ISTE & You

“All beginnings are difficult” (Chazal) – the first post will be long … beginners encouraged.

With the culmination of this year’s ISTE convention in San Antonio, Texas, I sit awaiting a delayed flight back home with many thoughts to consider and lessons to ponder. The vast array of sessions, discussions, displays, vendors and of course, keynotes spanned a wide scope of educational elements and technology tools, all of which had the capacity of leaving participants awe-stricken and overwhelmed. It was essential, I therefore reasoned, that my goal simply could not be to blindly adopt everything I would hear and see, rather to note every suggestion and record every tool that would be presented so that they could be properly managed and utilized in their appropriate scenario. All powerful and meaningful tools must be harnessed. To unleash uncontrolled energy, even positive energy, has the potential of causing an undesirable, counterproductive reaction. We often use the quote, “A teacher should not be the sage on the stage, rather the guide on the side.” Yet, we must guide nevertheless. Misdirected guidance, or a void of guidance entirely, however unintended, inevitably leads to fragmented information and the lack of clarity.

And when it comes to education, we must be careful and responsible as the quality of our future hangs in the balance.

There are a multitude of terms and labels that currently flood the educational airwaves, each with a handy acronym to help us recall them. From PBL (Project-Based Learning) to BL (Blended-Learning), PLN (Professional Learning Network) to LMS (Learning Management System), talented and innovative educators have developed a plethora of learning opportunities and environments to empower teachers and students with the means for differentiated growth and achievement. After all, each individual, both student and teacher, are different. We each learn and process information and experiences differently, therefore it certainly logical to presume that our educational system must employ various methods to attain successful learning and mastery of skills and knowledge. Furthermore, not only is each individual different, yet the large range of curriculum and areas of study similarly require diverse methods of instruction, learning and assessment.

Most professions necessitate a variety of tools in order to accomplish their goal. Education is no different. Yet, just as each professional needs to know all of the tools of his particular trade in order to function and benefit accordingly from his work, educators must also be well-versed in their respective tools – how they work and when each is needed. With time, the tools of each profession evolves. If farmers would still be gathering their harvest by hand, there would not be enough food to sustain the world (or perhaps we would just be eating less). If builders would still be shaping wood with a manual saw, we would not have had the advantage of the mass production of homes to house our ever-increasing population. Likewise, if educators would still be teaching students with blackboards and textbooks alone, our society may not have witnessed the explosion of creativity and innovation as we have over the past few decades.

Ultimately, the future of education is unknown. It always has been. Then again, that is its very nature. Although it is a much debated discussion, school has many objectives. While it is a place that is entrusted with the task of preparing students with the skills and knowledge to fully participate in the society around them, it is also accountable to help train and mold the minds of children to be independent thinkers.

As times change, so will the parameters in which our educational system will function. New times require new skills. New thinkers. Though the foundations of math and the facts of history predominantly remain the same (and even expand), the means of conveying them, internalizing them, continues to shift. This can be a quite a daunting task, yet a uniquely refreshing and exciting one.

So when you are exposed to PBL, LMS and PLN, digest them all and allow yourself time to understand each one - what they achieve, how they are used and when they should be utilized. Most of all, do not become alarmed by the options - become hopeful.