Education: WHAT now?

Education is change.  A change of a student's knowledge of information and a subject, knowledge of one's self as a person and a learner, and a change of how one sees oneself in the world.

The old saying "the only constant is change" seems to be at odds with the idea that people fear change, that people don't like change.  It was pointed out to me this summer at a leadership institute that people love change.  They are always looking to make changes to their lives, whether it be in their homes (the couch is looking a little worn, should we put in a new kitchen floor), in the workplace (when is the next raise, increase in responsibilities, promotion), and leisure (new books, the next big game, progress in a hobby).  It's change that is forced on people, either through someone else's choices (i.e., undesired change at work, a landlord decides to raise the rent) or other forces, like someone falling ill or becoming the victim of an accident, that is disliked and feared.

Education is change.  Teachers are agents of change.  Teachers prepare students for the coming years, for college and beyond, so that they can navigate the world around them.

Students may resist change (i.e., learning), either because they don't understand why it is necessary, they're already going through a lot of change (puberty and adolescence, social change among friends, turmoil at home), or because the change is too hard for them. In some cases, students have developed negative associations with learning and need to break that association, to unlearn that education isn't worthwhile.

There are two main active strategies an educator can pursue.  One, you can force change on them, focusing on THE WHAT.  Examples of this are "You need to know this for the SAT," "You will need this information/class/skill to gain admission into college," and the classic "You'll use this in the 'Real World.'" Some of that (SAT, ACT, high school transcripts) is a real part of the educational system.  THE WHAT is so ingrained into people that we sometimes joke about it.  Who hasn't heard the half-joking response "[I'm making you do this because] it builds character"?  THE WHAT is a straightforward strategy, doesn't take much time, and often shuts down further questions.  Sometimes a student, asking why they have to learn something, will hear the response "Trust me."  Sometimes this is well-meant, from a teacher that has built up credibility with a class.  It's important that the teacher follow up afterwards to make the connection clear, so that the student-teacher trust is maintained.

The second strategy: get them to buy into the change: THE WHY.  Student ask for this all the time: The want to know WHY!  Examples of THE WHY are: "This will help you better understand the world you're growing up into," "I believe you could really succeed at this (nothing breeds interest like success!)," "You will need these skills for this field you are interesting in going into," and the truly intrinsic "Look at this, isn't it interesting for its own sake?"  THE WHY takes more time.  It may need frequent scheduled discussion and reinforcement.  THE WHY may need a personal conversation.  THE WHY may require that a teacher to put in significant effort to work with a student with whom they wouldn't naturally develop a connection.

The WHY is longer lasting.  THE WHY may pique curiosity.  THE WHY may help students become more optimistic about the future.  If students are more tuned into the WHY, they will make better choices about studying habits, which courses to take in the future, which colleges to apply to, and even which field to go into as a profession.  Students who concentrate on THE WHAT may find themselves at a college, or worse, in a job, and asking "WHAT now?"  Now THAT would be a true failure of education.

What is the role of technology in education?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/technology/technology-in-schools-faces-questions-on-value.html?_r=1&ref=education&pagewanted=all

This recent article from the New York Times continues the conversation about the role that technology should play in education.  As a teacher in a school that is beginning to use iPads in the classroom, I have been a part of much give and take about what the "best practice" of using technology in the classroom.

A couple of thoughts that have stayed with me:

1. The "pencil test."  Does the technology simply replicate what you could do with a pencil and a piece of paper?  If so, then perhaps money and time could be better spent on different tools.

2. Focus on learning, not on technology.  This may seem obvious, but can get quickly lost in two ways.  One would be when a teacher uses technology that is exciting or flashy, but doesn't improve student understanding of the material.  The second one, which is perhaps even more powerful, is a teacher's resistance to using technology in the classroom.  While no one likes change to be forced on them, if a (possibly reluctant) teacher looks to the opportunities that technology can provide, rather than focusing on the concern about learning something new (sometimes a little, sometimes a lot!), technology can be experimented with and implemented in a thoughtful way that augments learning in the classroom, rather than replacing a different or parallel system.

The article also points out the (wise) concern of many in education: can technology do the job of a teacher?  If the teacher's job is to state facts and explain processes, then yes.  And that teacher should be concerned.  If the teacher's job is to connect with students, help make the material meaningful to them and their lives, discover how to help the student build on strengths and remediate weaknesses, and instill a lifelong love of learning, then sleep well, for there is no way that technology can do all of that.

I heard a great quote today: "In times of change, learners inherit the earth...while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists" (Eric Hoffer).  OK, it's a little zingy, and the kind of quote that could be used in a meanspirited way, but there's a large kernel of truth inside these words.  There are many, many facets to being an educator, and one hopefully takes an active role in deciding what aspects of one's own teaching to develop.  One of those aspects is recognizing the opportunities that social and scientific progress offer, and how to take advantage of those opportunities to become a more effective and efficient teacher.  Technology offers opportunity, and we shouldn't be afraid of the chance to improve our teaching, make the lives of our students richer and more rewarding, and therefore make our successes in the classroom more personally rewarding throughout our careers.

More thoughts, anyone?