Degree of Difficulty
Apr
8
Written by:
4/8/2009 12:50 PM
How difficult is all of this?
In diving, there is something called a reverse one and a
half somersaults with three and a half twists, in something called the free
position. Me, I’d just do a cannonball.
Not a pretty image, I know.
When you go into a high end coffee shop, people can order a
Grande White Mocha Frappuccino. Me, I
order a black coffee. Large. Not Grande. Just large, like me, thank you very much.
Ok, so what I’m wondering about is the complexity, and
perhaps the unnecessary complexity, of all this Web 2.0 stuff and what it means
for schools. Add in the discussion on
skills versus literacy versus fluency, personal learning networks, and the changing
landscape of classroom instruction and what is now possible, and for the most
part, it’s simply overwhelming. I’m not
discounting the importance of all of this of course, just wondering if we make
it all too complex. But it sure is fun
to talk about it.
For those of you deeply embedded in connective technologies,
do you think, given the context of the typical school and the “typical” classroom
teacher, that part of the resistance to all of this is the “entrance energy”
required to take part and become a participant in what appears to be a very
fast-paced, rapidly changing, and complex,
teaching and learning environment? After all, there is only so much energy…and
for those of us working in schools, we know that these new discussions and the
new capacities that ultimately may arise from them, are a small part, and in
some cases, a very small part, of the overall job of running a school.
Let’s take a step backward.
Take teaching for instance. What
really is the secret of being a good, effective teacher? Is this a complex question? Basically, in my opinion, it’s actually pretty
simple: be prepared, be enthusiastic, be
honest, be fair, and get involved in their lives. Nothing top secret here, but generally if you
fit that bill, you’re probably are a pretty good teacher. Not that complex at all.
But we’ve got 21st Century Skills, NCTE’s
Definition of the 21st Century Literacies, the National Council for the Social Studies Statement on Media Literacy, NETS-T, NETS-A, NETS-S, the KnowledgeWorks Foundation’s 2020 Forecast on Learning, PEW Surveys, great stuff from
Educause, School 2.0, blog posts, new discussion forums, podcasts on impending revolutions, and of course, the never –ending flow of information in Twitter. A lot of this is absolutely great stuff, and important
stuff.
But just where do you look first?
So, consider this question.
Is this really that hard? Do you really need to consider all the pieces above? Or, is it a more simple set of considerations? What
skills do you want kids to exhibit? What
technology tools can serve the learning processes that help build those skills, and
extend the learning experience to a new place, as a result of the technology
being included? How do we structure the
lesson, or lessons, so that these skills can be developed? How do we assess it so that we know what we
set out to do? And how do we make it all
replicable?
It’s time to simplify.
This is not that hard.
Just order the black coffee.
4 comment(s) so far...
Degree of Difficulty
NETS-S is a great place to start, and provides a solid foundation. The student is the most important part of the equation; so, I vote to start with what they should be able to do. Everything else centers around that.
By Neil Hokanson on
4/8/2009 2:47 PM
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Degree of Difficulty
I am also one that likes to simplify things but that takes some deep thinking, which I don't always have time for. With that said, I find that I have had to change some of my behavior due to the sheer amount of information and the rapid pace of change. I've had to adopt an attitude of let me give it a try and then see what happens. I don't wait to hear that the tool works well or that it has proven to be a better way for me to do my job. I just have to wing it at times. Something that I was not comfortable doing before. I imagine that it's something that many educators struggle with.
With that said, I do find that I have to stick to a few core ideas, models of frameworks. I buy into the NETS for students, teachers and administrators because I can understand those guides. I hold firm to my belief that as an administrator I have to focus on being a change agent, instructional leaders who understand edtech, a modeler, a manager of technology and visionary. These keep me somewhat grounded.
And I do believe that the introduction of this technology will significantly change how teachers educate students and that this is a huge step for people to make.
By Blair Peterson on
4/8/2009 6:16 PM
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Degree of Difficulty
NETS-S is a great place to start, and provides a solid foundation. The student is the most important part of the equation; so, I vote to start with what they should be able to do. Everything else centers around that.
By Neil Hokanson on
4/8/2009 2:48 PM
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Degree of Difficulty
Well put, and almost paraphrased from a series of PD discussions I have been facilitating with teachers in our district. What they want to know is how to distill it down to some simple measures so they don't waste their time, which is the number one commodity of value to teachers in K-12.
It is time to simplify. It's time to look closely at those teachers you describe above as being good teachers--those with what I like to call "withitness"--and ask them what they could do with the NETS-S. What does it mean to them and how would it fit into their teaching/learning?
By phiggins on
4/16/2009 3:23 AM
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