Where are the teachers?

In the article entitled “Reading in Slow Motion”, Richard Miller discusses the process of research. He distinctly labels two different perceptions of research: experiential and procedural (6). One of Miller’s main goals through his class is to get his students to view research as experiential. In other words, he wants them to form their own questions and research the answers which should, in his opinion, create some sense of thrill within the students. After explaining this, he gives the example of his student, Alice, who asked a question in class which he did not know the answer to. She promptly went about the task of researching the answer to her question in her own time and posting quite a few worthwhile articles, etc. on the class’ website providing a great discussion opportunity. Now, my question is this. While personal research of this kind is quite desirable and necessary, what kind of light does this specific example put the teacher in? The majority of the people in our class our seeking out careers in education – making a living out of passing on the knowledge they already possess onto their students. However, could the availability of the internet and the resources it provides allow teachers to become obsolete? As Miller points out, is there a potential for teachers to become mere “information monitors” rather than the original presenters of information? What are your overall thoughts on this?