Comments on: BLC Day 1 Brain Dump

By: diane

diane — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:34:03 +0000

Will,

I know you posted this over a week ago, but today’s eSchool News online contains an article that addresses the issue of educational relevance
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?Articleid=7263

In a Washington, D.C. meeting, convened by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the Alliance for Excellent Education (AEE), a recent high school graduate stressed classroom innovation. “When we talk about needing technology in the classroom, we’re not just talking about using a laptop to type a book report,” she said. “We’re talking about using outside-of-the-box thinking to foster learning.” Belle gave the example of a student learning math so he could develop a video game. “There’s a lot of geometry and physics involved in creating a video game,” she said. “If you want to design your own game, you have to know the basics.”

Let’s hope our legislators were listening.

By: Karla

Karla — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:17:00 +0000

Interesting conversation. What I see are teachers who are not intrinsically motivated and a system that can offer little to those who are. Those referred to as “obsolete” are exactly that and they are not here reading, thinking, learning, reflecting … nor do they have any desire to be here in this place.

Sad. Yes, a teacher’s role can be very empowering but they have to choose it first.

Stephen Downes statement, quoted in this post, has deep meaning… and in my opinion holds true for the many teachers who have fallen out of love and knowing for the true meaning of learning. It’s not about teaching…..it’s about knowing.

By: Mrs. Durff

Mrs. Durff — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:02:27 +0000

That research was done on web1.0 classrooms and teachers and it was very true-for web1.0.
Now we are in web2.0. The research no longer applies.
Our seduction, as Stephen Downes says, is very real-in web2.0. We consider ourselves important to studernt learning. We are important for crowd control, for a taxpaid childcare service here in the States. Maybe the redefinition needs to change the nomenclature as well.
What better titles? I am starting to think of myself as a classroom leader, rather than a teacher. What do you all think?

By: Jason Hando

Jason Hando — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 06:39:34 +0000

I’ll throw my opinion behind Ewan as well on this one.

In the understandable excitement of having independent and empowered students we must be careful not to disregard the very important research that says the most important aspect of effective education is the teacher. For example, take a read of one paper that was presented to our school staff by the author, Dr Ken Rowe, and you will understand that the anecdotal experiences of Marco Torres and Paul Harrington tell a very accurate story.

The trick is to model to other teachers the type of influence they should be – as Stephen Downes summises, the job of a teacher is to model and demonstrate, while the job of a student is to practise and reflect. A teacher’s role can be very empowering rather than domineering.

We can all agree that the writing is on the wall for teacher roles to be redefined but I can’t see there ever being a time when teacher’s are completely redundant. Redefined but not redundant.

By: Paul Harrington

Paul Harrington — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:15:23 +0000

I have to agree with Ewan on the point of ‘the value of the teacher’ in new literacies. It is our role to act as instigator, instructor and nagger ( when deadlines slip). In other far too overused words we help to fascilitate the learning process- an example from a project from my Year 6 pupils this year – they had read as part of their Literacy a novel called Rose Blanche, set in WWII Germany. Half a term after reading it one girl decided she wanted to film her own version of the story – my role :
* Discuss her storyboard and check shooting days ( I had to be around merely to supervise them)
* Briefly give camera operators tips on shooting.
* Show pupils how to use iMovie to edit their film
* Show them how to add a sound effect
The how and what was then up to them – this group taught me things I didn’t previously know about film editing – the result an excellent film which is 99.9% their own work – however they needed someone just to ensure they were on track ( my role ) not redundant yet

By: Mrs. Durff

Mrs. Durff — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 19:55:28 +0000

I do think we superfluous as teachers. If we are attempting to teach as the sage on the stage-forget it. We can facilitate the learning of another, with scaffolded support. But the desire for learning must originate from within. It must be intrinsic. Therefore, our presence is just extravagant baggage. What do children spend hours learning outside of school when we are not there? They learn what is intrinsically motivating to them. We could be there and it wouldn’t matter to their learning at all. Superfluous. In this country that appears to be the majority.
The real question is if we recognise that we are superfluous, then what should our role be?
Parents are the most important element in the learning of children, not teachers.
I am not supporting chaos, good Lord, there’s enough of that in my life to go around several times.

By: Ewan McIntosh

Ewan McIntosh — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 07:10:53 +0000

I think you’re missing the point, Mrs Durff. Teachers are the most important element in the learning of children. It’s a myth to think that just giving kids the room to do what they want and removing the teacher will lead to something better. It’s a give-take relationship and, if you ask these now famous filmmaking students of Marco Torres what makes it, they’d probably say Marco, even though he would say he empowers the kids to do as much on their own as they can, from tech support to directing films.

The teacher is NOT superfluous if the teacher is empowered and empowering. Without those, even when physically present, is almost certainly superfluous. Thankfully, I think that’s the minority.

By: Mrs. Durff

Mrs. Durff — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 02:35:17 +0000

We ARE totally superfluous to student learning and our inability to recognize that is just plain sad.

By: Mrs. Durff

Mrs. Durff — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 02:31:09 +0000

You say: “For some reason, I decided to get pretty edgy in my “New Literacies” presentation and I basically started by saying the whole concept of having people get up and give a presentation at conferences like this is really becoming ironic amidst all of this talk about conversation and collaboration”
Good for you! I have been pondering this for so long and am so glad someone thinks this too!

By: nancy

nancy — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:39:57 +0000

Jason–you might consider a collaboration with another classroom; for instance–our 4th-6th graders are going to read Treasure Island. I’ve created a blog where I’ll post questions for reflection. http://robertlewisstevenson.blogspot.com You could chose a book, read it as a class and ask another class in the school, in the country, or in a different country to join the discussion. Even though contrived, at least the kiddos would be discussing with people that were not sitting next to them.

By: Mario tout de go

Mario tout de go — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:36:54 +0000

Quelques réseaux avec qui je me sens en communauté de pratiques…

Les cyberportfolios d’Opossum Le groupe des institutions utilisant nos fermes de blogues se trouve à la fin de ce billet décrivant l’outil des cyberportfolios d’Opossum. Des conversations dans lesquelles je suis engag&ea…

By: John White

John White — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:26:39 +0000

1)Great sessions–thanks for the passion

2) I met some of Marco Torres’ students here at BLC, and when I asked them what they thought, they were stunned that adults would pay for a conference like this,when all we had to do was ask their students…and the children will lead us

By: Linda Schueler

Linda Schueler — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:52:17 +0000

I enjoyed reading your post. I am a graduate student in the School of Educ. at the University of Michigan.One of my many classes is a technology class where we are learning how to use technology in the classroom.I agree with your assertion that while all this technology is wonderful and useful,the connections and discussions that they produce between people are what’s really exciting.

By: Day 2 Schedule BLC 07 « School Libraryland

Day 2 Schedule BLC 07 « School Libraryland — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:58:32 +0000

[...] Will Richardson was interesting. He came off as almost being pissed off (he called it edgy in his latest post), but I think he wants to push us all a step further. It was a good presentation, he engaged the audience in a discussion and got them asking good questions. The audience was passionate. I was most struck by a social worker who raised her hand and admitted that she was probably the only non-educator at the conference. But, she took great interest as a parent in what Will had to say. I think that the female social worker is on to something. At some point, the conversation needs to reach parents. How about a Building Learning Communities Conference that includes just as many parents as educators? [...]

By: Rob Nelson

Rob Nelson — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:19:05 +0000

Jason, maybe an idea might be to ask parents to respond to someone other than their own child? I know if I saw something that was written really well by a another student I’d mention it to someone else and so on….