Here's another post that might be filed under the heading, "Educational Change: Oxymoron?"David Brooks' Op-Ed piece "The Outsourced Brain" in the New York Times is a must read for educators. Beginning with a GPS goddess that gently steers the author in the right direction, Brooks goes on to invoke his use of calculators for math (a given), iTunes for musical selection, search engines for memory of spot knowledge, smart phones for all the personal details we used to memorize, and finally syncing it all together with the wisdom of crowds that actually makes such "choices" with more validity than most of our own decisions.
It's a fresh look with a bit of tongue in cheek, but what I love is that there's plenty of common sense that's obvious for any who live much of life "enhanced" by the New WWW (90% of those between 12 and 25?). What I find interesting is that many teachers object on something like moral grounds: "it's just not natural," "not the way it should be," "isn't what was good enough for us," etc. These comments remind me of two anecdotes related to change. First, we know that Socrates objected to writing as it would diminish the power of the brain and oratory. The fact that what this wisest of men said was true didn't alter the outcome: tablets, papyrus, scribes, Gutenberg, newsprint, paperbacks, Webpages, etc. "Digging in" against change "on principle" is no more valid than excusing ones self due to skill deficits or technophobia. Professionals work within reality to continuously improve what they do.
The second anecdote I'm reminded of springs from the complaints made by the parents of many of today's veteran teachers during the last Generation Gap. The complaints could have been about Rock 'n' Roll or cohabitation. Even though parents in the 60s didn't like these seismic shifts, they are now mainstream: The Beatles are Muzak and living together the norm. The point of this minor rant is that many in education have to get over the "liking it" delusion. Not liking the firestorm doesn't dampen the flames, but turning your back on it is likely to get you burned and place our children at risk. Maybe part of the trick is learning to live in a reality that seems so unreal?
cross-posted at tommarch.com
Oh, I agree so very much with pushing this envelope for teachers! I tell the teachers I work with that their opinion about the world of our students is irrelevant!
ReplyDeleteSounds harsh, but if you are a teacher and your opinion goes something like this: “Technology has its place, but all of this MySpace and blog stuff is just a disruption to real learning” then your opinion is anachronistic, irrelevant, or worse, unethical. Your students’ world exists on the other side of a significant gulf of understanding and experience. You, dear teacher, are receding from their view.
It tends to cut conversations a little short, though!
Hi Greg,
ReplyDeleteAs one who often comes into schools to present, I get to be the "bad cop" who rattles the cage. One of the "gotcha's" I've found is a quote from a counselor at an addiction clinic. She says there are two things that lead people to addictions: relief from stress or escape from boredom. It usually only takes a beat or two for people to get it when I then ask, "Hmm, what's a place where students can experience lots of both stress and boredom?" So whereas boredom might have been considered "job prep" when many would go on to assembly line jobs, now, we have to ask ourselves whether are not only part of the solution, but be careful we're not a reason for students to use their broadband to "turn on, tune in and drop out." That said, I think this is the best time to be in education, because the game will be completely different in 10 years.
thanks for commenting.
Cheers,
i agree they are taking this one far for the teachers. i know they think that it's different as a teachers way for as a student, but then it's up to that student as how they are not as what they might see what it is.
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