Change Agent

One of the aspects of my work that I enjoy the most is interacting with teachers and academics and helping them explore the different opportunities that are available to them and to students – in social media specifically, and educational technology more generally. Over the last couple of years however, these opportunities have become fewer and farther in between for me as I have become increasingly engaged in different sorts of projects that are more behind the scenes and off the front lines.

Fortunately some opportune circumstances have arrisen recently that seem to be reversing this trend, meaning I’ll have more first-hand contact with teachers again. As much as I enjoy the other aspects of my work, I think I have the most to offer the university, will have the greatest impact, and hopefully inspire a greater degree of change in practice when I’m down in the trenches.

The latter in particular is a real driver for me, and always has been, as I’ve mentioned here ad infinitum – however experience has shown me that a desire to affect change does not guarantee the ability or opportunity to do so.

I firmly believe that change comes not from without but within – it needs to be embraced on its own merits in recognition of its inherent value and relevance to a given context. I do not believe that entering a situation as a tsunami of new ideas will necessarily lead to change in practice. Innovative ideas definitely have their place, but you must also be mindful of your audience, their existing practice and equally importantly, their educational philosophies.

Change is as much about mindset as it is about action, and I believe both need to be considered, identified and addressed before any lasting shifts can occur. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.

In the case of my emerging role, for example, my understanding is there is a prevailing view of apprehension and skepticism of educational technology, much of it based on the fear that it will undermine the role of the teacher or the classroom. As I have written previously, I recognise the prospect of that reality – especially in the context of democratising ecosystems such as social media – but in fact do not see the trends as a bad thing necessarily.

Rather than render the roles of the teacher or the classroom obsolete or somehow less significant though, I think they are destined to evolve and change. Therefore we as educators must evolve and change as well. Yet given the long history of education, and the deeply entrenched traditions and cultures that have emerged, this change is a fundamental one indeed, and in many regards requires a complete rethinking of the landscape, practice and ecology of formal schooling.

It’s also a fairly controversal notion. Some people will be open to these sorts of ideas, others will be reticent, and others still will be completely against it. I see my role not as the inquisitor of innovation, brought forth to manipulate or force a change of view, but more as a representative of new ways of thinking, working, learning and teaching.

I expect a great deal of negotiation, discussion, debate and compromise lay ahead, but I think it’s an investment well worth making and a journey well worth taking.

Posted via email from Mike Bogle