Last week – as are most weeks – was a waveform.  Lots of crests and troughs (how’s that for Grade 8 Science!) as I work with learners – teachers and students – to promote the school shift.

A couple of highlights are worth mentioning, however.  First of all, last week I had a wonderful (yet brief) conversation with two new pre-service teachers who have just arrived at our school the week previous from St. Thomas University for an eight-week internship.  I had met both of them before as I had spoke to their class about blogging as a literacy tool previously and I know one of them from my church.

This conversation was encouraging.  We spoke briefly about what they saw in their brief exposure to our school. One had read my previous blog post on how we value technology in our business and government, but not in education.  She noted – rightly of course – that it goes far beyond simply putting technology in the hands of teachers, they need to learn skills and – more importantly – shift their mindset.  She writes on her course reflective blog (which is closed, but I am sure she won’t mind sharing)…

My point is that  it is not just about having technology in schools but about educating teachers about how technology can be used to enhance teaching,  to intensify course content and to provide students a unique way to experience learning.

She goes on to point out that the barrier is about more than just skills, but about changing the narrative of learning to one that reflects our new global reality.

I believe that technology is changing the traditional teacher- student interface. Students no longer rely exclusively on their educators to provide them with information and knowledge, they know how to seek out that content elsewhere. I believe that what students need are educators who can move beyond rote memory and teacher centered classrooms to provide students with a skill set to use technology effectively to decipher true from false and to think critically about the information that they are accessing. Of course the basics of schooling should not be overlooked math and science are important, reading and writing are essential, physical education can not be overlooked and of course the need to learn about social studies in a global world is more necessary than ever before. The ways that students experience this learning can be transformed and positively enriched by the use of technology.

You see, the sad fact is that – even in a school as rich as our 1:1 project – some teachers just don’t want to get it.  They haven’t seen the shift because they don’t understand that when kids walk out our doors and hit the streets and their homes, they are powered and connected beyond their comprehension.  They don’t want to get that making widgits in a plant for a living is just not in the cards anymore.  Most jobs of our parents will be automated or outsourced.  For the digital generation, survival will mean being able to manage information, connect to their worlds to learn and manage / promote their own digital footprint. I am sure they know kids have changed, the world has changed, but they don’t want to change!

Which brings me to the trough.  This coming Friday is a scheduled school-based PD day for our staff.  As one of the people charged with helping teachers roll the stone up the hill, I proposed a 21st century learning camp, where staff would participate in a number of activities designed to begin conversations around three critical questions; what are we doing to support information literacy skills for our students – as opposed to our past; what are we doing to promote students developing and managing their own personal learning networks; and what are we doing to help students effectively manage their digital footprint?

Response from most was “sounds cool”, but some just rolled their eyes, shook their heads and wanted to know why they had to take part.  They didn’t see the point.

But, alas, we forge ahead.  The day is planned. The dance begins.  Maybe, just maybe, young teachers like our new duo, will carry the day.  Like grapes, knowledge tends to grow in clusters.

It’s can’t be too soon.

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