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[I’ve been fairly quiet here during the pandemic. However, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy. I thought that I would share a little of what I’ve been doing for the past year…]

Last March about this time, Yong Zhao, Chris Dede, Punya Mishra, Curtis Bonk, Shuangye Chen, and I launched Silver Lining for Learning. The initiative was meant to highlight interesting technology-enabled learning around the world and to spark some discussions about schooling possibilities during the pandemic and afterward. Although I bowed out after Episode 32 due to other commitments, my colleagues have done an absolutely fantastic job of keeping the dialogues going.

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: https://www.teachthought.com/education/on-teachers-and-teaching-and-the-essential-criticism-of-it-all/

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

In 2015 (and updated most recently in 2018), I wrote a post about helping students learn more from ‘others’ than they do from you (the teacher).

The general premise is that modern learning is, in large part, about access, networks, spaces, and personalization–and there’s simply no way for a single teacher to ‘do’ this. In fact, it’s important to note that teaching, as it is, has never been sustainable. Public education promises too much and places far too large of a burden on classroom teachers who do their best to fulfill those ‘promises’ while protecting and nurturing children and it simply doesn’t really work well for anyone.

I suppose it could be argued that it does, in fact, work well but we’d have to simply agree to disagree at that point–which is okay. It takes a mosaic of perspectives to make the world go.

Recently, I updated that post and shared it on social media and was surprised to immediately get urgent, stinging pushback.

What rubbish.

— Gillian Perry (@mitten2009) May 3, 2021

Carl Marks (alias? He is a history teacher, after all if his username can be decoded) used emojis to convey his disagreement.

🤢😷🤮

— Carl Marks 👨🏻‍🏫 (@MrEHistorE) May 3, 2021

Liane got straight to the point with a full-on dismissal of both the idea and of TeachThought as an organization–and ended with drip of sarcasm on the way out.

Why on earth was I following this account? What utter nonsense. Points for the watermark, though – made me grin 😁

— LianePL (@LPLFlippedEng) May 3, 2021

This one from Anthony Jones wasn’t mean-spirited but concisely refutes the post.

The most compelling, ongoing source and catalyst for learning in the classroom is the teacher.

— Anthony Jones (@sorelaboursbath) May 3, 2021

This response from Sunne of York was less even-handed:

pic.twitter.com/LcHcrF1wLd

— Sunne of York (@sunneofyork) May 3, 2021

Below, Brendan asked for research and evidence to support the ideas in the post:

Any actual evidence that this works?

— Brendan breen (@BreenBrendan) May 3, 2021

Fair enough. I can’t support each item with recent, peer-reviewed and credible research. That’s true. But the general premise that teachers are over-worked and that children (generally) have incredible access to more information than ever and that somehow the latter could help improve the former hopefully doesn’t need supported with research.

The whole idea here is to connect students with an ecosystem of information, inspiration, people, and ideas. And that these ideas and opportunities and places and people and ideas should be more ‘impactful’ and ‘compelling’ than a single teacher.

That can’t possibly be controversial, can it?

Are Teachers ‘Bottlenecks’ Or Are They ‘Overworked’ And What’s The Difference?

In the introduction, I set the context:

“Who or what is the most persistent catalyst in the process of learning? Frequently, it’s probably you (the teacher). You’re the expert on both content and pedagogy. You know what’s being learned, and how it might be best learned. Giving students full autonomy in their own learning might be fine for motivation, but that can be a problem for a variety of reasons. The teacher is finite. The teacher is limited. The teacher has ‘self-bias’–sees things from their point-of-view no matter how hard they try to show empathy. In a teacher-centered classroom, the teacher is the bottleneck.”

But here is where I get closer to my ‘point’: “The big idea here is sustainability by creating an ecosystem of learning that is based on creativity, interest, and possibility as brought to bear by students on topics, problems, and opportunities they care about.”

Are Teachers Important?

Of course they are.

My guess is that either some didn’t actually read the post or they focused on the implication that teachers shouldn’t be the center of the learning universe and that it’s it may not be ideal if, day in and day out, the most compelling and forceful and dynamic ’cause’ of learning for 35 children is one adult (often for five or more classes a day).

I’m assuming it’s tempting to twist that statement around a little and believe that I’m saying that teachers aren’t as effective as other sources of learning, maybe? Or that they’re not absolutely crucial to the learning process? Or that textbooks and apps are more effective than teachers?

Regardless of the source of the misunderstanding (that I’ll accept responsibility for), I would think a teacher would be glad for children to have the very best: the very best learning environments with the very best opportunities to become their very best.

Why be upset about who helps facilitate that or who assigns what percentage across all of the bits and pieces of it all?

And even if the idea was criticism of teachers, as professionals are we not due for and deserving of criticism–ideally self-criticism?

The Education We Have And The Education They Need

While emotionally I’m more interested in the nature of digital interactions–how effortlessly people become awful to one another when the agreement is on social media of some kind–I’ll respond more broadly instead to clarify my position.

I am more than prepared to have large segments of any audience disagree with things I say. I fundamentally believe that the way we (myself included) do things isn’t our best thinking, which implies that what we’re doing and who is responsible for those actions, and how we might improve them are all inherently flawed.

This means each of us is, to some degree, accountable and because I am interested in doing whatever I can to improve these systems, sometimes I am going to criticize organizational systems and principles and policies that are actuated by people and some of those people might take it personally. And become upset. I get it.

I also get that as if teaching wasn’t difficult enough, the last 12 months have elevated the challenge ten-fold. The job of ‘teaching’ is academic and psychological and scientific all at once and each of those domains has been laid bare by global events (i.e., COVID and its countless sociocultural ripples). Teachers are stressed, pushed to their limits in many cases, and lacking support, respect, gratitude, funding, and countless other areas.

But this only reinforces a key point: teaching, as it is, is neither sustainable nor in the best interest of the majority of children. No matter how hard we work, what we have and do isn’t the education they deserve and need.

How teachers think about themselves and their role in the classroom matters (see here, for example). As a teacher, I’d want help. I’d want automations and human networks and live streaming and adaptive learning algorithms. To facilitate learning in whatever form.

While I hope I personally have an impact on the lives of students, I hope it happens by proxy.

After helping my students discover syntax and Faulkner and tone and Toni Morrison and Emily Dickinson and thematic development and Shakespeare, I’d be more than a little disappointed if the most enduring impression of their time in my classroom–among all of the authors and concepts and projects and words and questions and conversations–was me.

The post On Teachers And Teaching And The Essential Criticism Of It All appeared first on TeachThought.

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/09/02/how-do-i-run-my-school-from.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mrss&cmp=RSS-FEED

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

School leaders, do you need help with remote staff meetings? Culturally responsive classrooms? We've got answers.

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

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The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

Disclosure: TeacherMade is an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com.

As the new school year begins we’re all trying new things while also trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. ...

Read the whole entry at FreeTech4Teachers.com »

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dangerouslyirrelevant/~3/VMxFX5nYbQA/free-webinar-series-harnessing-technology-for-deeper-learning.html

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

Solution Tree is hosting a series of webinars this summer. My co-author, Julie Graber, and I are delighted that we were selected to do a FREE 4-week book study on Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning!

We will meet online at 2:00pm Eastern (USA) for 45 minutes every Tuesday between August 4 and August 25. Did I mention that the book study is FREE?! Our sessions will be recorded if you have to miss a date. Here is what our schedule will look like:

• Tuesday, August 4 – Chapters 1 & 2
• Tuesday, August 11 – Chapters 3 and 5 (pp. 41-45; elementary)
• Tuesday, August 18 – Chapters 4 & 5 (pp. 45-50; secondary)
• Tuesday, August 25 – Chapter 6

We invite you to roll up your sleeves and dive into instructional redesign with us. If we want deeper learning, greater student agency, more authentic work, and rich technology infusion, we have to design for them! Participants in this book study will leave with a deeper understanding of the 4 Shifts lesson redesign protocol and numerous tips and strategies for success in their schools. The book is only 57 pages long and thus is an easy read!

Hope some of you can join us. Click here to register! (and if you need the book, you can get it here)

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: https://www.teachthought.com/technology/steps-to-more-effective-online-teaching/

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

Consider including social-emotional learning strategies in your routines and practices for students for effective online teaching.

The post 3 Steps To More Effective Online Teaching appeared first on TeachThought.

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dangerouslyirrelevant/~3/W-g9fJDa3s8/coronavirus-chronicles-043-bunche-middle-school.html

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

I am talking with schools to see how they’re responding in the wake of this global pandemic. I invite you to join me for the Coronavirus Chronicles, a series of check-ins with educators all over.

Episode 043 is below. Thank you, Jose Gonzalez and Darleen Perez, for sharing how Bunche Middle School in Compton, California is adapting to our new challenges and opportunities. It was SO MUCH FUN hearing about your remote learning project with your students!

See the complete list of episodes, which also are available as a podcast channel on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you and your school(s) would like to be featured in the Coronavirus Chronicles series, please get in touch. 

Other conversation series that may be of interest are below. Check them out!

Conversation series with educators during the pandemic

• My co-author, Dean Shareski, has started a podcast, What’s Happening?, which is focused a little more on instructional issues than leadership.
• Future Ready Schools just launched its new podcast series, Leading Through Unprecedented Times.
• International Schools Services has a webinar series called Educators Supporting Educators: Transitions to Online Learning, which features conversations with and resources from international school educators.

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: https://www.teachthought.com/technology/homeschooling-tools-and-resources/

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

This is a quick list of the tools and resources I've cobbled together over the years to get as close as I can to the vision of learning I have for them.

The post 40 Homeschooling Tools And Resources I Use (Almost) Every Day appeared first on TeachThought.

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dangerouslyirrelevant/~3/m1un8Yt6wxo/dear-school-leaders-and-policymakers-it-didnt-have-to-be-this-way.html

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

Dear school leaders and policymakers, 

It didn’t have to be this way.

You had all summer to watch the rising number of coronavirus cases all across the country.

You had all summer to educate yourself about the science.

You had all summer to read credible news sources and see the viral outbreaks that occurred everywhere that people gathered without appropriate protections.

You had all summer to encourage people to do the things necessary to slow down the viral spread (hint: it wasn’t going to restaurants and bars).

You had all summer to invest in the safety precautions necessary for schools to be safe (ventilation systems, personal protective equipment, rules and policies, etc.).

You had all summer to recognize that reopening schools this fall was magical thinking and instead invest heavily in your educators’ ability to do high-quality, high-engagement remote learning (unlike last spring).

You had all summer to help your community close family equity gaps regarding computing devices and Internet access.

You had all summer to fortify yourselves for the brave political conversations and gather allies.

You had all summer to engage in realistic messaging to your community.

You had all summer to be the leader that you were appointed / elected to be.

Now you’re asking your community and citizens for “grace during this difficult time.” Are you surprised that many folks aren’t willing to give it?

It’s never too late to lead. Are you finally going to do so?

 

P.S. If you did most or all of these things, THANK YOU.

 

Image credit: Covid ActNow

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach

We believe in thanking our sources! This post was sourced from the following blog/website: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freetech4teachers/cGEY/~3/hpOps0Tuuf8/freetech4teachers.html

The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

Good morning from Maine where our recent heatwave has broken and it's going to be a great weekend to enjoy the great outdoors. I'm planning to have a little backyard camping adventure with my...

Read the whole entry at FreeTech4Teachers.com »

Time To Teach reviews each blog post by our contributors but if you feel this is a blog post better suited for another page please let us know. Teachers and Educators are our heroes. We want to thank you for the work you do! Yours In Education! Time To Teach