It’s not about the destination as much as it is about the journey.
My first post explains why, despite my best intentions to document my professional journey, I HATE to write!
That being said, I do need to try and get my thoughts recorded about why I have chosen to “Follow the Learning” as my map to navigate through unprecedented change.
In 2003, I was faced with the ultimate challenge of my career when asked to move out of my comfortable position as a classroom teacher and take over teaching “technology” in my school’s computer lab. What did I KNOW about technology? How could I design curriculum that was relevant and served my students in a constantly changing world? How does one choose what students need to “know” in order to be prepared for a future no one can predict?
I began by focusing on the notion that the world may change but what we ultimately want for children remains constant. We want our children to develop into independent adults that have the tools to tackle new situations and find their own path to a productive and fulfilling life. We want them to develop an empathetic and moral compass to help them play (work) well with others. And, we want them to know how to question, form hypotheses, test, research, rethink and iterate. At least, that is what I want for my students.
It was the next step that I took that ended up being the most unusual but helpful approach in my quest. I looked to my students for clues. Following their use of emerging technology outside of school informed my design of more relevant learning opportunities in school. It has been the perfect partnership for learning. This unexpected journey that has led me on paths to new vistas. It has also caused me to question everything that we hold as sacred in our long held traditions of what it means to educate a child.
It is this journey I want to share.
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