apcampbell

Friday’s talk with Michael Coghlan at Learning Times on the use of sound and photos in blogging has certainly stimulated my noggin’ again.

After calling for a paradigm shift in our pedagogical orientation away from the ‘drone on the throne’ model of classroom communication toward a learner-centered model, Michael talked about exploiting the Wow! Factor with our students. All this amazing technology can surprise us, capture our attention, and serve as a window into learning. This reminds me of a recent discussion of whether pedagogy or technology should come first in our approach to course design. The real trouble is that while these new tools change and evolve so rapidly, our minds are not so flexible. Educators will naturally look for ways to fit this technology into their current approach, which in many cases might resemble traditional models of pedagogy with rigid curricula and predefined outcomes. There is real mental hurdle to overcome here, something similar to what Vance calls the firewall in the mind. This leads me back to the question: is it possible that our use of this collaborative technology can spark a shift in our conceptual orientation toward education and the way we practice it? Can we give up our control on the classroom and instead facilitate what is already a natural process? Can it empower our students to take control of their learning, follow their bliss and play as they learn, like they did as young children? Tools can be toys too. The future of learning is upon us.

Micheal also conducted a survey recently down in Australia and found that amongst internet users, the use of collaborative tools was virtually non-existant. People are still seeing the internet as a way to ‘get and deliver’ information. What is going to happen if more and more people start using blogs, wikis, RSS aggregators, photo, video, and sound applications, along with internet telephony? Will we really need school anymore? The teacher will only be one resource amongst many. Perhaps Illich’s Learning Webs vision of 1970 will come into being after all? Can we deschool? Can we unlearn so that others can learn? Might technology be a liberating agent of social change? Let’s find out.