Today is the last day of blog postings for #cyberPD discussing chapters 5 and 6 of Who Owns the Learning by Alan November. Laura Komos will be hosting the event today on her blog, Ruminate and Invigorate. Other participants are posting their links in the comment space and on Twitter with #cyberPD. Plus, there is a "jog" of all the postings, if you would like to catch up, at Who Owns the Learning? #cyberPD 2013. Here are my thoughts as I finish the book and think about the future.“We need to start teaching our students global empathy by developing their ability to understand and appreciate other points of view” (November, 2012, p. 65-66). This is a relevant and essential recommendation from November, and although he focuses on the role of students as global communicators and collaborators, I think developing empathy and respect locally is just as important. Students are living in a world of popular and social media, new programs and cartoons that value and highlight aggressive, egotistical and opinionated personalities that insite conflict and disharmony. Just look at how the cast members of Big Brother, Survivor and other “reality” shows are selected – the goal is to create as much drama and conflict as possible. Where are the models of adults engaging in authentic dialogue that seeks to understand - not just win? Even Congress, in their role as representatives of the people, focus more on party lines and winning than on authentic debate and collaboration.
Narrowing our view points through
technology – I knew that Google “personalized” searches, but I
guess I didn't realize how extreme this narrowing has gotten. Early
in my teaching career, I taught students how to use multiple search
engines, because they each searched differently. Now, there is
pretty much only Google. Yes, it is easier to find exactly what you
want, but as November observed, this develops an over-inflated sense
of rightness. I need to be confronted with alternative perspectives
to be able to clarify my own understandings, not just confirm.
November also commented how the potential of the World Wide Web for
building connections and opening up multiple points of views has
actually narrowed it more. It is really easy to find your own niche and ignore alternatives. I've noticed this with my own use of
Twitter. Like many others, I tend to follow the people that I have a
lot in common with – middle school teachers, literacy people,
technology focused educators – but that leaves huge gaps in seeing
alternative perspectives. Social media can be a great venue for
support – but maybe I need to challenge myself to become “friends”
with less like-minded people and expand my own perspective taking.
“Every day, I have to decide if I
will write for my teachers or publish to the world” (November,
2012, p. 69). This statement, from a student who wrote prolifically
on a fanzine site, but not much at school, really resonated for me.
Why would students want to write for an audience of one, when the
world could be their audience? Like November stated earlier – how
many assignments end up in the trash versus making a long-term impact
on a student. As he stated in chapter 6, he remembers experiences
from his own schooling, not the tests. Like Vygotsky, I believe that
learning is a social process that focuses on individuals making
meaning of the world through their interactions with others. It
isn't the paper or the test – learning is the process of gathering
information, evaluating and synthesizing it to make meaning of it.
We have focused too much on highlighting the solo work of students,
and not the collaborative process of learning.
Here is a YouTube Video from a 7th
grade student, posted in 2009. She describes her personal learning
environment. When I first saw it, I was impressed. Now, I'm
depressed, as it is 4 years later, and there has been very little
support for students (and teachers) to develop these types of
learning networks. What are we afraid of?
As November reminds us about what
Daniel Pink has noted “the more we grade children on creative work,
the less they'll do” (p. 83). Argh! Grading, assessment and
evaluation. This is such a long and difficult debate and issue.
There are so many political and social aspects of this issue too.
But, as November observed before (building on Pink's work) the
motivation to learn and take action happens when there is an
authentic purpose, autonomy, and mastery. It isn't the reward of
grades, money, bonuses or even praise. Real motivation comes from
within.
I agree with you on developing empathy and respect locally is just as important. Students need to be critical thinkers of all the information and media that is surrounding them locally. Learning is a process of interaction of thinking. I focus on the assessment for and as learning and very little on the of. I am lucky that our board supports this assessment. Students take ownership of the process by providing their evidence on an eportfolio. Good luck this academic year and I enjoyed reading your reflection.
ReplyDeleteSuz,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I loved this: "Like Vygotsky, I believe that learning is a social process that focuses on individuals making meaning of the world through their interactions with others. It isn't the paper or the test – learning is the process of gathering information, evaluating and synthesizing it to make meaning of it. We have focused too much on highlighting the solo work of students, and not the collaborative process of learning."
Learning is social. You make a wise point about it being as important for students to learn local empathy and respect. As a teacher of young children, that local piece is always easier for them to wrap their heads around. It is the perfect place to learn ways to then interact on a more global level. I am interested to go back into last year's #cyberPD title, Opening Minds, to revisit these thoughts on empathy.
You made me think with your comment about Twitter as I too typically follow those whose beliefs line up with my own. Honestly, I feel like I can tell a lot about a person by who they follow, but maybe I too need to look for those to challenge my beliefs.
I have enjoyed learning with you and look forward to continued conversation,
Cathy
Suz,
ReplyDelete"I need to be confronted with alternative perspectives to be able to clarify my own understandings, not just confirm." This is the heart of the matter.
We can grow our empathy by enlarging our perspective. We can use technology to broaden our perspective. We can shift our practice of 'what is for homework' by considering the students' perspective. Even the grade 7 student's use of Symbaloo for her PLE when we consider context (the event was part of action research) can provide us with perspective, as in how far have I come in four years since I first viewed this video? And this is one of the hard things we need to do as adults--challenge our perspective.
Two quick stories...When my oldest son was entering grade 10 (2005), he wanted to purchase an Xbox with some of his summer earnings. To that point, we were a fairly low tech family, opting for reading and playing time versus screen time. I said no. I wanted to write that I listened to his case, and then made mine, and then I said no, but I don't think that I listened to him. He was the kind of kid who could suck things up and so he did and walked away. I sat at the table thinking about what had just happened. I realized that I had decided that TV screen time was fine and that Xbox screen time wasn't, and I realized that I was layering onto him what was acceptable recreation to me. He got his Xbox.
As educators, too, we need to broaden our perspective of what happens in the other educational rooms. We are often locked into being primary, secondary, higher ed....the labels can fill this page. What about the pedagogies of each room? How can they be transferred or shared? I remember when I first began working as a K12 literacy coach 'discovering' fabulous grades 4-6 Guides to Effective Instruction produced by our Ministry of Education. I had never heard of them because after all I was a high school teacher. Over the past three years, I have learned so much from my K-6 colleagues, face to face and on-line. #Cyberpd is a perfect example. But I have also learned a ton from the higher ed crowd. Hybrid Pedagogy (http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/)strives to flatten the walls of the educational rooms K to 16 because ideas like Pink's autonomy, mastery and purpose apply to all learners.
Terrific post; the kind that challenges me to synthesize my thinking. Thanks.
Julie
Thanks for the two videos. I want to share the first with my 5th graders (maybe...I don't have some of the structures in place behind what she talks about doing...but maybe my students could help me decide what is important and worthwhile...) and I needed (REALLY needed) to watch the Drive animation again. Thank you for both, and for your thinking about empathy, choice and collaboration.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated by the video you shared on how the 7th grader organizes and directs her learning! I may follow Mary Lee's lead and share this with my 4th graders as it's exactly what I'm hoping will happen in our classroom.
ReplyDeleteYou also have me thinking more about Twitter. I use it as my support system and as a way to connect with like-minded educators who will push my thinking... which is ok... but I think I need to consider finding/following more people who don't think the way I do to challenge my beliefs and push me further.
Thank you!!
I loved the articulate way that you shared your thoughts. One "bonus" thing about #cyberpd is learning from others' writing styles. Since I teach writing I need to notice good writing and try to learn from it -- especially since it is a weakness of mine.
ReplyDeleteI also knew that Google searches were personalized but I didn't really know what exactly to do about it. I am glad to have a resource now to turn to in order to expand or contract my searches.
Jill
Suz,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the symbaloo put together by the 7th grader! It's very inspirational to me to see how she organized her symbaloo and did the screen cast of it! It's humbling to see how much more kids know at this age than me...that's why I see how having them teaching each other can make a difference too!
Thanks for joining in the conversation!