That idea really resonates with me, but what a challenge. While I see many teachers engaged in interesting dialogues about how to create innovative experiences for their students, I also see examples of teachers conducting their classes with the same methodology they've used in the past. And I watched my sons experience high school in much the same way I did -- seated at a desk, every period, every day, listening to teachers lecture, rarely using technology or reaching out beyond the walls of their classrooms to connect with a wider audience.
That being said, I totally agree with Dr. Wesch that although it is now "ridiculously easy to connect, organize, share, collect, collaborate and publish" thanks to the internet, it is also "ridiculously hard" as well. There is so much out there "in the air" - so many lesson plans, ideas, places to share and collaborate; a wealth of resources. But that "so much" can be overwhelming as well; that's the "ridiculously hard" part. For me the challenge is how to find the time to review and choose from all of the resources that are available.
Wesch's ideas that I would like to try out this school year include :
- as a teacher, try to embrace real problems that the teacher doesn’t have the answer to, and
- bring students together globally to solve problems, using technology to face global issues