Jenny introduced us to three new terms today to help us deal with the best way of introducing changes in ICT at our schools. After thinking about these terms a little bit, I started relating them to my future vision project. One thing that stood out for me, to do with Autopoesis is that for so long we have been taught that we are all individuals who can me independent, but Jenny pointed out that “this is wrong!” That we are not superior to nature and we are not separable from any other living systems. We are ecological beings and we are connected as long as we are alive. So, I need to unlearn the notion that maybe I can independently introduce more ICT and inquiry into the library and then slowly try to get other teachers on board.
This brings us to the second term, Structural Coupling. Structural Coupling is the drive for connectedness and is continuously occurring biologically, cognitively, culturally and technologically. Furthermore, our existence depends on our relationships between the cognitive, cultural and technological, which are constantly forming and going away. So, since we link to ourselves and to others through language (linguistic cognitive domain), I realized that it is very important that I approach the introduction of Inquiry and ICT to the teacher and administration very carefully, using a positive confident demeanor and a language that everyone understands as is drawn to. I will need to name things in a way that people want to get involved and contribute.
I am still struggling with how I intend to do this but by introducing it through the library website and by explaining how easy it was for me to add in the new pages on inquiry, to the teachers benefit I might add, I am hoping I will be inspired to get involved. Although changing people’s beliefs is not easy, considering that inquiry has become an important and well-known term at my school in the last year, I am confident that my push for the use of the library as the technological/inquiry hub of the school will get teachers and administration excited to see what I have to offer and start to collaborate with me more and more.
I think that if inquiry has become an important and well-known term at your school this year can only benefit you to position the library in initiatives that are already taking place at your school. It seems to me that trying to dovetail into initiatives that are already taking place you will be more likely to get buy-in from other teachers because it’s not seen as something new and additional for them to worry about. Instead, if you show that things happening at the library fit into what they’re doing they’re going to be more likely to adopt new ICT technology I think! It sounds like you’re starting to get some concrete ideas of things that you can do which I think is great because I honestly think the only way to affect change is to start small and show the benefits and then other people will jump on board.
Hi Harjeet,
Great post. You truly are connecting with the information in class and it seems like you are excited to implement what we are learning into your practice. You put in words the definitions of autopoesis and structural coupling beautifully, it truly shows that you understand these important concepts. It is natural to feel a sense of struggle when making such a big change in the library. The TL at Walnut Road utilized the first 10 minutes of our staff meetings to introduce the happening in the library. Teachers and admin were able to see the projects students were undertaking in, especially with technology. The TL encouraged teachers to visit her website to see in depth what and how the students were learning.
I think it is important to visualize the end result an take small steps to reach that point. As mentioned in class I think it is important to gain rapport with fellow colleagues, that way teachers would be willing and have an openness to discuss and collaborate. I truly believe if educators knew the benefits of inquiry and ICT, they would be more susceptible to change.
I came across this helpful link- from library based to inquiry based
http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/oberg_il_and_the_school_library.pdf
Thanks for the link Karen, it will definitely help me with my “inquiry of inquiry!”
It is very helpful that inquiry is gaining acceptance in teaching. It is another thing to actually implement this form of learning, as it does change relationships, roles, and learning methods. At a conference on technology and inquiry I attended last spring, I was struck by the fact that the inquiry presenter was at pains to separate technology from inquiry. And then, when the technology presenter took the podium, she was at pains to stress learning first, technology second. Neither of them talked about learning and technology as inseparable phenomena, and that our uses of digital technologies simply put us in current technological time with the rest of the world.