Have You Changed Your Mind?
On this last morning of BLC10, Alan has posed an interesting question, and we would love your feedback.
When you arrived at BLC, you arrived with a particular mindset. We are interested in hearing about what views, understandings and/or beliefs of yours have changed after attending this year’s conference.
When I arrived at the conference, I was curious about how software could help the relationship between teacher and student – for example, allowing a teacher to reach more students with deeper instruction. This is how the teachers and administrators with whom I had spoken had characterized how software could make their lives better.
After two days of this conference, I am instead curious about how software can help connect everybody’s ideas together – students, teachers, people everywhere who have useful knowledge. It’s a broader picture and a more inspiring one, and feels healthier to switch from the old teacher/student pipeline to a world of seekers and creators all striving to build momentum together. Very exciting.
I’ve been using this quote by Ewan Mcintosh and at times questioning whether I believe it or simply think it’s a good idea.
“Sharing, “Sharing, and sharing online specifically, is not in addition to the work of being an educator. It is the work.”
After discussion and talks this week, I have no doubt this is true. We are now at a stage where “you are what you share”. Teaching is sharing. Without sharing this is no education. Online is simply the best and most important distribution channel. It’s not the only one but to ignore or deem it superfluous, is nearing educational malpractice.
Perhaps a harsh stance but too many things I heard and saw this week reinforces and solidifies that belief.
This was my third year in a row attending the BLC. In the first 2 I came away with a “wow” feeling. There were several workshops were the presenters “blew me away” with what they were doing. This year, however, I did not get a “wow” feeling. At first I was a little disappointed, but on the drive back home to Ohio I did some serious reflecting. I realized I did indeed have a “wow” feeling which was way different from the first 2 conferences I attended. I realized this year my mindset was not on learning about new technologies but on HOW to use the technology I learned about in the first 2 conferences in the my classroom. I smiled and recognized I have grown from “what technologies are available and how to use them” to “how to use technology to better educate my students.” I cannot wait to apply what I have learned at BLC10 in my classroom this year!