18th Sep 2007
bigger than big
Am working on the book, but in the gathering notes and research phase — what’s out there about the uses of blogs and wikis in educational settings? Who’s doing what work — and what’s working? Those are some pretty big questions and, as I cruise the web, I realize how much there is out there, and what small percentage is systematic work: trying blogs and wikis, rather than talking about them as pretty cool things. One of my biggest issues with academia, particularly in education, is that we can be rather good at talking about the theoretical implications of something rather than actually doing it and seeing it play out. The day my students think of me as someone in an ivory tower, rather than a person who is connected to learning and schools and kids (of all ages) is the day I have stopped doing my job. We have to try and walk our talk, and if we want schools and systems to change, we need to change what we’re doing too.
I know this because when I teach reading methods classes, about *how* to teach reading, I draw directly on what I’m doing in the reading classes I teach (yeah, that got a little complicated). Sometimes what I do with students works. Sometimes it doesn’t. This semester, for example, I’m taking a break from Kite Runner and started with Hot Zone in the reading skills class. That’s a big leap — I am not a biologist, nor do I know an enormous amount about epidemiology, although it fascinates me. The idea is to be reading about big questions, and learning to ask our own — why is this important? How do viruses impact history, people, the world? Why should I care? — and that’s the biggest one. Why should my students care? I know what I believe — that an education is one of the essential parts of a life well lived. That college is not just for job training but life training too — to learn the habits of mind, the curiosity and interest, that keep you from being duped. The world will take advantage of the slow and the silent. I want my students to be quick and loud — loud enough to tangle with the complex and fascinating ideas the world has to offer.
Yeah, and learn that way of being in one class. I’ve always been good at coming up with enormous goals…
quick and loud. i like that.
and man it is hard to practice what we preach. today is not a good day…where i question my fitness in the classroom. maybe tonight when i can’t sleep, i’ll blog about ti.
but it sounds as if you’re off to a tremendous year.
I liked what you rote in your blog it was really interesting