MAC Week Three: The Way Things Are, and don't forget Rule No. 6!
As I read the next four chapters in The Art of Possibility this week, I couldn't help but reflect upon the discussion board topic that we were also give for this week. I'm pretty sure Dr. Joe knew what he was doing this week. Our discussion this week had to do with the barriers to integrating technology in the classroom. We were supposed to discuss, from our experience, what it is that keeps teachers from embracing new technology. Our answers varied from time commitment to fear of failure, lack of PD to lack of support from Admin. Since most of us are classroom teachers, we hit probably the top ten roadblocks, easily. But after the reading this week, my eyes are open to some new possibilities!
In the chapter, The Way Things Are, the authors discuss our tendency to see the negative in a bad situation, instead of seeing it for what it really is...just another situation. They also discuss the tendency to express problems as a downward spiral, I hear this all the time in the Teacher's Lounge!! The same teachers who balk at integrating new technology are typically the same people who express their frustration with "these" students, who are always the worst students ever, and Oh! Just wait! The class coming up is the worst EVER!! It's so frustrating, and disheartening, if you buy into all that talk. Why would anyone ever want to dedicate their lives to teaching? It's much more encouraging to think of these kids as being different from previous generations, not better or worse, and to think of ways to reach them that weren't available in previous generations.
Where are you speaking from:
And finally, lest we all forget, remember Rule No. 6!!
In the chapter, The Way Things Are, the authors discuss our tendency to see the negative in a bad situation, instead of seeing it for what it really is...just another situation. They also discuss the tendency to express problems as a downward spiral, I hear this all the time in the Teacher's Lounge!! The same teachers who balk at integrating new technology are typically the same people who express their frustration with "these" students, who are always the worst students ever, and Oh! Just wait! The class coming up is the worst EVER!! It's so frustrating, and disheartening, if you buy into all that talk. Why would anyone ever want to dedicate their lives to teaching? It's much more encouraging to think of these kids as being different from previous generations, not better or worse, and to think of ways to reach them that weren't available in previous generations.
Where are you speaking from:
And finally, lest we all forget, remember Rule No. 6!!
{Not to give it away if you haven't read the book, but Rule No. 6 simply states: Don't take yourself so goddamn seriously!}
{PS: There are NO other rules!}
{PS: There are NO other rules!}
My Comments;
I've seen and heard those type of teachers or should i meant, professors at the university. They are always complaining during the trimester about this group of students or that group of students. They always had a group who are good and a delight to teach and other groups that are a nightmare to teach. They don't look at what can they do to make that nightmarish group a good group. They don't look for ways or alternatives to motivate them to assist to class or to motivate them to study.
I think that in last week's discussion board or one of the comments that I made was from one of the professors that didn't want to teach the basic literature class because the students don't like reading. I told her why she didn't chose another type of literature, one they would like, for example comic books, magazines. She told me that it was ridiculous to have them reading comic books. I told her not the Archie or Mickey Mouse type of comic books, but graphic novels, where there are more mature themes or issues. She kept complaining and not look at the possibility to adapt or to try, at least, the alternative that I was given her.