengths, ie: leader (ideas), manager (people), editor (language), secretary (organizing), personal relations/media officer (communication), research/data manager (knowledge).
7. Share easy strategies that help students achieve goals and learning outcomes for the course but let them choose which strategies to use.
8. Introduce online tools like google docs, padlet and also recent technology tools to improve online collaboration and technical skills.
In response to the above and in reflection to my teaching, I find that the following are some possible ways to inculcate human touch in teaching:
1. Provide opportunities for practice of new skills. Guide and give feedback during the learning process so that students improve their output. All students value feedback.
2. Give students the opportunity to solve problems using their own creativity instead of spelling it out for them .They are more than capable. Let them use google on their phones to look things up.
3. Be lenient and be willing to listen to students’ concerns about their personal problems or problems in completing assignments. This encourages mature and open communication.
4. Share learning outcomes at the beginning of the semester, as well as at the beginning of every class so that students have concrete goals to achieve at every session.
5. Give students the opportunity to communicate in class with their group members. Have class discussions to encourage respect for other people’s perspectives and points of view and to engage in critical thinking.
6. Give students opportunities to lead in a team by giving a role or responsibility to every member based on individual strengths, ie: leader (ideas), manager (people), editor (language), secretary (organizing), personal relations/media officer (communication), research/data manager (knowledge).
7. Share easy strategies that help students achieve goals and learning outcomes for the course but let them choose which strategies to use.
8. Introduce online tools like google docs, padlet and also recent technology tools to improve online collaboration and technical skills.
As an educator, I believe that human touch and human talent are the most essential components of 21st century teaching - not technology per se
