Think Like a Teacher

This Earth Day I am struck by two very different  instances of the power among youthful survivors. While adults all over the globe bemoan the frightening state of our planet (our schools, our nation, our economy…), I watched a team of elementary kids in Portland Oregon who clearly know the power  to survive and thrive. Their webcast from their school garden, both the more formal presentations and the informal Q/A at the end, bears witness to their ASSUMPTION that they will make positive changes in the world around them. They are experts at composting, water conservation, organic vegetables, and native plants of their area. More importantly, they are experts at being in charge of something. They know they –and their garden– will survive because they feel empowered and knowledgeable. They are not afraid to ask questions when they don’t know something because they trust the adults around them to help them look for themselves, not tell them what to see.

At the same time, a tiny newborn at the opposite end of the country continues to defy the odds, surprising the doctors as she wards off infection, remains stallwart through major heart surgery at birth, and lies completely unable to talk to us except with the very wise eyes of a three-week-old. Her parents’ blog tells her story and shares photos of those eyes. She knows that she will survive, and SHE is in charge, in spite of all the brilliant medical assistance the adults give her.

Somewhere around puberty we learn doubt. As survivors come of age, our power lessens. We hear more and more of others’ power and increasingly subvert ourselves to others’ judgments. This Earth Day– and in our schools — let the message be about the young survivors. Their hands cradle any new growth they can nurture. They are simply excited to have the chance to share the experience with us, through those very wise eyes.

I talked this morning with a representative from a university where I earned a graduate degree, and he asked me to describe my dream scenario for an event I would like to see happen on their campus, something that would follow my passion. Always willing to brainstorm and dream on a moment’s notice, I spun a scenario on the spot, and I continue to allow the idea to incubate. So here is how it looks so far (incubation time: 2 hours, ten minutes). Feel free to add to the dream. Of course, this might someday become a reality, so please don’t rip off my ideas without at least talking to me first. Think of this as Creative Commons with attribution and limited distribution for ideas (I know…you can’t copyright an idea, anyway…).

When/where: one week, summer — sometime (indefinite year), on the university campus but simultaneously via virtual experience from anywhere on the web

Who: a combination of classroom teachers (K-12), teachers-to-be, articulate high school and middle school kids, maybe some kids involved in on-campus summer programs for K-12 kids, people from TeachersFirst, people (ANY level) who infuse technology well in their teaching and learning, anyone who wants to join in online

What: A replicable “Infusion Project.” Modeled loosely after the National Writer’s Project, teachers come to learn together. The special feature of this project: they collaborate and learn alongside kids who could be their students, other teachers, and quasi-experts: people who are excited, experienced, articulate, and supportive about effective use of technology as a tool for learning. In a non-threatening environment, teachers can learn about tools and learning from students who are comfortable with the tools and eager to use them. The experienced “experts” can share and support other teachers who are just feeling out new ways to teach (and learn). In small groups of mixed expertise, the project can use good theory and practical knowledge and experience to let new ideas explode into the curriculum of local teachers and those at a distance. Groups would include: a K-12 student (or two), a teacher who wants to learn, an “expert” (teacher who has had some success), a teacher-to-be,  and one or more other teachers who join in virtually. That’s as far as I have gotten, but I am thinking about how we could structure the tasks and exchanges so the whole  experienced in each group is greater than the parts and how the same experience could be replicated all over the world.

How: I need to think more about this part… money, stakeholders, politics, all that fun stuff.

Why: Here is a start on a bulleted stream-of consciousness (is that an oxymoron or what?) of reasons so far…

• Kids are comfortable with the tools but can benefit from hearing how teachers make decisions about teaching….and they can contribute their “side” of these decisions.
• Putting different points of view on ways to learn together can force all to talk about the “why” as well as the “how”
• Teachers uncomfortable with “looking stupid” might be willing to learn from students who are not in their own classes
• Including people from other locations allows the spread of ideas and injectsideas outside the local experience
• Creating a model that blends F2F and virtual collaboration will let teachers experience it wihtout being forced to plan it themselves

and more…

But I need to get back to today’s Tasks. I will let this one incubate a bit more (total incubation time now a little over three hours). Feel free to add to the dream.