What are we really fighting for?

November 30th, 2009 · 8 Comments · Web 2.0

We all talk a lot about tools. About great sites; about Animoto and Twitter and Facebook; about Voicethread and Delicious and blogging.

We struggle in our districts to convince them to lower the filter so we can use some of these tools effectively. We fight for Skype or Facebook or Blogger. We fight to use wikis or Ning or YouTube.

But to paraphrase Dr. Seuss in the Grinch, maybe it’s about a little bit more that we are fighting for.

Because after all…

It’s not about creating a blog, it’s about expressing your own ideas and beliefs clearly.

It’s not about using delicious or Diigo, it’s about developing a system to keep up with your stuff and to share your stuff.

It’s not about Skype, it’s about understanding how to communicate globally in a video setting or via chat/conversation.

And it’s not about making an Animoto slide show, it’s about having a good sense of design or telling a story.

It’s not about learning to use the software, it’s about the skills our students will carry with them that these tools and others like them allow. It’s about our students expressing themselves clearly, beautifully, and skillfully.

And that’s what we should be teaching them. And that’s what we should be fighting for.

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8 Comments so far ↓

Sue Waters // Dec 1, 2009 at 4:03 am

Hi Carolyn, really good post and I wish I had said it.

While we talk about the tools we know in the back of our mind what we’re are fighting for — it doesn’t necessary mean that others appreciate/understand that fact or why it’s important.
Jim Randolph // Dec 1, 2009 at 9:33 am

Love it! Thanks.
Leia // Dec 2, 2009 at 11:53 am

Excellent, and I think I’ll be sharing that with our LEARNERS are well!
christine cosentino // Dec 2, 2009 at 12:00 pm

This is brilliant! I’m giving a keynote on this very topic on Friday, and I’d love to quote you on this.
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Rhonda // Dec 5, 2009 at 10:58 am

Well said – I’d like to quote you at our upcoming Literacy with ICT session for senior years teachers.

Thanks,
Rhonda from Winnipeg
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