So in an article in The Journal (http://www.thejournal.com/articles/24227) they note that adoption of social networking in K-12 schools is hindered by security concerns and general stupidity (oops, the actual term was "teachers themselves doubt the instructional value or appropriateness of online social networking").
Yeah, there can't possibly be any instructional value in a place where like minded people can come together and share stories, concerns, feelings, reach out to each other for support, share news and information, etc. Oh, wait... didn't I just describe schools, churches, and any manner of other social gathering places?
This just underlines a point that keeps coming up for me. Why in the heck would you become a teacher if you're not willing to LEARN??? Technology has always been the evil "they" of instruction. "They" are always making us learn new technology. "They" are forcing us to reach outside our little bubble of reality to see the larger world at work. "They" think we should change the way we teach every hundred years or so. HOW DARE "THEY"???
Okay. Sorry. I just had to get that off my chest. In defense of many teachers, I know many, many teachers that don't feel or act this way. Often those more progressive teachers are stifled by administrators (read: former stupid teachers) that themselves have a huge fear of change.
So, come on! Get with it. Social networking, love it or hate it, does exist in the world of our students. As such, it MUST be part of our instructional platform. Get out and create a site, find some friends and give it a shot. You don't have to love it, or even be active in it. But for goodness sake, at least make an honest attempt at understanding why your students love it. That'll at least put you one step closer to relevance!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Initially, I was very skeptical of the idea of using social networking sites as a means of delivering educational content. The more I have had a chance to play with it though, I can see an unlimited number of possibilities in its use. I want to study the environment and any relevant literature a little more, but I think anything we can do to make education fun and interesting is important.
ReplyDelete