Raise Your Hands (Techlearning blog)

but if all educators are not raising their hands almost each and every day when asked, the talk about school change and 21st Century learning environments is lost to the reality that the professionals that make up educations are not professional learners and practitioners. They are simply rooted managers and defenders of their out dated environments.

Highlighted by wcgaskins

As we continue to discuss the importance of reforming school for the 21st Century, we must examine the need to reform the educational profession.

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

As we continue to discuss the importance of reforming school for the 21st Century, we must examine the need to reform the educational profession. There simply isn't a more important time than now to recreate our profession into a teaching AND learning profession. I'm talking about a collaborative learning culture where professionals are working towards continuous growth by engaging in daily learning: discussing and evaluating practices, challenging assumptions, engaging in new learning opportunities, embracing stretch moments, observing peers, etc. The research on the need for schools to embrace a collaborative learning culture is immense both in breadth and depth (e.g. PLC), yet these environments represent the exception not the norm.

Highlighted by brentmack

Thus, this article isn't another push for organizations to embrace a collaborative learning culture. It is a push for teachers to stop waiting for the organization and become a collaborative professional learner by changing fundamental behaviors inhibiting this and embracing action items that will allow it to happen.

Highlighted by themingway

It is a push for teachers to stop waiting for the organization and become a collaborative professional learner by changing fundamental behaviors inhibiting this and embracing action items that will allow it to happen.

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

It is a push for teachers to stop waiting for the organization and become a collaborative professional learner by changing fundamental behaviors inhibiting this and embracing action items that will allow it to happen

Highlighted by wcgaskins

The number one skill that teachers will need is to be team-based, collegial, sharing their knowledge and wisdom.

Highlighted by themingway

Alan November adds, "The best thing to invest in right now is collegiality. The number one skill that teachers will need is to be team-based, collegial, sharing their knowledge and wisdom."

Highlighted by scmorgan

Everyone can point to the myriad of daily "Must Dos" that prevent us from having the time to learn. However, using that as a crutch for not learning is inexcusable.

Highlighted by wcgaskins

How would we react to students if they told us they didn't have time to learn?

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

they didn't have time to improve upon their skill set? they didn't need to know that? they didn't need to try anything new, challenge their current ideas, or push beyond the norm? Would terms like prioritize, organize, time management, etc. be part of our discussion? Many students have so many demands outside of the school day that if we as educators are demanding their learning be 24/7, shouldn't we be practicing what we preach?

Highlighted by wcgaskins

t pains me to know end to have teachers refusing to share their knowledge, practices, and resources

Highlighted by kolson29

If our goal is to bring our schools and classrooms into the 21st century before that century ends, we need to take advantage of the large amount of innovation that is already going on in many of our classrooms by allowing our teachers to share it. And not just with others in their own schools and districts, but with teachers around the world!"

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

In our ongoing struggle to engage our kids in learning, I believe we are neglecting (or, even worse, deliberately preventing) one of our easiest and best opportunities. If our goal is to bring our schools and classrooms into the 21st century before that century ends, we need to take advantage of the large amount of innovation that is already going on in many of our classrooms by allowing our teachers to share it. And not just with others in their own schools and districts, but with teachers around the world!" When teachers fail to share the great things happening in their classrooms, they are failing their profession and they are failing students".

Highlighted by wcgaskins

When teachers are not sharing their practices, knowledge, and resources as professional learners in a collaborative learning culture, it doesn't matter how much learning is happening in the classroom or how great students see these teachers. To me, they are not professionals and are just as guilty of malpractice as the teacher down the hall refusing to change their outdated practices.

Highlighted by wcgaskins

the current reality of the classroom where teachers are metaphorically closing the door to learning and physically closing the door in order to do whatever they want in the classroom. These teachers are in essence committing malpractice when they choose not to be professional learners and choose not to use research-based best practices.

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

When a collaborative learning culture is in place, the behavior of closing the door and doing as one pleased is exposed. This exposure shows one of two things: 1. the teacher's practices are truly best practices and the teacher needs to open the door as a professional learner so that others can learn and grow 2. the teacher's practices are not at a high level and the teacher needs to open the door as a professional learner so that s/he can learn and grow from others.

Highlighted by kolson29

Action Items

1. Dedicate a portion of your day to honing your professional practice
There are professional learning opportunities around every corner both locally and virtually. Observing your peers is a great way to learn and technology has made it quite easy. For instance, Ustream and other video technology make it so you can watch your peer teach live without having to be in the room or you can watch later if you are teaching during that time. Another great way to begin learning on a daily basis and one of my favorite ways of honing my professional practice is through exploring, reflecting, and responding to my RSS Reader on a daily basis -- something David Jakes often mentions every professional educator should be able to for 15 minutes a day. Thus, your action item is to begin leveraging video technology to observe your peers and establish an RSS Reader to begin reading on a daily basis.

Highlighted by dtspdmka

When a collaborative learning culture is in place, the behavior of closing the door and doing as one pleased is exposed. This exposure shows one of two things: 1. the teacher's practices are truly best practices and the teacher needs to open the door as a professional learner so that others can learn and grow 2. the teacher's practices are not at a high level and the teacher needs to open the door as a professional learner so that s/he can learn and grow from others.

Highlighted by wcgaskins

Dedicate a portion of your day to honing your professional practice

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

Thus, your action item is to begin leveraging video technology to observe your peers and establish an RSS Reader to begin reading on a daily basis.

Highlighted by mmkrill

Thus, your action item is to begin leveraging video technology to observe your peers and establish an RSS Reader to begin reading on a daily basis.

Highlighted by mmkrill

Dedicate a portion of your day to honing your professional practice

Highlighted by scmorgan

2. Establish a professional learning network
Technology affords us every opportunity to develop a virtual network that lives and breathes 24/7. What use to be limited to traditional face to face, MOOs and list-servs has evolved into expansive networks that offer an abundance of learning opportunities: Nings, Twitter, Ustream, Diigo, and virtual worlds like Second Life. Every single day, events by leading theorists and expert practitioners are taking place and open to anyone around the world. How often are you taking place in these? How often are you grabbing a colleague and helping them join in the learning? Thus, your action item is to begin establishing learning networks like Classroom 2.0.

Highlighted by dtspdmka

Establish a professional learning network

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

Establish a professional learning network

Highlighted by scmorgan

3. Establish and maintain a virtual professional learning space that fosters shared knowledge and resources
Technology has made it extremely simple to start and maintain a space. No longer does it take HTML knowledge to start a website and begin sharing your resources. A simple wiki allows one to create a powerful learning space allowing for shared knowledge and resources that is easy to update and to promote collaboration. Given the built-in discussion board, it also allows for the opportunity to discuss these resources so that everyone is growing from the collaboration around the ideas. The other piece of technology that makes sharing easy is social bookmarking. Thus, your action item is to create an account on a social bookmarking platform like Delicious or Diigo as well as create a wiki for your professional learning space and begin sharing today.

Highlighted by dtspdmka

Establish and maintain a virtual professional learning space that fosters shared knowledge and resources

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

. Establish and maintain a virtual professional learning space that fosters shared knowledge and resources

Highlighted by scmorgan

4. Make professional reflection and scholarly work a priority and make it public.
I am a firm believer that each professional should have a blog where your reflective practices and scholarly work are public. As Barth so clearly articulates in Turning Book Burners into Lifelong learners, "only when [teachers] disclose their learning will they fully foster lifelong learning in others". By blogging about your practices, you are embracing the concept of growth, openly examining your assumptions and beliefs about teaching and learning, and acknowledging the value in collaboration with a glocal community. Thus, your action item is to create a blog and begin actively using it as to professionally reflect as well as use it to document action research.

Highlighted by dtspdmka

Make professional reflection and scholarly work a priority and make it public.

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

I am a firm believer that each professional should have a blog where your reflective practices and scholarly work are public.

Highlighted by kolson29

5. Model professional learning for colleagues, students, and parents
Be proud of your explorations. Let it be known what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how others could join in with you. Talk about what you are learning! Being open doesn't mean being vulnerable! Share your blog and wiki with pride! Focus on collaboration and networking with all you do and bring your colleagues along kicking and screaming if need be. Thus, your action item is to share your blog, wiki, social bookmarks, and learning experiences with as many people as possible in order to promote local collaboration and networking.

Highlighted by dtspdmka

Make professional reflection and scholarly work a priority and make it public.

Highlighted by scmorgan

Model professional learning for colleagues, students, and parents

Highlighted by sjbrooksyoung

Be proud of your explorations. Let it be known what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how others could join in with you. Talk about what you are learning! Being open doesn't mean being vulnerable! Share your blog and wiki with pride! Focus on collaboration and networking with all you do and bring your colleagues along kicking and screaming if need be. Thus, your action item is to share your blog, wiki, social bookmarks, and learning experiences with as many people as possible in order to promote local collaboration and networking.

Highlighted by wcgaskins

5. Model professional learning for colleagues, students, and parents

Highlighted by scmorgan

we need to stop talking about why we can't and start talking about how we can

Highlighted by mmkrill

We effect change by engaging in robust conversations with ourselves, our colleagues, our customers, our family, the world.... Your time of holding back, of guarding your private thoughts, is over. Your function in life is to make a declarative statement" - Susan Scott

Highlighted by scmorgan

The number of learners in a classroom should be at least one more than the number of students in a classroom!

Highlighted by mmkrill

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on 2008-04-01 by artgelwicks

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