In chapter 1 of Richardson’s book on PLNs he expands on what David Wiley identifies as the six significant shifts happening as a result of our now uber connected/networked world. Wiley (2008) identifies the following as the most significant shifts:
1. Analog to digital.
2. Tethered to mobile.
3. Isolated to connected.
4. Generic to personal.
5. Consumption to creation.
6. Closed systems to open systems.
Most of these points are probably not new to any of us and yet they are critical to the way we approach our teaching.Two in particular stand out to me as particularly pertinent as a teacher in the 21st century.
There is no denying that our kids are mobile. Of the 50 students in my own classroom, 46 have cell phones, and of those, 20 are smart phones. Those with smartphones name it as their primary source for both communication and information. This aligns with the recent 2012 Pew Internet Study which found that 78% of teens between the ages of 12-17 have cell phones, and 37% of those are smartphones.
How do we accommodate for this shift? Do we even need to? I think so. Absolutely! In my classroom I have 4 computers that are tethered to a wall; this setup does not facilitate collaboration nor does it allow for equal access to information.What it means is that four students at a time have unlimited access to information while the rest stand in line. Why is that when so many of my students have smartphones? Because, despite having wireless in our school, our school district is hesitant to open up the wireless to students. WHY?
I recently wrote a paper for ETEC 511 that was published in part in the BCTF journal Teacher, as well as in full in The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives peer reviewed quarterly. The paper focuses on the unfounded fears and weak justifications school districts give for banning cell phones in school. It also offers counter-arguments as to why we should learn to work with mobile technologies rather than reject them. Below you can find a link to the full paper.
Wiley’s sixth point also strikes a chord with respect to learning and teaching in a networked world. It is this point that has brought me to my research of PLNs. The reality is the world is beyond our classroom walls. We are no longer the experts in the room. If a student has a question or wonders about something she can simply “google” it and the world opens up before her. Students can learn to play instruments, join a live chat room and learn another language, or even register for a MOOC. (Also, FYI Here is a link to an extensive list of MOOCs)
This to me is the scariest thing for teachers, and at the same time it should be the most exciting. We are no longer REQUIRED to know it all. With the rate at which information is replicating it is not even possible for us to know it all. Instead, we need to shift our thinking and our teaching. We also need to stop believing that teachers are no longer needed and that the internet is destroying our profession. Unless of course we resist these changes and continue to operate from the archaic “sage on the stage” model of teaching.
With networks, no one needs to teach alone. We no longer have to close our classroom doors and hope we can meet the needs of every student in front of us. In a blog post titled, “Never teach alone” George Siemens (2012) writes, “There is simply no compelling reason to teach alone. If you’re teaching intro to psychology, find a fellow prof at a different university and teach together. If you’re teaching math for grade 8 students, find another math teacher and share teaching. The educators and the students all benefit.” He’s right! And with a well organized and well connected PLN this will be a much more realistic possibility. Well said George!