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