Want To Make A Change in 2009, please step forward.
In the last few weeks, I have attended several online venue chats where (sorry but I am going to say it) the same conversation is still going on………..we need change, definitions need change, classrooms need change, admin needs to change…..
Change Change Change………..
What bothers me though is the fact that this conversation continually repeats repeats repeats repeats.
To the point that I raised the exact thought but got dismissed that I would even say such a thing out loud. (Okay, I typed it out loud….twice.)
I would like to propose a new topic for the next time we all meet………What Changes Have You Made. And why don’t we start with personal changes first…..and then wander into professional. Hmmm, doable??
You see, I really can’t worry anymore if there is a new definition for literacy……(gasp)
You see, I really am not ready to defend if blogging for elementary is a good thing or bad thing……(ohhhhhh)
And, I really don’t find it truly overwhelming crucial if our new president is tech literate or not……(uhoh)
Why all those are perhaps thought provoking…..in honesty, I can lose time just dwelling on them, debating them, etc to the point that I end up on a merry go round that leads to nowhere.
Personally, for myself, I going to try to not get caught up in all the “merry go rounding” our network can do at times. (And yes, I have been guilty of that as well.) Professionally, all I am going to concentrate on these next 5 months of school is encouraging my teachers to at least look at new options of expanding the way they have always taught. (not tech options, per se, but just options.)
That first change will be that I am going to back up from joining into the same conversation. Grins, I can read the synopsis on your blogs. The second change means that I am going to start looking and listening to the teachers I work with and encourage a lot of different options and not always tech options.
It is not that I don’t like the conversations and sharing ideas with you all. I truly do.
I just think it is time to perhaps have some conversations on some new topics…..and I would especially like to hear of what you are DOING!!!
As always, your thoughts are appreciated.
Jen
There sure is a lot to talk about in this post so I’m going to attempt to organize it the best I can — sorry if it is a bit “all over”.
First of all, talk is cheap. Actions will always define us more than words. While I’m not one to back away from talking and engaging in rich discussions (after all, my major was English so I spent a lot of time doing it), there are a few things that I often let get to me:
1. The talk of change (well, Revolution is the big push I read WAY TOO OFTEN NOW) is so very odd. First, are we changing just to change? Not sure I would find that valuable. Second, change is constant so focus on establish a change culture. Third, sometimes the most revolutionary ideas are the least complicated and the most obvious (at least upon looking back).
2. The repeating of conversations extends beyond just recently. Most of these conversations, very much including myself here, that are created have long been discussed. In ways, the conversations are reinventing the wheel but the wheel falls off the axle at the same point as the past ones. Thus, nothing “changes” and action isn’t taken. It is plain and simple a lot of non-actionable advice and ideas that seem to be more about making sure others think the same way.
3. My big thing with the literacy question, as with many semantic discussions, is not that I dismiss the value of such discussions. I actually think there is great value in those discussions. I do… they are key to a sound rhetorical debate. My problem is that I am always worried about the point of contextualizing and even defining the terms. Interestingly, I worked on finalizing some presentation details for Educon with DJ this past weekend. During our work, we were getting our questions together for Beyond the Web 2.0 Hype and the literacy question was phrased in a way that just ask to define it. When I added a bit more to the end of it that made it actionable, it caused a bit of a stir. However, I asked a simple question: why are you so interested in defining the term literacy? After letting the ideas flow, it became clear that defining it was leading to a form of action to be taken. Hence, there was a point to contextualizing, framing, and defining literacy. However, the question need to be shaped into a question that was aimed at action not one that ended with merely a definition. My hope is that others are looking at the actionable piece to their semantic discussions because that, IMHO, is why we should have such discussions.
4. Most importantly, I find your “new” (would say maybe new to ed tech) topic to be the actionable point that you are trying to achieve with this point, so I want to focus there a bit. First, I agree. We need to talk about what changes people are making, dissect those changes to determine value, and draw from those that have made things happen. Second, I think if we are to be respectable we must challenge, constructively and in a way that isn’t personal, what people are saying they are doing. Right here, right now, I could list what many in our network feel are amazing classroom happenings. Within that list, I would stand in the minority in saying I don’t see much value outside of experimentation and exposure with the projects being touted as amazing, exemplars, etc. Third, the changes need to be discussed quantitatively and qualitatively, IMHO, and without bias from the creator.
5. I think I may be taking this out of context and maybe misunderstanding your intent with saying “have some conversations on new topics”. Honestly, I’d like to get deep on some of the old topics. I’d like to start building depth not just breadth. Sadly, conversations about blogging seem to bore people yet I don’t believe the conversation has reached a depth with that topic to be at a point of boring us. The same is true for so much more. What I’d like to hear are fresh perspectives and new ideas on foundational topics and practices in our field NOT the parroting of ideas, the seeking of approval from the great pied pipers, or the glorifying of ideas that are a mile wide but an inch deep (pardon the cliche).
I really enjoyed reading this post and firing me up a bit. How will you leverage these thoughts in your upcoming presentations?
I left the literacy conversation after about 10 minutes because of the reasons you detailed here. The opportunity cost of the hour it takes to re-define the word “is” is simply too high.
As I left, I reminded participants of a phrase the Jesuits use – “Deeds, not words.” We all need to be reminded of that occasionally – especially in a medium that encourages and facilitates conversation, many times at the expense of those deeds.
I also noticed that your worthwhile points/questions were ignored. That’s why I made it a point to find your blog and subscribe to it. Unfortunate that the discussion was a bust for me [I won't speak for anyone else], but at least it made a few connections possible.
Jen-
A most excellent piece. As Ryan notes, there’s much to discuss here.
Your focus on change is precisely how I believe all of our conversations should be framed. When I wrote about the way I’ve been wrestling with the notion of a new, changed definition of literacy, it was my ardent hope that we could form discussion around the topic that would drive us to real change. I never wanted to redefine the concept as much as I wanted to recapture and clarify that which so many people have been talking about in so many variegated ways. If we don’t all reach at least some level of commonality on a subject, how can we all move forward together to promote the cause? The problem, as you so astutely note, is that we never move past the discussion phase.
I do believe there is great merit in having such discussions, but we must place the focus on enacting change with the results. I absolutely hope that is where our discussion on literacy will lead us.
From my own personal perspective, I know that in many ways I need these discussions to occur for my own professional development. Being somebody who is rather new to this space having only entered the fray about eight months ago, there’s still a great deal I’m working through in my own pedagogy. I know much of which I discuss has been talked about at length in the past, but I never had the opportunity to engage those discussions. I do apologize if I cause any redundancy in discussion, but I hope you understand how helpful all this has been to me as a professional.
You have challenged me, and I appreciate it. I’m hoping to take some time in the near future and begin discussing a bit of what I’m doing and trying to do in the sphere of influence in which I dwell. I always find that somewhat difficult, however, as I haven’t been able to find a way to begin such dialogue without fear of sounding like I’m boasting about what I’m doing. I’ll figure it out, and I’ll share when I can.
Thank you for the clarity in this post. Our community can certainly gain much from the inspiration.
@Ryan
I will read and reread your thoughts…….and comment in a bit.
I can tell you that I have already started to rework my presentations…in fact, there will be quite a surprise in the Online Project session in IL. (I can assure you, it will get noticed!!)
Thanks for writing.
And I will come back and reread and comment on your comments.
Jen
@bengrey
As I wrote this post I thought of you (and the other person I know who is writing a paper on literacy) and wondered “will they take this personally………..
I do appreciate that you are rolling this around on your blog and asking for input…..and I would not dismiss having a conversation with you more about it when we meet or even online.
However, I do need to admit that sometimes it is necessary to say “okay, this has been discussed now for 4 weeks………what have we seen, what have we learned, and where do we go from here.” Instead of always starting at point 1.
The literacy topic has been interesting and is a good read…..and as I mentioned in my post “a thought provoking topic.” But for now, personally, I am content with my opinion…..and will be stepping back from giving my viewpoint on that conversation for now.
However, I encourage you as you continue to sort through this……I know you will review, evaluate, and extend it. I do look forward to that.
Jen
@Matthew
Thank you for taking the time to post.
I had not heard the phrase “deeds, not words” before and did notice it in the chatroom as it whizzed by with all the other comments. Reminds me of “walk the talk” and yes, I agree without seeing action….I wonder if it is just continual chatter.
Again, thanks for taking the time to respond. A friend also pointed out your twitter comment and I appreciate that you believed my thoughts were “solid”.
Jen
@Ryan
You brought up so many interesting thoughts to think about –
I wish to respond to 2 of your thoughts.
(a) ~~Right here, right now, I could list what many in our network feel are amazing classroom happenings. Within that list, I would stand in the minority in saying I don’t see much value outside of experimentation and exposure with the projects being touted as amazing, exemplars, etc. Third, the changes need to be discussed quantitatively and qualitatively, IMHO, and without bias from the creator.
I have to agree and am trying hard to find a way to take my online projects and have a way to really see what impact they are making. I know that they are assisting teachers with new creative ways of teaching within the classroom (and there is great importance to that) but beyond that, are they just fluff? I wonder. So far, I have no data to prove this though.
(b) ~~ What I’d like to hear are fresh perspectives and new ideas on foundational topics and practices in our field NOT the parroting of ideas, the seeking of approval from the great pied pipers, or the glorifying of ideas that are a mile wide but an inch deep (pardon the cliche).
Agreed. What I have seen lately is exactly what you are talking about — and also the need to perhaps “coin a phrase” so that it gives worth to your ideas.
I have to admit that I did seek approval from the “big names” for a while, but realize in doing that, I had lost myself when I was trying to be a clone.
It is interesting to step back and watch who @ who and who name drops and who says “I met so and so” etc.
I think a lot of our network has gotten caught up in being noticed by the wrong people……and as I have said before in previous blogs….when we try to impress the wrong people, we make a big mistake.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Please do not feel I am ignoring all your thoughts….I just wanted to call attention to the two which stood out immediately to me.
Jen
Ahhh, a breath of fresh air. Jen, you just opened a window and let in a breeze that promises to bring the unexpected, new perspectives and surprising ideas. Yes, let’s let other voices enter the here-to-fore stuffy room and paint the walls with bright new colors. Increase the probability for more ah ha moments. BTW, listening is a key literacy skill, not that it matters what we call it!
@Kathy
I stand tall knowing I can call you a friend …
Working through some issues which are coming through in my blog. As you know, I kinda waffled in 2008. Hope to see a bit of old Jen back in 2009.
I want to steal this post and put it on my blog! Perfect!
“What changes have you made?” Love it…