Have you heard of Will Richardson?
Will Richardson is a former librarian and journalism teacher who is presently a well known blogger on educational topics. He wrote “THE” book called Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. His blog Weblogg-ed is about using technology in teaching which he has had for 10 years. I find the topics and the conversation interesting and rich. And, many folks comment on his posts.
I received an email yesterday with an article he wrote called “Investing in Teachers as Learners”. It was published in Education Week, January 24th. Will discusses the importance of professional development and how it needs to look different since our students needs are different and the world is different. The learning environment has changed and our professional development needs to move with these changes.
Here is an excerpt from the article with hopes that you click on the link to read the entire article:
“I want my kids to be in places where they are cared for, where they are supported and encouraged by people whom they look up to, respect, and trust. There is no question that “teachers” still have a lot to offer my children. But those “teachers” now need to be experts at only one thing, and that is learning. They need to know how to help kids become those self-directed, literate learners who can ask meaningful questions, probe difficult problems, separate good information from bad, connect safely to strangers online, and interact with them on an ongoing basis. And, most importantly, our educators need to be able to do this themselves. They need to be able to model their own learning process for their students. Ask just about any student how much her teacher knows, and you’ll get a quick answer. Ask a student how her teacher learns, and you’ll likely get a confused look. This must change.
In the future, although it’s already happening in some classrooms today, the best teachers will be connected to educators and learners from around the globe, and, in turn, they will connect their students to educators and learners. They’ll share their own knowledge and thinking widely—embracing the power of transparency in thought and practice while skillfully mitigating the dangers of their and others’ visibility. Teachers should see themselves as only one node in a global network of educators with their students learning how to build networks for themselves.”
Please take time and read the entire article. Once you read it please come back and post your comments below and let us know WHAT YOU THINK!?!
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