I have spent a great deal of time communicating the need for educators to connect, communicate and collaborate in order to improve our education system and learning in our computer-driven culture. Many educators have boarded that train, but many, many more are still waiting at the station for a train that is easier to board and more comfortable to ride.
Maybe my efforts and the efforts of many other educators and bloggers have targeted the wrong group to affect a change in our education system. Maybe instead of pushing educators into the fray, we should be supporting other groups that will eventually pull educators into a systematic change. Connectedness is not a condition that is only available for educators to benefit. If educators fail to see the benefit of connectedness in our education system, maybe another group could be targeted for modeling the positive effects of connected learning. Maybe the model of the educators being the leaders for the learners needs to be flipped. What would happen if the learners connected to model the benefits for the educators?
Many educators might say that is impossible, and even laughable to think that is even a possibility in our system. Educators decide the “What and How” of students’ learning in our system and that will never change. Educators have always led the way for the students. So it is written, and so it shall be done!
That foundation on which our education system has been based lo these many centuries seems now to be on shaky ground. I attended an education conference in the Bahamas where I attended sessions delivered by students on student connectedness, enhancing, and even directing student learning. It was an eye-opener for many educators in the audience. I saw a keynote speech at an education conference in Indiana delivered by an eleven-year-old on the advantages of connectedness for students. This kid achieved more as a connected learner than many in the educator-audience even were aware to be possible. Major education conferences are including more and more student sessions exploring the possibilities of student connectedness, connected learning, and choices students have in this technology-driven culture.
Many educators are fascinated by these types of sessions. Many educators view these sessions as something unique. Many educators consider these kids to be anomalies in a system of passive, compliant students. Many educators are oblivious to change as it is happening.
I am not a big believer of the digital native theory. Kids, however, are more open than their educators to learn with technology. They may not be learning with technology in their schools, but they are willing and able to explore and learn on their own. Students are unaware of the excuses of lack of time, or lack of a comfort level used by many of their educators. Kids have vast texting networks that are potential Personal Learning Networks. They are already connected in many ways. Taking that connectedness and applying some collaborative and networking methodology could yield great learning benefits in many cases. The potential of connected learning is but a few steps away for kids.
In many cases creating a collaborative community of learners among students might prove to be an easier and more successful task than the efforts already expended on the same concept for the educators. There is no need to convince kids of the uses of technology, because they get it. There is no need to teach them the bells and whistles of every application, because they learn what they need by trial and error without fear of making mistakes, or breaking something. As a target group to learn through connectedness, students offer far more potential than educators.
Once we have achieved the ultimate goal of connecting all students to develop their Personal Learning Networks, they will begin to direct their own learning beyond the limitations of their teachers. The walls of the classroom, or the location of the school building will not limit students.
Educators who wish to remain relevant will need to play catch up. Educators who wish to gain the same advances in learning as their students may accept the benefits of technology while abandoning the excuses of time and comfort. Educators will be dragged into the progressive education movement rather than being pushed. The idea of students being able to circumvent their educators in a successful pursuit of education may drive educators into a culture they should have embraced from the beginning. Enabling, and, modeling the use of technology, and its ability to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create should be a primary goal in education. Teaching the skill of how to learn outweighs the idea of memorizing what to learn.
Could this happen? Probably not tomorrow, but it might eventually. If educators do not strive to be relevant, the outcome will be irrelevance. Students will need to circumvent an irrelevant education system at that point. Technology can and will provide the means to do that. Relevance: If we do not use it we will lose it!
My Island View 
I enjoyed your article and think you make some excellent points. I have learned so much from the short time I have been following your blog, thank you! As a newly “connected”/aware educator, I just have to question the idea that teachers are too lazy or frightened to board that train. Many, I believe, are ignorant, despite efforts of you and others to spread the word. Surely the answer isn’t one or the other — by all means challenge and encourage learners to revolutionize the “irrelevant education system”, but don’t forget to discover that huge audience of educators that have not heard the message, and how to reach them. There are many dedicated professionals out there who would be shocked to know they are thought of as irrelevant or lazy.
I never ever use the word lazy when it comes to educators. It is true that many educators do not know what it is that they do not know. A contributing and major reason for this lack of awareness is the lack of being connected. There is a gap between connected and unconnected educators and a growing need to be connected. To be a professional educator, one needs to be relevant. It is an obligation in the profession. If the system fails to provide PD and relevance, it is incumbent on the professional educator to seek it out. Of course that is my opinion, but it is a shared view.
I absolutely agree with you, Tom. Let’s continue to reach out and try to connect the unconnected!
I cannot tell you how much this article spoke to me! I have learned so much from this summer on twitter ….thanks for being a part of my continuing journey of learning along with my students.
[…] I have spent a great deal of time communicating the need for educators to connect, communicate and collaborate in order to improve our education system and learning in our computer-driven culture…. […]
Ironically, the only way that I think I will be able to survive in education, is to avoid ‘connecting’. All the Ed. folk in ‘connected’ circles that I encounter, seem to have philosophies at 180 degrees to mine. I keep getting depressed and frustrated when ‘connecting.
You reversed field on me Tom. Last week, we agreed that educators needed to get connected first in order to help students migrate from the connected playground to the connected classroom. I agree that the resistance is likely less with our students, but I still return to my original thought – there is value in all learners of an organization, community, school, or classroom getting connected through social media and digital tools. How do you think students would answer this question, “How do your teachers learn?” If the answer is “I don’t know.”, then we aren’t doing enough to model and engage in connected learning with our students. Thanks for continuing to pump life into this necessary conversation.
Tom,
Thank you for this thought-provoking post among many others I have been able to read here. Like Jill and TMVine, I am new to twitter and PLNs and have been delighted to cull so much wisdom from a variety of sources. I appreciate your idea here that maybe our students can lead the way and perhaps many already are – whether we as educators acknowledge it or not.
I understand your frustration about essentially “preaching to the converted.” What finally got me to join twitter was an invitation from a trusted colleague. Which leads me to believe that the key to relevance of PLNs is an emphasis on personal. When colleagues reach out to other colleagues, the critical elements of empathy, compassion and care are ultimately what make the difference between genuine connection and potential disconnect. Connecting people takes much more than technology and even as we widen our perspectives to further our learning, may we remain mindful of the human elements we all need to best serve our students and our societies.
edifiedlistener, Beautifully put and so true.