As an adjunct professor at a local private college, I have the privilege each semester to teach one of several methods courses required for our secondary English education students. In addition, I supervise a group of student teachers in their assignments which requires me to observe each student in each of their teaching assignments, one a middle school and the other a High school placement. Within my methods course I engage my students in many of the educational topics relevant to educators today. I have them use Social Media to create Personal Learning Networks, and I require these future English teachers to blog and post comments on blogs of others. They do not take tests, but rather are assessed on lessons, projects and Unit plans that they are required to create and develop.
To many of the educators with whom I am in daily digital contact this probably sounds like it should be the way all methods courses should be taught. Anyone familiar with what I have written over the past year on this blog would know that I believe in integrating technology into education. That is an emphasis I use in my class. This too might be praised by the choir of tweeting educators with whom I have come to belong. With all of this support, one would think that I would be convinced and resolute in a mission to put my stamp of relevance on all of my students. Not so fast!
I have a very strong belief in teaching the right thing as I have come to understand it. I also have an obligation to prepare my students to be the best possible candidates for a teaching position. This is the tightrope part. My biggest dilemma is that I can prepare them with what they need, but I can’t hire them. I know that many of the methods I am using and teaching strategies that I promote, may not be the same as those ascribed to by their perspective employers. There are many times when I will give my opinion and tell my students that they may not want to mention that in a job interview.
The other force that pulls my students is that of experience. Most have experienced teachers who demand memorization followed by a test, followed by more memorization and another test. This was their elementary and secondary experience and for many it continues in some classes in their college experience. Professors tell them that there is no need for technology in education and Social Media is trouble to be avoided by educators. I find it difficult to tell them that this is completely wrong, although I believe it. The truth is that this is an attitude of many educators today. These are the very people who will be in a position to hire and work with my students.
It is one thing to know the right thing to do, but it is another to tell someone else that, what they are doing is wrong. How do we teach relevant methods for teaching without selling it as something that must be hidden until it can be determined where the administration or even future colleagues stand on such issues? Of course this is changing, but it has been changing for 30 years and we are still discussing it. I see the reluctance to change with every school that I enter to do observations. Yes, it is getting better, but if education was really moving forward, the word “reform” would only apply to politicians and business people and not the other way around.
I know that my experience in this is not unique. We need to teach our future teachers relevant methods, techniques and tools, but that is not the only path to reform. We need to continue to engage our colleagues, administrators and Leaders in accepting change. We should not have to qualify or make excuses for being relevant and using technology as a tool for learning. Social Media, like any tool, may be misused, but it has a greater potential to be used as a positive force for change. We need to promote reform within the system for it will be too slow in coming if we wait for the colleges. We need to be the change. I want my students to clearly understand the expectations, so they can focus on their goal. I want to come down from the tightrope.
My Island View 
Thank you so much for this post. I too teach teacher candidates and find it necessary to have similar conversations with them. I teach the math methods course. You might imagine that much of the information that I share and experiences that I create for my students are not those seen in their sponsor classrooms/schools.
I encourage my students to have a professional discussion with their sponsor teacher when asked to engage in pedagogy or activity that is not purposeful. Alas . . . this is not always possible and the student teachers sometimes just have to suck it up and complete their teacher practicum obligations.
I feel a bit the failure that I do not have better advice for them.
Thank you for sharing your challenges so honestly, Tom.
We are currently having more success than previously with teachers and changing curriculum and pedagogy by bringing together small groups (12 principals – teachers – support staff) from different school sites and engaging in teachers as learners sessions.
Denise
As an educator who embraces technology, I feel like I walk a tightrope too, that’s why I like my Twitter PLN so much. I learn so much. I also gain confidence and energy from my classroom NING – a closed social network for elementary school students. Every night my students contact me and classmates about many topics pertaining to school. They regularly blog, create online photo albums post their Animoto films and Youtube videos – it’s a vibrant place of sharing, learning, and growing. We also have many grow-at-your-own pace tech learning opportunities which students like, particularly those who want more learning at a quicker pace. In summary, I’m glad you’re walking the tightrope and fostering technology integration as it holds tremendous potential for students and that’s where our focus should be.
Thanks for your thoughts! I am trying to do this with my own high school students and meet much resistance from them. They want to use the computer to play games and type reports. I keep pushing along as I know that eventually they will realize why I am introducing tools like blogs, diigo, animoto, etc. I still get student who double check that they can email me a file. Yes, please if it gets it to me on time or it gets it to school so you can hand it in to someone else.
My PLN has inspired me and challenged me in many ways. I know that I can connect with Twitter and get excellent, relevant information quickly and at my own pace.
My own pre-service daughter was told today that she will need to make a website. She flipped as no one has had her do that yet. She is nervous as it is different. So far, I have not been able to get her to see the benefits of blogging or Twitter.
Collaboration and positive digital footprints will become more important as we continue to embrace technology. If we teach more students to do this, we may be able to avoid some of the negatives that make the news.
Tom,
You don’t teach nor demand technology. I’ve come to that conclusion after years of teacher training and education. It doesn’t work.
what you do, do – if you want teachers to change their practice, is make sure you have staff, professors and an institution using technology in their regular teaching practices. Modeling it and showing teachers its use in its proper context – learning. Not as an add on, “let’s learn about audio tools” etc, blablabla….
We got it all wrong and it will forever be wrong until we see technology in its proper place – as tacit knowledge, a way and not the destination or badge.
That’s my take.
David
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Tom, this quote really struck me: “We should not have to qualify or make excuses for being relevant and using technology as a tool for learning.”
Just the fact that you have to state that shows us how bad the situation is in the tech-in-ed world. We ‘do’ have to make excuses for being relevant and we ‘do’ have to justify using technology as a tool for learning. You and I both want everyone to ‘just get it’ and see it the way we, and thousands of other educators see it. But, then reality sets in and we have to come up with the laundry list of reasons why the students need to learn how to use technology tools that don’t start with the word Face….
I am trying to work through this now as a parent of youngsters. There is no way I am going to be able to help my kid’s teachers ‘get it’. As a parent, why do I have to approach the school and have to have the uncomfortable conversations with veteran teachers asking, no begging, them to do something with technology in my kid’s classroom. Something. Anything. Take a break from the worksheets (my first grader hates worksheets already) and go out on a limb and have the kids create something from digital pictures they take, audio interviews they record, or digital stories they create. As you know, the possibilities are practically endless now and yet nothing happens.
Instead, I’ll have to approach them with the long list of reasons why technology will be an important, if not vital, tool throughout the lives of my children and try to sell the use of technology as a tool for learning. It’s a solo act on the tightrope, but someone has to do it.
The saddest state is when we, or others, become good at walking the tightrope. Manipulating experiences, interviews, professors, and situations. Our goals switch from creating competent educators to creating competent navigators of systems.
Based on a #chat that took place last week, we are populating a site with on-ground examples of reform at
http://www.IamChangingEd.org
Contributors are welcome to submit their examples.
I would encourage students to develop a vision of the kind of skills they want students to have. In my case I would look at what businesses are asking for. They want people who can effectively communicate, solve problems, think, and collaborate. Once they know what they want in the way of results, they should be able to design lessons and evaluations that aim students in the desired direction. To become a better writer you need to practice writing, but you need to memorize some basic rules. Blogging can serve this purpose. Collaboration certainly involves group projects, which can also bring blogging into play. Open ended projects allow for thinking and problem solving. Technology can play a key roll as needed. I think of it as a Swiss Army Knife. It contains many tools that one uses as necessary. Social media is at a stage where we need innovative educators to do research and help us find some effective ways to bring it to the learning experience. Students should not try to second guess old school administrators during interviews. They should be able to present and defend their vision and goals.You don’t want to talk yourself into a job you don’t want. If any make use of my blog for professional development, I would be happy to field their questions. Keep up the good work.
Schools certainly have a ‘hand me down’ reputation. I remember when I was in college having a film projector and donating it to the local primary school because they were still using them many years past their prime. Although schools have made great strides, it’s hard to change people’s perceptions. If we continue to push though, I believe we can put schools ahead of the technology curve instead of behind it.