Fluid Conversations

So, the power of networking shines through once again. After twittering about our upcoming staff professional development day, Judith Epcke picked up on it and encouraged me to share with my PLP friends. (Thanks, Judith!) Why hadn’t I thought of that? I guess I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the ways in which this is all connected…you know…how the nodes are all connected to each other and how I fit into the community of nodes.

First, some background information:

We are in the third year of our T.A.B.L.E.T. Project. (Tools to Access Better Learning Environments through Technology) Each year, 90 staff members in grades K-12 participate in a year-long PD program that requires them to attend monthly meetings and read/reflect on a host of topics through our virtual learning environment. (Moodle) Each person is equipped with a tablet pc and a wireless projector. It was our first attempt to “Move our Mountain”. Like a drop of water, the effects of this project have rippled throughout the entire district…capacity building at its best.

To continue our journey, we invited Will to our district for two days last January. In addition to a keynote, he worked with a variety of groups exploring the idea that the web has profound implications for teaching and learning. Needless to say, his message registered high on the richter scale; I think it’s fair to say no one walked away from those two days without being forever changed in some way. His words were both inspiring and eye-opening. I remember when he told our staff that he undoubtedly would cause some cognitive dissonance…oh, yeah…just a wee bit. :0)

So this year, we continue the work with a morning focused on conversations around a variety of topics, including the following:

Learning in the 21st Century

Student Voices: Conversations about Life and Learning in the 21st Century

Teacher Voices: Beginning Conversations about Educating the 21st Century Learner

Content-based Sessions: Looking at the ICT Maps created by the 21st Century Partnership

Our hope is to continue the dialogue of what it means to learn in the 21st century. Although technology will undoubtedly be a part of our conversations, it is not the primary focus; there are no sessions dedicated to learning how to use a single tool. Teachers were given the opportunity to sign up for sessions which will be led by their colleagues.
This entry was originally published on my PLP Ning site.

Yes, indeed…we’ve jumped into some unknown territory here. (I’ve upped my dosage of Prilosec.) The mountain might regress…or erupt…or worse, stand still. It’s funny, though…I find when I listen to that still, quiet voice, more often than not, it provides me with the direction I need to take to affect positive change. How lucky am I to work for a district that supports forward movement and actually encourages me to listen to that voice?

So, back to moving mountains…I’ll let you know how it goes.

I am a big fan of the “Partnership for Partnership for 21st Century Skills”. Their work is important and necessary if we are to compete in the 21st century. Bringing states on board, one by one, is what sets them apart from others with the same goals. You can hardly read an article on 21st century learning, education, teachers, students without hearing about their work.

I worry, however, that we might be focusing almost exclusively on preparing students for life after high school while losing sight of another important goal: to create K-12 learning environments that foster a genuine love for learning. If we are to remain relevant to our students, we must find better ways of engaging them in the learning process. Long gone are the days where all students learn from the “sage on the stage”.

Karl Fisch, another one of my favorite bloggers, has a post that beautifully reflects these ideas. In his post entitled, “Let’s Stop Preparing Kids for College” he says,

“Let’s make their high school experience meaningful and relevant, so that they rarely feel the need to ask the question, “When are we ever going to use this?” because the answer will be so darn obvious. So often the answer teachers typically give to that question is, “In the next course” – which is a travesty. If we can’t give them a better answer than that, then we shouldn’t be teaching that topic. Let’s follow the words of Seneca that are posted in my school’s cafeteria, “Not for school, but for life, we learn.”

He goes on to say,

“Oh, by the way, I would argue that if we do this – if we stop “preparing them for college” and actually make their education meaningful and relevant right now, a by-product will be they will actually be better prepared for college and the world of work. They won’t be meeting seat-time requirements with no regard for what they actually know and understand, but instead will be placed in relevant situations solving meaningful and important problems that will prepare them for college, the world of work, and to be effective and contributing citizens in a vibrant democracy.”

Brilliant, Karl. We are all so fortunate that you share your thoughts and ideas so freely.