Finding Common Ground

Will Richardson opened the Discovery Educator preconference with a talk about how the web can and should be used in education for students to make connections with others that are discussing topics that interest them, which in turn will make them more passionate about the things we are trying to teach them.

Suggesting that the web can be used to help our students form and join affinity groups was an a-ha moment for me. Teachers at the elementary level cannot be the expert for everything they are required to teach. Why not locate online support to assist teachers with teaching topics that are not their first love. As a third grade teacher, I was required to teach a light unit in science. I can tell you that the concept of light is above me - I would have loved the opportunity to find people that would have done a better job and maybe made the topic more exciting for the students.

From an educational standpoint, the use of social networking tools by teachers has to start with professional development. Let’s get teachers using this type of activity professionally so they can see the value and then move it into classrooms. But, not everyone needs the specific training for each type of tool. Find the place where blogs will work and target those teachers with training and coach them through implementation. Another teacher might have a curricular goal that might be bet by a wiki. Train that teacher on the use of wiki and coach the class through the start up phase.

Teachers can no longer close their classroom door and be the sole provider of information for their students. The whole world is open to them these days!

Filed under: Learning From and