May 15 2011
Week One Musings
In one week of introductions and discussions about our contexts applied to the NETS framework, I am noting a common thread from across the country and beyond as well – Do we really have a vision of what education should look like as we plunge head-first into technology use? I see educators who have varying technologies available – from minimum levels to sky-is-the-limit funding; from restricted access to basic applications to use-whatever-is-out-there. I see schools and districts where the expertise in technology is spotty – some teachers untrained and maybe uninterested in using the tools, to other teachers who use it in fully online courses or blended models. So student exposure to the tools and learning in a new format is hit-and-miss.
What do we do about this lack of vision? There are so many discussions in the blogging world, and in vision-setting symposia and conferences -I’ve attended my fair share, but we can’t seem to move it forward in a way that provides equal, safe opportunities to learning in a new way – and I argue, a better way. Can we move us away from the bricks and mortar model, where teachers control the students in a physical environment as the exclusive way that most of our students still learn?
I am struggling with this very monumental task myself as I try to formulate this vision of educating our students beyond the industrial age – where we are stuck! So far, my favourite framework is what I am using, but are there better visions out there? The NETS and SECTIONS models provide guidelines to remember when selecting technology and pedagogy, but we need a broader discussion about why we are doing this in the first place.
Maybe 565a will show me the way!
Maybe we’ll show one another different ways during our time together?
😉