As a closet science-fiction aficionado, I’ll respond to the metaphor contained in Rob’s response to my first post.
The metaphor of the mission of Jedi Knights, particularly of master Jedis such as my green-skinned wrinkled Yoda, refers to maintaining harmony through the universe. Not a bad ambition, is it? It is true that two characteristics related to Jedis are those of tradition and patience.
Although the word “tradition” seems to carry with it a negative connotation, I would argue that there is still a time and a place for long-standing traditions. The core value of respect in schools is predicated on values of all major religions, as well as belonging, responsibility, and the desire to learn.
Patience seems to be a value, however, that is no longer honoured. As educators, we seem to caught between providing students with a broad knowledge base and the notion of mastery. In our Core Curriculum, elementary teachers are responsible for creating differentiated instructional opportunities in order for students to reach their objectives. Perhaps the virtue of patience is no longer an option for time-strapped educators.
Perhaps my Padawan learner will recall what happened to the impulsive “high-speed” character in the Star Wars movies. Is change for change sake the best course of action? Perhaps if Anakin had collaborated with his mentor instead of blindly following ill-advised “quick fixes”, outcomes would have been more positive.
In the same vein as the Master Jedi, I speak to the need for pause and reflection. Use the blog, Luke…use the blog.
2 responses so far ↓
1
Dean Shareski
// Sep 12, 2006 at 1:34 am
You seem to have answered the response well. I would also add that in today’s rush-all-the-time-too-busy schools, it’s imperative that we posture the reflective approach.
As well, when I”m asked “are you busy?” it’s difficult to respond in kind without leaving the impression that you don’t have work today. I try to respond to that question with, “Never too busy for you”.
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Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » We’ve got too many consultants
// Sep 13, 2006 at 12:46 am
[...] It’s clear that we need to continue to help teachers see the need for change and that the solution is much more complicated and involved than simply providing more teachers. Last year as budget cuts call for the loss of over 40 teachers, reference was made to the large expenditure in technology and wondering if supplying a school with new computers was justifiable considering that schools were losing teachers. In this case, the understanding of technology as an intregal part of learning was not shared by all. Michael Fullan talks about the “daily grind” and how this makes it difficult for teachers to consider much else besides just getting by. I acknowledge this problem and sympathize with teachers in situations where survival is the best they can hope for. But we have to demand more. We have to have teachers who consider themselves learners first. We need teachers who believe that the reflective practice is critical for growth. Even when things are nuts and out of control, survival can’t be all there is. I remember reading the reflective teacher and my impression was that last year was a challenging year but through reflection and search for new ways of approaching teaching and learning, change happened. [...]
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