As I have been working with teachers on trying to change the focus from teaching to learning, I have been trying to change the language I use to promote the point.

In conversations, I am trying to replace the word “teacher” with one of two terms, depending on the nature of the focus. In it’s place, I will use the term “learning leader” or “leading learner”. While the difference appears slight, simply reversing the words has great impact. The terms are not interchangeable, and their use depends on the context of the conversation.

When using the term “learning leader”, the noun is leader, with learning as a supporting adjective. The focus is on the leader part of the teacher’s job. As a pedagogical leader within the school, the teacher’s expertise in curricula, planning, design, preparation and assessment is critical to creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment. We need and expect teachers to be leaders. Most teachers are eager to accept this term.

On the other hand, the term “leading learner” is more complicated, the noun (and the focus) on being a learner, with the word leader serving as a descriptor. These teachers assume the identity as a learner within a community of learners, open to change and willing to switch between the traditional roles of student and teacher. They blur the lines between themselves and the students, offering to model 21st century learning at the risk of failure. This is a harder sell with educators, especially those who hold dear to traditional ideas about learning.

I believe how teachers accept the role as a leading learner is what sets great teachers apart from mere competent ones. They are part of a collective, collaborating with colleagues, “students” and others to establish a flexible, innovative and dynamic learning community.  I believe it speaks to their ability to help prepare a new generation of young people to work, play and learn in a 21st century global community.

Photo credit: “Learner-Learner Interaction”, Originally uploaded to Flickr by jrhode

tags: technology, education, learning, whipple

Having been recently invited to join my district’s Leadership Development Program, I spent the better part of two days this week in the first module, which focused on developing “Professional Learning Communities”.

It was an interesting couple of days, with many opportunities to share and influence through conversations. I’ll add more at a later date as I continue along this path, but I do have two quick observations.

One of the questions we were asked to ponder was the mission, vision, purpose and structure of school.  Guess they decided to start us off with the small stuff first!  It was interesting as many offered learning, preparing students for the future, citizenship.  Some even talked about 21st century learning.  I think some even recognized that there was a shift taking place, but most were not able to offer why.

Of the 19 people in the module, I was a bit lonely as the only one who offered that access to networked digital information was crucial to learning environments in the 21st century.

I was able to share some of my understandings.  One of the focus’ of the program is to promote professional reading.  After peeking in on my feedreader on Friday morning before the sessions and immediatelty seeing it’s value, the coordinator asked if I would share this at sometime during the day.  Later, after a break, I was able to share reading blogs – in addition to academic reading – as a learning tool and how to use RSS and feedreaders to bring the info to the learner.  In addition, I was able to share with my fellow learners the power of podcasts (specifically podcasts available FREE through the iTunes store).  This was a wow moment for many. Kewl!

tags: technology, education, learning, whipple