This first class always brings anxiety and tension and today was no different. Fortunately I feel like this class has a little bit of everything with a lot of different perspectives. This will give me the chance to have my thoughts and knowledge challenged or extended. This is always a goal I try to have in every class I take as well I hope that I try to stress upon my students. “A good-full day is one which you cry, laugh, and think.” Jim Valvano Translation: I don’t feel like I’m at the top of the class or at the bottom, which is a great feeling going into a class.
I thought today’s interesting conversations centered around the usage of 21st Century Learning Technologies and the role of the school in its’ management. Schools have a tendency to quickly shut down “disruptive” technologies before they understand it. I can remember MLTI 1.0, student misbehaviors with the laptop meant that the laptop was taken away. This was a natural reaction in peoples eyes but then it was challenged. The challenge was “Would you take away the textbook if the student was misbehaving with it?” Most people would say “NO!” Next came the insight, the laptop is equivalent to the textbook. At that point schools had a better understanding of the technology and it’s potential impact. I would say that not all 21st Century Learning or “disruptive” Technologies could be rationalized as neatly as the laptops were in a 1-to-1 environment but when a discussion comes around to shut down a piece of “new” technology think about the potential in the classrooom as well as who are they going to learn the proper usage of the “new” technology. Shutting it down might cause more harm than good in the long term.
Another discussion that made me think today was the rush to hit the send button prior to thinking about it’s consequences. This is a very tough lesson for children as well as adults have to learn. Sometimes learning the lesson through the consequences is the only way that it will sink in. I know that I’ve had a couple of students learn that the hard way. The challenge for most people is the balance of the instanteous benefits of today’s communication tools versus doing the rational thing. I try to impress on my students my experiences. I can think faster than I can type/write so often I skip key words or details that make my thoughts complete so I try to always re-read what I type before hitting the send button. Often I can catch myself from something I may latter regret. My students seem to understand that analogy and hopefully they practice that trait.
Even though a lot of time was spent “setting the table” there was some good discussions that might lead to further insight. Bring on the next class…
