Once again I find myself with a bit of time to engage in some Friday ustream opportunities.
So, today’s item on the menu, Tech Forum Southwest: http://archive.techlearning.com/events/techforum/southwest09/speakers.php
And I am having a grand time listening to old friends and hearing some new voices as well.
Thanks to my pal, Scott Floyd (http://scottsfloyd.com/) and Carolyn Foote (http://futura.edublogs.org/), I was able to listen and participate in a session called
Beyond the Hype: Focusing on What Really Matters
Lead by:David Jakes (moderator); Miguel Guhlin; Clarence Fisher; Helen Mowers
(feel free to visit Miguel’s wiki for a very good wrapup of the session: http://mguhlin.wikispaces.com/techforumsw09)
It was a good session and I learned some new ideas. And found a new person to follow: Helen Mowers (we seem to be kindred spirits at times)…….
BUT — as always, I wonder — where are the nay-sayers? Where are the people in the audience that say “WAIT — I disagree….and here is why” or “Sorry, I don’t understand what you meant” or “Excuse me, what did you just say”? And why are they not speaking up.?
You see — it is easy to talk to people who agree with you. Those who nod their head, smile with their approval, and clap when you are done.
But the people we need to be talking to…..the people we need to be listening to….are the one’s who might not agree with us.
I have found in the last two years of having a PLN that I have learned more than in my entire life because suddenly there are opposing conversations to listen to, to perhaps learn from, and some to challenge with my beliefs as well. I am not in agreement with my PLN all the time — but I am learning from my PLN a lot of the time.
If your school is anything like mine…..maybe 10% are actively striving each day to not be the same teacher they were the last 5 to 10 years. You have 80% who are status quo and content and 10% who come, earn the paycheck, and go home. (your #’s might vary)
But the 80% are the one’s who we need to be talking with — at conferences, in our hallways, on our blogs, etc — but how do we strike up the conversation? How do we earn the right be be heard? How do we discuss without condemning or criticizing? How do we show without showing off? What can they teach us that perhaps we are not seeing and how can we walk in each other’s shoes for just a bit and both walk away wiser?
I very Very VERY much enjoyed the session this morning (please don’t get me wrong — I admire all the names who participated)……..but then I am a nodding head.
Someday, hopefully soon, I’d like to hear from the other voices too.
Just my thoughts.
Jen
Amen, (whoops, I look like one more nodding head!).
The greatest difficulty I have with faculty tech development is not the people who fight me. I enjoy a spirited debate and it gives me a chance to convince (or be convinced). Rather it is the silent majority who are persistent in their conviction that nothing is really changing and they can passively wait out anything I may tell them (I suppose this is the place to insert the frog in boiling water metaphor.
Unfortunately too often my response to this is to take silence as assent and not address it.
Until this majority is moved out of their comfort space, they will not become vocal.
So maybe a subtle comment like, “We really need to decide whether we even need to have schools anymore…” might move a few passive educators toward real engagement.:)
You must have been following @pjhiggins comments as well, about ISTE. He was wondering how we can get “regular teachers” to attend instead of us, the choir, so to speak! And how to help them have a positive experience. He and Karl Fisch were batting around some excellent ideas!
@Carolyn
Nope, sorry, don’t follow @pjhiggins — but interesting that many of our thoughts are going in the same way.
@Greg
I agree and feel what you say is 100% accurate. If teachers are just sitting back thinking “this too shall pass”….based on prior circumstances. What will make them see that this is not just another fad?
Jen