Comments on: Changing- Shifting a School Culture- Train of Thought http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/ The Magic of Learning Thu, 24 May 2012 03:28:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Langwitches » Moving on … 21st Century Learning http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-30472 Langwitches » Moving on … 21st Century Learning Sat, 30 May 2009 13:22:47 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-30472 [...] a previous post of mine, I documented my thoughts on Changing-Shifting a School Culture- Train of Thought. It took me to one of Will Richardson’s post Wanted: School Chief Learning Officer where he [...] [...] a previous post of mine, I documented my thoughts on Changing-Shifting a School Culture- Train of Thought. It took me to one of Will Richardson’s post Wanted: School Chief Learning Officer where he [...]

]]> By: Matt T. http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-30064 Matt T. Fri, 22 May 2009 23:33:53 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-30064 "It's about learning." Technology is old. The tools we use today may or may not be new. Can learning take place with "old" tools? I think we'd both agree. Can learning NOT take place with "new" tools? You bet. I wrote a post along these lines a while back: http://bit.ly/a03RC The best ed. tech tool is the educator who knows how to match technology, pedagogy and content. Great post! “It’s about learning.” Technology is old. The tools we use today may or may not be new. Can learning take place with “old” tools? I think we’d both agree. Can learning NOT take place with “new” tools? You bet. I wrote a post along these lines a while back: http://bit.ly/a03RC

The best ed. tech tool is the educator who knows how to match technology, pedagogy and content.

Great post!

]]> By: Alexandra Francisco http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-30043 Alexandra Francisco Fri, 22 May 2009 16:36:46 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-30043 Sylvia, speaking for myself, I can undoubtedly say that yes, your effort paid off; yes, I am less resistant, less afraid of technology and yes, I do believe that a change will happen sooner or later, whether as a result of those "meaningful learning communities" or simply because it's the next logical step in Education. Until it happens let's keep on being like "The Potter" (http://www.the-potter.com/mediapage/) and teach our students how to build their own knowledge and then like Kerry Turner pointed out in her comment to Steve Wheeler's post "Pushing at the boundaries" (http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2009/05/pushing-at-boundaries.htm)let's gather "evidence" of the changes that are already happening and let's make those changes stand out even when we take the technology out of the equation. Sylvia, speaking for myself, I can undoubtedly say that yes, your effort paid off; yes, I am less resistant, less afraid of technology and yes, I do believe that a change will happen sooner or later, whether as a result of those “meaningful learning communities” or simply because it’s the next logical step in Education.
Until it happens let’s keep on being like “The Potter” (http://www.the-potter.com/mediapage/) and teach our students how to build their own knowledge and then like Kerry Turner pointed out in her comment to Steve Wheeler’s post “Pushing at the boundaries” (http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2009/05/pushing-at-boundaries.htm)let’s gather “evidence” of the changes that are already happening and let’s make those changes stand out even when we take the technology out of the equation.

]]> By: » Why Don’t Students LIKE School? The Brain Isn’t Designed for Thinking Brian’s TRT Blog http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-30039 » Why Don’t Students LIKE School? The Brain Isn’t Designed for Thinking Brian’s TRT Blog Fri, 22 May 2009 14:17:52 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-30039 [...] last is especially important: change grabs attention (13). Sylvia Tolisano writes about change in Langwitches (GREAT resource/blog!) that is well worth reading in considering technology integration in a [...] [...] last is especially important: change grabs attention (13). Sylvia Tolisano writes about change in Langwitches (GREAT resource/blog!) that is well worth reading in considering technology integration in a [...]

]]> By: Check it out! 05/18/2009 | Feed for the Brain http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-29907 Check it out! 05/18/2009 | Feed for the Brain Mon, 18 May 2009 04:35:28 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-29907 [...] Langwitches » Changing- Shifting a School Culture- Train of Thought [...] [...] Langwitches » Changing- Shifting a School Culture- Train of Thought [...]

]]> By: ghostlibrarian http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-29901 ghostlibrarian Sun, 17 May 2009 19:02:52 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-29901 I think most of us are trying to do the things you mention, showing/modeling/supporting, etc. The question you ask is extremely important. Has the school culture changed? For me personally the answer is a resounding NO and I'm sitting here, nearly in tears, wondering what else to do. There have been small victories and I don't regret any of it, but the changes that have resulted are minimal. At first I thought it was just me but as I read more I see that my situation is not unique. Since I'm a librarian and not a classroom teacher I can only speak to how it LOOKS to me. It seems to me that teachers that I work with are being pulled away from project based learning in favor of strictly following a curriculum. There's no room in the day for extras. Standardized tests are administered every quarter. Since the library is used for testing every quarter and since I have to be a proctor 2 of those quarters, my actual teaching time is diminished. Professional development is taken up with learning to teach the curriculum, even for someone like me who does not actually use the curriculum. This year has been a watershed year for me personally as I strike out in search of ideas for ways to use technology in my teaching. In the process I am finding an amazing group of people. I was very fortunate to be helped along this path with involvement in an E2T2 grant. However, most of this work is done at home on my own time. I will spend June 1 back at school for a professional development day. I'm not sure what will be happening on that day but I do know that there was no time for anything around technology. How can we change a culture like this? If showing/modeling/supporting is not working, what else can we do? I think most of us are trying to do the things you mention, showing/modeling/supporting, etc. The question you ask is extremely important. Has the school culture changed? For me personally the answer is a resounding NO and I’m sitting here, nearly in tears, wondering what else to do. There have been small victories and I don’t regret any of it, but the changes that have resulted are minimal. At first I thought it was just me but as I read more I see that my situation is not unique.

Since I’m a librarian and not a classroom teacher I can only speak to how it LOOKS to me. It seems to me that teachers that I work with are being pulled away from project based learning in favor of strictly following a curriculum. There’s no room in the day for extras. Standardized tests are administered every quarter. Since the library is used for testing every quarter and since I have to be a proctor 2 of those quarters, my actual teaching time is diminished.

Professional development is taken up with learning to teach the curriculum, even for someone like me who does not actually use the curriculum. This year has been a watershed year for me personally as I strike out in search of ideas for ways to use technology in my teaching. In the process I am finding an amazing group of people. I was very fortunate to be helped along this path with involvement in an E2T2 grant. However, most of this work is done at home on my own time. I will spend June 1 back at school for a professional development day. I’m not sure what will be happening on that day but I do know that there was no time for anything around technology.

How can we change a culture like this? If showing/modeling/supporting is not working, what else can we do?

]]> By: David Truss http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-29899 David Truss Sun, 17 May 2009 18:02:53 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-29899 Wow Silvia, This is more than just a 'train of thought', it is <b>Synthesis</b> and <b>Evaluation</b>, it is the combining of many ideas to <b>Create</b> something better, it is the kind of higher order thinking we want to see from our educators and our students! To reinforce the idea that it isn't about the technology, I'm going to share Cindy Quach's comment that she wrote on this wonderful post on collaboration tools: http://ahhhhsandahas.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-response-to-kim-mcgills-blog-re.html <i>...when I first starting incorporating technology into my teaching repetoire, I must admit that it was the driving force of the lesson. In this way, I was trying to teach tech...which is not my area of expertise. However, when I finally figured out that I was not a tech teacher but rather someone who was using technology as a means to teach the skills and processes that have always been important to me...everything seemed so much more focussed and doable. </i> A brilliant insight indeed! As Heidi suggests, we could teach without technology, <i>but why would we want to?</i> I'm going to share this post with many people, a post by a person I've never met, and may never meet, but is a valuable member of my professional learning network/learning community... I'm having a 'learning conversation' with her, and she was my teacher today. Without our blogs, without rss and a means to find out that my blog was linked to, without the technology as a means to share, collaborate and communicate, this learning would have stayed in a single school, or in the mind of a single person. No it is not about the technology, but I certainly don't want to learn without it... and our students shouldn't have to! Thanks to you Silvia Wow Silvia,
This is more than just a ‘train of thought’, it is Synthesis and Evaluation, it is the combining of many ideas to Create something better, it is the kind of higher order thinking we want to see from our educators and our students!

To reinforce the idea that it isn’t about the technology, I’m going to share Cindy Quach’s comment that she wrote on this wonderful post on collaboration tools: http://ahhhhsandahas.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-response-to-kim-mcgills-blog-re.html
…when I first starting incorporating technology into my teaching repetoire, I must admit that it was the driving force of the lesson. In this way, I was trying to teach tech…which is not my area of expertise. However, when I finally figured out that I was not a tech teacher but rather someone who was using technology as a means to teach the skills and processes that have always been important to me…everything seemed so much more focussed and doable.
A brilliant insight indeed!

As Heidi suggests, we could teach without technology, but why would we want to?
I’m going to share this post with many people, a post by a person I’ve never met, and may never meet, but is a valuable member of my professional learning network/learning community… I’m having a ‘learning conversation’ with her, and she was my teacher today. Without our blogs, without rss and a means to find out that my blog was linked to, without the technology as a means to share, collaborate and communicate, this learning would have stayed in a single school, or in the mind of a single person.

No it is not about the technology, but I certainly don’t want to learn without it… and our students shouldn’t have to!

Thanks to you Silvia

]]> By: Dave Bill http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/17/changing-shifting-a-school-culture-train-of-thought/comment-page-1/#comment-29898 Dave Bill Sun, 17 May 2009 17:39:25 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=3913#comment-29898 Nice post. Before we can introduce the tools to our teachers that will impact the learning, we must help our teachers understand how to shift their approach to teaching. This will take some time and effort but we simply cannot use these tools and teach in a traditional manner. If we do, we are simply giving them a fancier chalkboard. Nice post. Before we can introduce the tools to our teachers that will impact the learning, we must help our teachers understand how to shift their approach to teaching. This will take some time and effort but we simply cannot use these tools and teach in a traditional manner. If we do, we are simply giving them a fancier chalkboard.

]]>