EduBlog Insights

Obstacles, challenges, questions, and many other issues are being blogged about in this professor’s class. Take a look at these post titles:

What 2 do a/b IM-Spk

Teaching Writing and Pulling Teeth

Choice withing mandated curriculum

Challenges of the technological age

In defense of PowerPoint

Technology and Language

Thoughts on the Art of Wrangling 6^th Graders

Teaching with Technology: Harmonious Chaos

The Practical Impractically of Technology

To be technical, or not to be technical? That is the question.

How much is too much? 

Now one or more of those just have to whet your appetite. Travel over to the student blogs and give them some input on many questions that we have already tossed around over the past few years. It gives you a good view on what’s going on inside the heads of our students who are face-to-face with some of the obstacles we have encountered. then just hearing another view can help with their learning. This class has just started blogging this semester. Hearing from others outside their class may just keep those voices in the arena! Help them overcome their obstacles!

I am constantly in awe of Ewan’s posts on edu.blogs.com. Take a look at Learning is what you do in school and fun happens outside. Discuss

Here’s another: Andrew Watt on elearning schools: the greatest challenge of the 21st Century

He has no idea how much his recent postings have helped me as I’ve been knee-deep in similar type thinking. I have been working on my keynote for the K-12 Online Conference. This has been one of the most challenging presentations I’ve had the good fortune to tackle. I say good fortune because it is pushing me to really dig into an area that is probably one of the most important areas we need to address. It’s an area that can really get you down if you let it. I refuse to let it though because all this is far too important. I don’t have all the answers I’d like to have. None of us do but what we do have is a community that is growing and ever at work connecting, discussing and pushing the questions. I know that community is going to make a difference. I know the community will grow. I also know that we must help build communties like that for our students IN SCHOOL AND OUT. We can have enthusiastic, creative, and lifelong learners but we have to call for the questions in many areas that may be quite “sticky.” And we have to do this while trying to do a good job in what is most important to all of us, “teaching and learning.” We have to figure out how to take back a system that does not value us as professionals. We have policy makers and others in power who don’t even have a clue what we are talking about. We have many things to figure out. Yes, the obstacles can be overwhelming but we will not be overwhelmed!
This question from Ewan:

Now I wonder how so what can we do to articulate our arguments better?

He’s right on. That’s an important piece we need to really think about some more. Are we overwhelming? Is what we’re doing working? What could we do better? What do we need to do more of and what do we need to do less of?
Then he follows that question up with another:

So I guess the question is: what are you going to do today to help get that thinking happening in your immediate circle? If it’s not you, it won’t be anybody else…

Good questions. I’m thinking about my answers. How about you? Be sure to join the K-12 Online Conference. I have a feeling that we may just be headed toward some very good answers.

Here’s my question:

What’s one way you can turn an obstacle into an opportunity? It can be little. It can be big. it can work for one. It can work for many. It’s the power of our learning community.