Teaching here and now, for the future...

Do teachers always realise their critical role, responsibility and valuable contributions to the development and acquisition of children's and young people's skills and knowledge to live and survive in the world outside the classroom? Are they often reminded of this?

Although teachers are teaching their learners here and now, they are also preparing learners for the future. This statement has serious implications... How can those teachers who are not willing to accommodate the "here and now" in their classrooms, ever accommodate the "future"? What are they preparing their learners for?

Looking at my own children (8 yrs and 5 yrs old) and how they interact with the world, made me realise how vulnerable children really are. Am I right in saying that, when one looks at the number of hours in a day, learners spend a substantial amount of their awake-time traveling to school, at school and traveling home again? School is therefore a big part of children's being. BUT, school is not the only part of it! When they step out of the classroom, they have friends, families, homes, communities, and...and...and - all of these contribute to the children's world.

The ideal would be for each smaller component of one's world to actively (and positively) contribute to and support another one. Skills, knowledge and experienced gained in one environment can then be transferred more easily to the other. Since school is such a big component of a learner's world, the impact of it on other components in the learner's world, is likely to be substantial - whether it is positive or negative.

The bigger the gap between the learner's "school world" and the other "worlds" in his/her life, the slimmer the chance of the learner benefiting from the transfer of skills, knowledge, etc. The could even result in separate worlds developing where knowledge and skills gained in one, cannot be transferred to the other.

Why should learners' worlds change completely when they leave school in the afternoon? Sitting behind a desk, writing or drawing in a book, reading from a book, do contribute to their development (i.e. it teaches them self discipline, develop different areas of their brains, teaches them essential skills, etc. etc.). I don't say one should take that away at all. My plea is for teachers to merely bring tools that are (or were?) traditionally considered to belong "outside the classroom", into the classroom to serve a specific educational purpose (i.e. to enhance teaching and learning). At the same time, by bringing the learners' worlds outside their "school world" closer to the classroom, they create a golden opportunity for the transfer of skills, knowledge, experience and insight gained in the classroom, to their worlds outside the classroom... preparing them for the future.

I think that teachers (and school principals) who are reluctant to use ICTs in their classrooms (and schools), should step back and ask themselves:
How big is the gap between my learners' "school world" and the "real world"?
AND
What is my contribution as a teacher/principal - am I making this gap bigger or am I filling/bridging it?

Getting teachers to open their minds

In my search for answers to my previously posted questions on approaching and convincing reluctant teachers to integrate ICTs into their classroom activities, I discovered a few gems!

Maybe one can start with a quick "reality check". Prompt teachers with the question "WHY should I even consider ICTs?"

Here are two video clips that can be used to motivate such a question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AWYIit1uNk (this is a 4 min clip with the title: I teach, therefore you learn... or do you?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnh9q_cQcUE (a 2 and a half minute clip with the title: Education Today and Tomorrow)

The next question could be: "WHAT are available and what are the possibilities of these available ICTs in my specific subject area?" When addressing this question, one should not only show examples of how other teachers are implementing ICTs, but also identify ICTs that are available.

Once the second question has been answered, one can move to: "HOW do I go about implementing the identified ICTs?" This question then addresses the specific skills and knowledge required by the teacher, as well as where the teacher can find particular/relevant resources to implement his/her ideas - in other words, follow a "just-in-time approach", compared to a "just-in-case approach".

Starting on the right foot?

In previous posts I commented on some teachers' reluctance to buy-in on the idea of integrating ICTs into their teaching and learning. They may have many reasons for their decisions and yes, the teachers that will come from the "new generation" are more likely to embed ICTs into their teaching and learning...

BUT:
What can we do about the current situation? Are there not creative ways to at least approach and convince those teachers who have the necessary infrastructure at their schools, to be more open to suggestions and ideas on the benefits (for them and for there learners) of integrating ICTs? Another question: How can we approach them in a positive manner and not let them feel that they are being critised? We know that most people go into "self-defense mode" when they find themselves in situations in which they are forced to do something that they don't like or are not comfortable with.

I think that with the right approach, many teachers' perceptions on the use of ICTs in their classrooms will change for the better if they are approached from a different angle - first sell the idea to them and then address technical skills, based on their specific needs.

I came across a video clip on youtube - I downloaded it an edited it a little, but there seems to be a problem with uploading it into my blog (I have just reported it to Blogger support and hope they will solved it quickly). In the meantime, here is a link to the original clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2j9qw-A0NM