Teacher, Facilitator, Moderator

A Teachers Role:
At all levels teachers play a very active role throughout the learning in of the students.

Helping learners to authenticate learning – making links to curriculum learning, interests, existing knowledge; to harness curiosity, love of learning. There is a good article about the Teachers Role and one thing I picked up was “If the teacher feels joy of feels anger, it will be spread among children because the attitudes of the teacher gets contagious. If the teacher laughs, students also laugh, why? Because teachers are responsible for the social behavior in the classroom.” It’s so interesting to know that the teachers mood affects the learners as well. Which might not be the case with online teaching environment!

A facilitator is an individual who's job is to help to manage a process of information exchange. While an expert's" role is to offer advice, particularly about the content of a discussion, the facilitator's role is to help with HOW the discussion is proceeding. Interesting reading on the Role of a Facilitator. The definition of facilitate is "to make easy" or "ease a process". What a facilitator does is plan, guide and manage a group event to ensure that the group's objectives are met effectively, with clear thinking, good participation and full buy-in from everyone who is involved.

The Moderator should:
· Introduce the topic of the session and the participants
· Manage the general discussion, make comments on the content of the presentation, identifying strengths and weaknesses, highlighting issues not fully addressed by the participants, asking questions to clarify the content, etc.
· Ensure good timekeeping so that there are no delays or over-runs;
· Summarise the main conclusions at the end of the session.

Moderators are generally accorded additional powers to enforce forum rules and conduct administrative tasks that cannot be trusted to ordinary users.

Difference
A teacher is a person who imparts knowledge or skill through instruction or example while a learning facilitator is one who creates an environment in which someone can come to know something, acquire knowledge, or to gain information.

Reference Reading

1.) http://infolit.unitecnology.ac.nz/3doors/teachers_role.php
2.) http://work911.com/articles/facil.htm
3.) http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/RoleofAFacilitator.htm
4.) http://www.oecd.org/document/18/0,3343,en_21571361_39644413_39717458_1_1_1_1,00.html
5.) http://www.bluehostforum.com/showthread.php?t=19
6.) http://nethowto.net/inquisitive/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=2