An assumption is a proposition that is taken for granted, as if it were true based upon presupposition without preponderance of the facts. There are many assumptions in education that are common in many schools from many districts. Some assumptions can be a hindrance to education reforms. Because these assumptions are believed by many educators to be true, they plan and make decisions based on these assumptions as if they were facts. Assumptions are not facts, but people continue to believe that they are. By the way I have no way of proving these statements that I am about to explore before you. I am making the assumption that my observations over the length of my career are proof enough for me to make generalizations.
First Assumption: Kids know more about technology than the teachers. We do not have to deal with technology since they know all about it.
Kids; are cell phone masters, can program DVR’s (VCR’s before that), text, use social media, download mp3 files, download videos, and use search engines. All of these abilities, however, are not a mastery of technology, although it might seem so to those who are even less technologically skilled.
Second Assumption: As an educator, if I can do PowerPoint presentations, I am effectively integrating technology into education.
With the introduction of a vast array of Web2.0 tools technology is cheap and abundant with applications to search, analyze, collaborate, create, communicate, and present. PowerPoint as good as it is, has become a digital Overhead projector. It is still useful, but limited compared to combinations of applications available.
Third Assumption: Colleges will turn out students to become teachers with a complete understanding of technology and education integration.
Many Colleges are using more and more Adjuncts. Many of these Adjuncts come from the ranks of secondary teachers, often older and many are retired. These are the very same educators who failed to integrate technology into education to begin with. They are believers of the first two assumptions.
Fourth Assumption: Senior teachers will never change; they are burnouts and will never take the time to learn new things.
As the founder of The Educator’s PLN Ning I accept members to that site every day. Many if not most of over 4,000 members are over 45 years of age. Veteran teachers are becoming targets and victims of assumptions. They are the highest salaried teachers, so the reason for targeting should be obvious. The fuel for this might be those senior teachers who do burn out, or refuse to professionally develop, but we are talking about a few and applying it to the whole.
Fifth Assumption: Administrators do not need to go through Professional Development. It is geared to teachers and not Administrators.
Administrators are our educational leaders. They need to model that which they expect their teachers to do. It goes without saying that they need to understand pedagogy to assess teachers’ lessons. Why should we not expect them to have a working knowledge of the newest tools of education as well?
Sixth Assumption: If we teach every bell and whistle in an application, teachers will see its worth and make it work in their class.
IT people need to understand that teachers need to fit the tool to the lesson not learn the application just to create a lesson. Professional development is very important for educators to stay relevant. I received a Masters degree in Educational Technology and none of the software or hardware that I learned on even exists today. Without Updating with PD I could not enable my students to effectively use the tools that they will need to be effective educators in our digital world.
I have offered a feast of assumptions which I have observed. I assume that you have your own favorites from you own experiences. The point of this post however, is not to swap war stories. We need to question and reflect on assumptions that are stalling change in our education system.
The biggest assumption: If I teach the way I learned, they will get it. We don’t need this technology stuff. If it was good enough for me it will be good enough for them.
I could continue the assumption list, but unless you have been living in a cave you should get the point and see some comparison of my examples to your own experiences. Feel free to comment here on assumptions that you are aware of and expose them. The sooner we dispel this stuff the sooner we can focus on what is real and get on with change. By the way I believe that my assumptions about these assumptions are factual.
My Island View 
Great collection of assumptions in one place. People seem to think that many of those assumptions are axiomatic when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The administrators one is of special import. I count on the support of my administrators to be most effective at my job. I feel that they need to understand the importance of technology and its role in teaching and learning.
Hi Tom,
This is an excellent post. We often run our days based on assumptions. They make our lives much easier. It’s easier to make a decision when an assumption has done most of the background work for this decision. It’s a faster to reach a conclusion when you’ve made an assumption.
Teachers and the education system as a whole is run by assumptions. A curriculum is based on assumptions. If it hadn’t, it would have to change, well, at least every year. And that’s a lot of work, not to mention the accompanying expenses.
It is assumed kids must learn math to …such and such level.
It is assumed an education cannot be titled education if students haven’t studied literature.
It is assumed a class of kids should be based on age groups.
It is assumed that to learn a class should sit facing a teacher and a blackboard.
There are assumptions concerning homework, tests and grades. Assumptions concerning gifted students and assumptions made about students with learning difficulties. Some assumptions border with prejudice.
I must quote a friend’s comment on my facebook from yesterday. Ian Carmichael, a teacher from Australia wrote on a totally different topic: “We can’t not see the world in particular ways, but we can learn to be critical questioning readers of the news (**information) dished up to us. And teachers are doubly responsible to read in such ways – and teach the children to read under the same ‘suspicious method’. And be ready to hear a reading NOT their own!”
But is it really possible? To question all the time?
Thanks Tom,
You have to be right, because I agree with you! I do agree with your list of common assumptions. (And why wouldn’t I, as a teacher of senior years?!) But we do need to analyse our assumptions. Even more so the BIG assumptions. We operate under assumptions about what education is – so the the constructivists and the No Child Left Untested groups don’t understand that their ‘opponents’ are operating out of a wildly different assumption about education/learning. The current push for mathematics (of which I am a teacher btw) assumes that everyone needs some advanced mathematics – like algebra – in order for the country to be scientifically, industrially and economically dominant. Which assumes, also, that such dominance is a Good Thing.
But to come back to your list – and a slide from Gary Stager at ACEC2010. He showed us an old picture of some Microworlds PD. His comment? “Over on the end you’ll see **** – the principal. That’s pretty rare nowadays!” More exposure to the variety of current teaching and learning approaches is essential for our administrators. And exposure to the cost of developing those approaches!
And thanks again for your incisive comments. I hope it’s heard by more than the choir.
Good and true points all, but am grateful not all of us adjuncts are Luddites.
Learning new technologies is what keeps me teaching…and learning.
Cheers!
Love the assumption that students are better at technology than teachers. I have often found that NOT to be true, even though we often refer to them as digital natives. Digital native they are (in certain domains), but there still is a lot to learn (as you pointed out) for all of us.
Many of my students had never heard of a prezi or a glog. After having introduced it in my classrooms, it caught on like wildfire. This week alone, I have already seen at least 8 prezis.
Great job on assumptions. You can now assume I liked your post. And you would be right! Great job.
Good job, Tom! The list of assumptions are spot-on! The discussions of what “technology in the classroom” or “21st century learning” means are rife with assumptions and misunderstandings. Perhaps that is where we should start in-house PD – with unpacking in-house assumptions.
Thanks for another great post!
Great points and I agree with many of your assumptions. The PowerPoint assumption is dead on and something that I routinely have to address with my staff (I refer to it as my infusion vs. integration speech). However, I feel inclined to comment on your 5th assumption in regards to Administrators. Administrators can provide invaluable support in the area of professional development of teachers without a working knowledge of the “tools” (for those of you that know me you are already aware that I do have a working knowledge of edtech). Creating an environment that is supportive (financial, feedback), flexible, and promotes creativity and freedom are ways in which administrators support PD. Do they all have to model in order for it to be successful? Not necessarily. Every day administrators must juggle multiple responsibilities that might make it difficult to learn about the newest tools. They should, however, have a strong knowledge of pedagogy and be in position to help teachers to successfully integrate. It is the one’s who do not have an open mind and allow their teachers to to take risks that need to be addressed.
Great job as always Tom!
May I assume that you will continue to challenge my assumptions?
Good post!
Nice piece Tom. There are so many more assumptions you could have added, but you’re dead on with these. thanks for the post!
I agree with Eric Sheninger who says: “Administrators can provide invaluable support in the area of professional development of teachers without a working knowledge of the “tools”….
I will definitely share your list of assumptions with our adminstrators.
One more assumption: Social media is too scary and dangerous for K-12 schools; we should avoid the messiness and risk-taking until new technologies have sufficient built-in controls.
I like this list of assumptions. Another assumption that many of the teachers in my school make is that “since this lesson worked last year, I’ll use it again this year.” Fine, if you reflect at some point (even then, however, the group of kids DOES change each year). If not, this becomes an endless cycle, and twenty years on, based on the aforementioned assumption, the teacher is using the exact same lesson. This sort of pigtails on your “biggest assumption” above. There are even teachers who use the exact same spacing of time between tests for years and years.
…and don’t change the test!
Great Post. Other assumptions that I have found to be true in my role as a part time curriculum coordinator in a K12 district and a part time school improvement consultant:
1) All educators believe all students can learn, 2) All educators believe they are responsible for student learning
When there is discussion around these 2 topics, it can be very eye-opening.
Assumptions are fraught with danger in any enterprise. They are like stereotypes and generalizations in that they have some use, but should not be acted on unless you lack specific knowledge regarding the situation your are in. With students and educators including administrators, you can’t assume anything in regard to technology knowledge or use. In all cases you need to evaluate somehow if you are trying to figure out what they can do or what needs to be done in terms of development efforts.
DrDougGreen.Com
Once again, a thoughtful post, Tom, which has generated many great comments.
I would like to add some futher assumptions which I’ve experienced in my shorter teaching career, either from myself or others:
(1) We’ve got the job, so now we can stop learning. Interest in reading articles, ongoing study, PD seems to dip once a job is secured.
(2) Education is about knowledge, so that is what we teach. The transition to teaching students skills to locate and analyse information is slow.
(3) Administrators care about learning. My experience here is that they care about money and power more.
(4) Students should remain together as a class for all subjects. I think there is a place for streaming, especially when there are large disrepancies within the same group.
(5) We should always teach inside a classroom. OK, excursions can be risky and expensive, but why can’t we just sit outside or explore the school environment sometimes?
(6) We know best. Students have nothing to teach us, nor do senior teachers, colleagues or trainers, or so it seems to some.
(7) We must plan every detail of each lesson and stick to it. What happened to student-centred learning?
(8) We must use the textbook, and preferably all of it from front to back, after all the school chose it and the parents paid for it. Well, perhaps there are other materials?
(9) What is new is always better than what is not. Some teachers aren’t ready or able to “throw out the baby with the bath water” yet, and many new ideas need time to prove themselves effective in the field, particularly for uses they were not designed for.
(10) Finally, I’m reminded of a line (the source of which eludes me) “When you ASSUME you make an ASS out of U and ME”. Some assumptions are useful and even necessary when time is pressing, but others need more careful thought to see whether they are still true or functional today.
Let’s try to minimise the ass-making by examining our assumptions before we automatically “assume” – meaning “to take them on” – them.
Oh, these assumptions we make! Another one is that if we provide schools with technology, teachers will use it.
Thanks for the thoughtful posts on assumptions. One assumption that many in and out of education have made is that secondary and college teachers know more than elementary teachers. Some people used to tell me that they also believed elementary school teachers should be paid less. I am sure that none of those people ever spent a day with 4-12 year olds, living a child-centered, content rich, rigorous academic program. Some of those very same teachers spent their evening researching new methods, reading about new mega studies, and exploring the Internet. I was never given time (nor access to IT staff) during the day to learn the new technology so my evenings became the time for self-teaching.
Another assumption I have often heard is that the administrators are educational leaders. I have had more than 9 superintendents and the same number of principals in my 30+ years as an elementary school teacher. Less than 25% of those individuals had ever spent a day teaching elementary school and therefore, they did not have the experience to lead others with regards to classroom management and effective teaching practices. Some were former phys ed. teachers and others were music teachers, but rarely was there anyone who had juggled multiple content areas, children with special needs and a fragmented pull-out schedule, which left virtually no time for the entire class to be together at the same time. So many of the problems I faced were not even validated by understanding.
I agree with your assumption about experienced educators. There are those who “burn out” or do not stay up to date in their field, but I would be surprised if there are many of those people who are now adjuncts. The adjuncts I have met are committed, passionate, life long learners and are in education because they are passionate about it – certainly they will never become financially rich as an adjunct. Many adjuncts take advantage of all of the IT support available to them and are excited about new educational possibilities.
One last assumption that many people make is that our leaders in the state and federal government know what will make education better. NCLB was not an improvement, in my mind, and Race to the Top is doing more damage than good. Thoughtful, data-supported (but not data driven,) experienced, passionate educators need to make our voices heard at the government levels. We need to be persistent and hold fast to what we know is effective in education.
Thanks again for getting the conversation going, Tom.
I battle Assumption #5 all the time. It interests (and irritates!) me that often the same person responsible for teacher assessments is the one who is “too busy” to attend professional development. In addition to the fact that they might learn something, they need to know what teachers are going to be implementing in their classrooms. I recently led professional development at a school where all the principals AND the superintendent attended every session. It should come as no surprise that this school is experiencing optimal success because everyone was engaged in the same professional development. In addition to the benefit of having everyone “on the same page,” the teachers recognized how valuable the school’s leaders considered the initiative to be.
Excellent and perceptive list of challenges! Thanks for getting us to think and examine ourselves for these detrimental actions and attitudes!
All these assumptions are evident in educational settings. I can just repeat a few quotes that drive my planning: 1. If kids can’t learn the way we teach, we must teach the way kids learn (this does not always imply using bells and whistles and technology either.) 2. Putting bad pedagogy in a digital format does not make it good pedagogy. It just makes it digitized. 3. Learning is the big word. Tools is the little word. 4. Technology is a tool, not a teacher.
Thanks for your post.
Maryna
I can attest to the 1st assumption as I am often telling them things they don’t know, and I don’t consider myself to have intermediate knowledge.
In the last month, I have started doing a great deal of online reading; as a result, I have learned a great deal about the endless Web 2.0 applications. I wasn’t even familiar with the term until a few weeks ago. Many teachers at our school use PPT extensively on their Smartboard (and not much else). I so agree with you that it is not integration!
Re 5th assumption: I would love to have a tech savvy administrator who advocated for the free use of technology. My fantasy principal! 😀
Here’s another assumption of many school boards: If we loosen the rules on personal tech gadgets and devices, students will run wild and behave grossly inappropriately. We will have rampant online issues with bullying, etc. We need to use a strict filter to protect ourselves from lawsuits.
Another assumption: You were given a couple PD sessions on technology; any more sessions would be a waste of time.
Love the assumption that students are better at technology than teachers. This one really hit home. I find the real difference is that the students are more open and they are willing to experiment with the technology. I also find that my students are more creative and are great collaborators. They love working together to create something. In addition, if my students do not know how to do something, they will find the right person to help them.
These are terrific assumptions, Tom.
Thanks for sharing them.
I agree wholeheartedly. The sixth assumption is my biggest annoyance in PD – so many teachers presume they must learn the entire software tool (and then learn how to teach the entire software tool) before any creativity can happen in the classroom. Plain flat out wrong! If we waited until a child was old enough to manage the technology of eating (knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks etc.) before we let them eat, the child would starve and die. This is what I see so many do with technology in the classroom – they do not allow the child to create until they are already starved – starved of passion, starved of interest, starved of any desire to learn.
With regards to #1, kids do know a lot about technology, but they need me to teach them to use it effectively.
#2, Power Point is not a pinnacle. It’s a distraction from the message. My kids prefer Glogster for presentations.
#3, Most college professors still think Power Point is the pinnacle of of technology.
#4, I’m 60. My students used Skype, email, chats, and forums to connect with a dozens of classrooms around the world.
#5 After four years of tech integrated instruction (That’s how long I’ve been teaching), I have to prove to my administrators that technology helps kids learn. They know what I am doing. They have seen the results. They need me to tell them how I teach.
#6, I can say that in the past four years, I have taught same lessons, but I have never taught them with the same tools. How can I hope to prepare my students if I do not keep pace. Let me close by saying that our PD dollars are nearly non-exstent. If it wasn’t for my PLN, my kids and I would be woefully shortchanged. Great post, Tom. Your insights speak for all of us.
Rick
Thank you for thoughtful observations on assumptions. Everyone seems to have ideas about reforming education, but hardly anyone addresses common assumptions which are the foundation of educational structure.
You’ve got me thinking about assumptions people make about teachers. I’m assuming teachers are the key element in any structured learning situation. So based on that assumption, what assumptions should we have about teachers?
As a follow up, what assumptions can we make about the act of teaching?
Hmmmm. Interesting.
Tom,
You hit the nail right on the head. Some of these are assumptions that I have experienced before as well.
Once, as I was teaching my Ed Tech and Design class at the University of Northern Iowa, I was lecturing about digital immigrants and digital natives. Even as I was speaking, I asked myself “If they are all digital natives, why do they have to attend my class where they will learn about education in the digital world.” Furthermore, why didn’t they demonstrate that they already knew about this?
Angela Maiers explained this when she told me about a couple of other subcategories for the Digital Native: Digitally Comfy and Digitally Savvy.
Digitally Comfy means that you are comfortable in the digital world but you don’t necessary know how to use specific applications.
Digitally Savvy means that you know how to use a specific application. This isn’t an all-or-nothing situation. You might be an expert on using wikis but know nothing about Google Docs.
Thanks for this list. I will share it with my colleagues and students. I am happy to have discovered your blog.
Leigh Zeitz
http://drzreflects.com
A couple months ago for the social media convention in NYC, I was really encouraged and enlightened by your comments on the panel about integrating technology and social media into the modern classroom. As a frustrated teenager, rather than go through the old fashioned educational system, I decided to homeschool instead. It’s great to see that there are individuals like yourself in the educational industry that are pioneering new teaching methods.
Tom, I’m with an organization that helps students find ideal educational opportunities. We are looking for teaching professionals that would be willing to share some tips and experience for students considering a teaching career. If you are willing, we’d be happy to send you some email questions. With the interview, we would link to your blog and drive traffic to it which would help with branding for your name. Would you be open an online interview?