Comments on: Transform the instructors first?

By: Virginia

Virginia — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:30:37 +0000

@Gary I agree that simply giving students the tools is not transformative. However, if left in the hands of many teachers, the tools become little more than electronic versions of their analog predecessors. So I guess I’m agreeing with those who think teachers need some type of transformative experience before they “get it.” I saw this happen when (unfortunately only a select few) teachers received laptops, again when people obtained digital cameras, and now when they get iPhones or iPod Touch: It’s the “What’s Your Favorite App?” phenomenon. Unfortunately we missed the first two waves, so we need to grab this one and run with it. The excitement is here, so we need to take advantage of it and help teachers learn to work with their students as communities of learners to use these tools in new and powerful ways.

By: Tina

Tina — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:09:06 +0000

@shelly Great post on your blog very relative to this post.
Can we realistically expect educators who have not personally had (and understood) transformative technology experiences to create such experiences for their students?
No
If not (and I’m guessing not), what implications does this have for our preservice and inservice training efforts?
Shelly has a great idea for this that starts with making the transformative experience relative to teachers, read her post.

By: sylvia martinez

sylvia martinez — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:54:30 +0000

Seems like an expectation that teachers have transformative experiences before they use technology in the classroom simply sets up another roadblock/excuse for it not to happen.

By: Gary Stager

Gary Stager — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:31:59 +0000

Wow!

I am not impressed when kids can share something they learned with such a simple device as a phone or iPod. Kids have always known things that adults don’t know. Sharing them is good, but transformative?

What is the evidence of transformation?

BTW: If you want a model where such student-empowered leadership flourishes, you should consider http://genyes.com

By: Flourishingkids

Flourishingkids — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:45:42 +0000

I think @SeanNash hits the nail on the head with his comment. You must show teachers how these tools solve a problem they already have. I think @Carolyn Foote makes several important points as well about getting to the heart of the problem and getting teachers who are already in the classroom motivated to change. Student engagement is a huge “buzzword” in preservice training. Give and show examples of classrooms where all kids engaged! Many of the teachers I work with see anything new as a “OH, and you want me to do this, too?” instead of, here’s how you can engage those very students who are driving you nuts( of course you might want to leave out that it’s because they continue to teach the way they did 20 yrs ago). Thanks for the food for thought.

By: Dan McGuire

Dan McGuire — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:30:10 +0000

One of the reasons that transformation in education is meeting so much resistance is that we’re really asking all of the people in management roles to fire themselves. Even if they don’t quite understand the true power of the new ICT world, the managers of the system can feel or sense that this new thing is going to disrupt significantly the current paper passing meeting convening system and if they can’t see their safe spot in the new system, they will resist.

Teachers and parents will also resist if they, too, can’t see their relatively safe spot in the new order. Transformation will occur when the old way is more trouble than the new way. The speed at which things change is relative; a calamitous event is possible, but less likely than gradual change, I think.

By: Virginia

Virginia — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:08:27 +0000

I would define learning with technology as transformational when the learner of any age comes back to the teacher/facilitator and says, “Let me show you what I discovered/accomplished.”

This happens constantly with many technologies but the current leader is probably iPhone/iPod Touch.

By: Carolyn Foote

Carolyn Foote — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:55:33 +0000

Scott,

I think this question is at the core of the problem with moving things forward.

But I agree that the process may be “evolutionary” over time as well.

Beginning with teacher training is powerful, but what about teachers already in the classroom?

How do we provide/invite teachers into experiences that are evolutionary or transformative?

I think the key is understanding the problem. If you don’t, then you are just randomly throwing “things” or “training” out there, without any sense of your own direction.

By: Gary S. Stager

Gary S. Stager — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:09:59 +0000

I would be most grateful if some of the folks talking about transformational uses of technology in education could provide an example of that in action. Regrettably, the bar for what is considered “transformation” seems to lower with each passing day.

I was at FETC last week. There was hardly a single item being sold in the exhibit hall that was transformative or I would want any child I cared about to have in her classroom. The software from Tech4Learning is a noted exception.

By: Charlie A. Roy

Charlie A. Roy — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:09:19 +0000

I demonstrated how to use RSS feeds to help with research to my personal finance students this morning. A collective look of “OMG this will save so much time” came over the entire room. Anyway I hope that was a beginning of a transformative experience that will change they way they go about navigating the web.