When I first saw many of the videos edtech educators love to show at the beginning of sessions I loved them. They would get me thinking about new ways of using technology in the classroom, how I could change assignments that I use to make them better and how students view and use technology. When I moved into my current position as a technology consultant I used many of these videos myself. Now that I have seen all of these videos a number to times and had an opportunity to talk about them with other teachers, some of them really bother me. If I didn’t know better I would think that teachers did not care about students or about choosing the best way to teach their students. This is just not true; we go through everything teachers go through because we care. Still I think we can take some valuable ideas from these videos. What I take away from these videos is a sense that teachers are aware of new tools but just not sure how to use them effectively in the classroom. I can imagine that teachers would think this after seeing one of these videos yet again...
Enough already, we know students are different now, we know they text, tweet, facebook, network. We know that the model we are using prepares students to work in a 19th century factory and not a 21st century global economy.
Don’t tell me the way I teach does not work.
Tell me why to wiki, blog, podcast, moodle, then show me how.
I have seen the vision of students today, I am paying attention, and I am trying to learn to change. But stop telling me I am failing them. Help me stimulate my students using email, text messaging, social networking, and instant messaging. I don’t want to teach traditional subjects, I want to help kids reflect, retract, research, and repeat. I want students to experience school. I want to add richness, I want students to create, consume, remix, and share.
I hope I can help teachers get here!
Welcome to the blogsphere Aaron! I am with you here. I agree that many of the videos you are referencing in fact discount or dismiss what is most key to teachers' motivation: love and desire to positively contribute to student development. These videos often position educators as "out of the loop" with broad brush strokes which certainly implies lack of interest or concern for change. My sense is the use of positive examples to demonstrate skills and success is much more effective and uplifting (motivating) for folks who are looking to evolve their practice to enhance student engagement (and their own) with technology. Keep pressing! GNA
ReplyDeleteGreat first blog Aaron.
ReplyDeleteI agree that at first look the videos can be motivating, but they can act as overkill.
Most teachers are willing to go to great lengths to reach their students, but need the skills and confidence to venture into new and untamed territory (like blogging).