Shelley Rossitto

There was such a response to Gary Stager that I thought I would post something a little lighter but to the point.  As we discuss our faculty and students it is critical to keep in mind the questions about the “getting there.”  We still talk about collaboration and empowering students but we still call their work “assignments”.  Gary calls them learning adventures.  It sets the stage for a learning community within our schools.

In many of the articles in this blog I discuss the ability for students to create their own content, be active participants in learning, drive what they need to know.  This is a life long skill that should be instilled everywhere so our students leave our schools with actual skills to learn not just rote memorization.  If we give them too much they won’t know what to do when we aren’t there. 

Have you seen the amount of organized sports our kids are in.  They aren’t even given the freedom to make their own decisions. 

We need to let go and we aren’t!  What are we afraid of????

I am constantly struggling with what I actually do in education and what we can all do.  I sometimes feel very isolated in feelings of worth and contribution when it comes to the very expensive resource of technology.  As you listen to Gary listen carefully to hear his message.  It is not about technology, it is about everything we are to our children.

Gary Stager Excerpts from NECC ‘09 Keynote Debate from Gary Stager on Vimeo.

Have we made much progress?  Why do we constantly hear quotes and keynotes from educators that quote those that are from the early part of the century or even the 1970’s to tell us we are stifling our students imagination and not providing them with the spaces and opportunities to reach their full potential.  Do we think we “have it” when a new gadget or piece of technology arrives that might change it all.  Is it the same as another sweeping initiative, like open classrooms, that will get us there?  I think we need to think deeply about our practices and leave the tools aside.  We have to believe.