After viewing this YouTube video by Joshua Bloom, I was irritated, no offense to Mr. Bloom, it’s a personal irritation.

So to “teach” is to:

• explain
• accept fact
• give information or instruction
• cause someone to learn or understand
• induce by example or punishment to do or not to do something

A “teacher” is:

• one who teaches

To “educate” is to:

• enlighten
• illuminate
• empower

An “educator” is someone who:

• inspires intellectual, moral & social instructions
• mentor
• an experienced and trusted adviser/guide
• shows the way

I have two classes in Tapped In; and I have:

1. “given information or instruction” on how to log in, use the chats, discussion forum, reply to others…
2. “caused someone to learn or understand…” how to have an online presence, how to create a post either individually or via a group, how to collaborate via chat…
3. “induced by example or punishment not to do something…” by providing examples of appropriate replies and inappropriate replies, created 4 firm and fast rules about spamming, interfering with others chats, being totally off-topic in collaborative chats and consequences for breaking those rules.

I have:

1. “given moral and social instruction” in netiquette when posting in a discussion forum and using chat
2. “shown the way” to using an online learning environment, including all that instruction on how to…
3. “empowered” students to risk putting their thoughts out for others to read and reply to, and to read and reply to others, to collaborate

What irritates me about the video? The negative connotation about “teaching”. You need both! There is no one or the other. In order to “educate” my students, it took some “teaching”.