Educational Discourse

It has been some days since my last post. I have mulling over a number of things which have come to my attention over the past few days. Now that I am home from holidays and almost have my new mac-mini up and running, I have some time to put fingers to keyboard.

My most recent wanderings through the hall of blogs has brought me into contact with Christopher Craft and Bud the teacher discussing groups. As I mentioned in both comment sections, I’m not sure there is a need for more groups. Bud asks:

Are we perpetuating old ways of doing things in new spaces?

Maybe this is something that I have seen too many times and something that, as an administrator, teacher and parent, I’m trying to teach isn’t necessaryily good if it exists to include some but exclude others. In the blogosphere, I am a novice, trying to learn, make contacts and find information. I have no group to “help” me along. I spend time looking, adding to my blog lists, updating and generally trying to grow my knowledge. I have found some great nuggets from going through others’ blogrolls and just generally searching. I am not a novice at the technology in education thing, I used the “net” before it was the net. I’ve been incorporating technology in my lessons and find these new technologies to be yet more tools that I can add to my teaching arsenal. Having said that, my experience also tells me that we need to mix, match, integrate, and combine these new tools with tools we are already using. This will lead to a new vision in education, a new way of seeing education and a new way of doing education. However, we need to realize that a vast majority (sorry no actuall scientific basis for this comment other than my knowledge of what is happening in my local area) of teachers do not even know of these tools, even those who are fairly tech savvy because it is a new way of using the web. This whole read/write technology is new, yet we speak like it has been around for years and years - why aren’t people using it? How many million teachers are there? How many thousands blog? Yet as we begin to break the ground with new ideas, the people already doing are now beginning to create subgroups that - from my perspective, is no different that the many departments that exist is many large schools. So, the math people have a group and the language bloggers begin one and then administrators have a separate group - invitation only with password protection (everyone knows what we discuss is sooo important;) ) Why? At this point, I love cruising the net, looking at librarian blogs, math teachers, tech teachers, English teachers ….. Some are newbies, some are veterans to this blogosphere (having been doing this longer than a year and a half). The walls aren’t there and I like that since there are enough walls already. I get to meet people like Dean Shareski who invites me to be involved in a Skype cast with Will Richardson discussing the need for teachers to be introduced to these new tools and sharing and an immediacy to having teachers working with these new technologies. Yet, as I hear this, I am acutely aware of the political pressure for teachers to follow the curricula that is mandated to them and the other pressures that society if placing on educators. To me, the great power comes from teachers being able to come together with their own voice in a global community to share.

Breaking down walls

As a newbie, I am finding it very difficult to find people to share, discuss and exchange ideas. I am told by a few who seem to be on everyone’s bloglist that it takes time. Okay. I’ll give it time. But, if I have to now worry about getting into this group or that group - doesn’t it ever end?

Chris Craft, in his explanation about the need for this group, states that

I want these folks to know of the wealth of resources out there in the form of amazing teachers, authors, consultants, speakers, and the like that can influence the future of education.I want them to know there is another way.

I don’t want anyone to fall into the trap of thinking education has to be done the same way it always has been. I want them to rage against the system, for the sake of our kids.

I agree, to a point with Chris. I remember sitting in a meeting with a group of educators and discussing pay scales. One of my buddies, among a group of 5 young teachers, made a point of asking “What fools would vote to a 0%, 0%, 1% raise scale?” To which an older teacher replied “We were the fools!” Four of us tried, unsuccessfully, to disassociate ourselves with our rather brash partner but it drove home to me that one has to be very aware about what one is saying. People don’t like being told that what they are doing is irrelevant, wrong or otherwise worthless and, yet again, someone else has the silver bullet answer. I have been in several different schools which have had several “Amazing” teachers - none who used technology but all who touched the minds and hearts of children. They were born and, like Socrates and Plato, were gifted at touching the pupils in front of them - no matter what tools they were using. As for “raging against the system” I have found that all that does is put you on the “watch list” and may end your career rather sooner than you want.

So as a newbie who isn’t a new generation teacher but who, in the coming years, will be making decisions regarding resource allocation, pd and may be at the division decision making level, “ragers” don’t necessarily work for me. What does are teachers who can articulate their use of tools for the enhancement of the learning of their students. I’m looking for people who are learning new ideas but are taking the time to ensure that the provincially mandated curriculum is being used as a base. Why? Because we are legally bound to it. Why? Because we can work within it. Why? Because I don’t make the rules. Why? Because learning always means I must choose between different ideas and topics and these give us a common focus to build upon.

Borderless learning -

Flattening the world means we need to look at breaking down borders and boundaries. It is a freeing feeling knowing I am able to, in theory, interact with educators from around the globe. Now, this means I have to make it onto the “discussion scene” but, eventually, I believe this will happen. For now, I like that fact that my learning is borderless.

For what it’s worth…

Kelly

Well, I’ve been reading through several of the posts and have found that many of the people I am learning from are on the Top 100 list. Congratulations to all those who made the list as you are the people we turn to when we are looking for information, inspiration and ideas. I do like what Dean Shareski says about lists and how people react to them, although he is worthy of such an award.  Vicki Davis is another worthy recipient of the award as her blog and work demonstrate her deep committment to teaching and to her students and she has done so much in promoting the use of technology to assist students in learning. I saw that Will Richardson, David Warick, Stephen Downes , Darren Kuropatwa , and many more of the blogs I visit regularly have also made the list plus some others that I will now make sure I visit. For those just beginning or who are still novices, this is a  public reinforcement of the people we look to for guidance, information and advice. For many of us, these are the people we turn to when we are discouraged or looking for assistance because we are somewhat alone in our pursuit of melding the different technologies with learning. As I’ve read in many a post, individuals are struggling against state/provincial, district/division and/or local resistance to the use of many of the tools that are available and this group continues to bring this to light, giving many teachers hope that these tools will soon become as common place as textbooks, pens and binders. Now, one must be aware that this is one group’s assessment and certainly not definitive but it is a great spot to start for the many of us. I know I will be taking time over the holidays to visit some of the sights I have not seen and add some to my RSS to view regularly in hopes of finding those nuggets that I can use in my own practice and pass on to teachers whom I believe will benefit at this time. It provides me, as an administrator, with information to use as I dialogue with other administrators about the use of these tools for learning. Finally, it gives me many different angles and ideas to use as I prepare after-school inservices for my staff on using these various tools - points to highlight, cautions to heed and general advice for those who are just beginning.

Congratulations to all those who are on the list. I appreciate all your dedication and hard work!

Kelly

After reading to my boys and putting them to bed, I was struck by the thought that they will be graduating in 2020 and 2022. Now, I remember a podcast that was extrapolating what education might look like for these students and, while I don’t recall the specifics, I remember that it dealt with discussing things in a world-wide forum and there being teachers from all nations working with students on various topics. Now, this is all possible and as an educator, I’m intrigued about the possibilities of what we can do. However, I am more excited with the fact that my oldest will be graduating in three years and, if technology continues to progress and we, in education, actually allow ourselves the permission to pass the search for the holy grail of knowledge to students, then we will have the opportunity to move students from passive receptors to active participants in a rather short period of time. This will require a shift in educational pedagogy and an embracement of the tools available to do this job successfully but it will allow us to focus on the power of sharing knowledge, of expanding one’s knowledge base and of being critical of what knowledge you take hold and it’s source. It will become Life Long Learning.

The change begins

I am keenly interested in the progress that Trev makes as the school begins to reconeptualize what learning looks like. To think that this is an administrator who has just begun to envision how these tools might change the landscape of education is awesome as here is opportunity to provide the resources and encourage the change to begin. As an administrator, I see that this will be crucial to what happens in the next few years. It’s not that I don’t think that things aren’t progressing but without greater exposure and presence at the administrative level, change doesn’t really progress. There is some outstanding work being done by educators and it continues to grow. However, many of these people doing this work and promoting the use of these tools are technology consultants or technology teachers who, as a group, make up a rather small sub-group of educators. This is why I believe it is critical to have a voice at the administrative level. Without a shift in how this technology is viewed and how teaching needs to engage learners in a different way, I don’t see much happening until someone breaks onto the national education scene to promote this type of change. I don’t see that happening too soon

Setting the stage - As the break approaches, I know that I will be spending a great deal of time trying to “upgrade” my skills with the tools that are now available, seeing how I can incorporate them into what I do in the classroom. As an adminstrator, I am keenly aware that my leadership in this area will be critical. Unlike other places, we do not have a technology consultant who can bring these to the teachers. Therefore, it will be a mixture of my use of the tools combined with the work of the other brave souls in the school and the words of encouragement we receive and the incites we find from those who are also doing this work that will move us along. Time will be one thing that I will have to find for those willing to explore these technologies. However, I am encouraged by the fact that there are so many educators who are beginning to see the potential that exists and, with some persistance by administrators within their own groups, we can bring this shift about well before 2020.

btw, my boys love knight stories and King Arthur stories are their favourite. However, we must change the names to match those from their Camelot. No sense fighting it

Blogged with Flock

This evening I’ve spent a few hours just doing work with various software. I found bloggoggle - a site where professionals can register their blogs. I thought it was something to try given the amount of visits I’m presently getting.

I then visited some of the different software available on the Advent Calendar like PageFlake and Whiteboard.

I have found that I am trying to get some input from the educational world. I visited the Edublog Awards site (congratulations to all the winners!) and looked at what these people are doing and what they are discussing in their blogs. I found that much of the discussion was similar to what I’ve been reading and what I’ve begun to discuss. As I try to get feedback, I find it very frustrating that no matter how many sites I visit and leave comments, I get little feedback. How does one enter the blogosphere? Is there something I’m not doing?

If anyone does happen to pass by, take a quick look at the wiki I am working on for my staff. I hope, in the new year, to begin working with the staff in exploring different technologies in our teaching. A kind of PLC for technology. I hope that if anyone has any ideas for things we might explore that they will leave a note for us. We would sure appreciate the ideas. Also, I will be starting to use the wiki and blogs with my classes as we explore various subjects in Medieval Europe and my Communication Production Technology class.

However, as Christmas approaches, I think it is time for a bit of a break so I’m looking at getting off this oval and into the pits for a tire change, some fuel, maybe even an upgrade to my engine. I look to continue my blogging over the holidays and try to find a way to control all the information that is coming at me from various outlets. Hopefully I can avoid any 4 wheel skids and keep on racing.

Kelly

Blogged with Flock

While doing some work for my wiki, I was visiting the Quintura site and ran across this information about quintura for kids and thought I’d share it with all of you. I usually don’t get to share too many new things with people in the blogosphere but I thought this might be something to look at, especially if you have kids who like to use the internet. I know that I don’t get too much exposure but I do have kids who use the computer so we are going to try this out to see how it works. I will report back a little later.

Kelly