Blog Post 9

McClung’s “What I’ve learned this year” contains some useful insights into the realm of education; a first year teachers reflections on his experiences allow us to “learn” from his lesser comings. Firstly McClung addresses the way his lessons are structured. By being overly concerned with how other professionals see his lessons and curriculum, McClung is loosing sight of the audience that really matter, his students. The beurocratic environment that surrounds education can be taxing, but if a teacher can remember who he or she is actually there for, perhaps education can be come truly enlightenment rather than indoctrination. Secondly McClung reflects on his inability to remain “open” in the classroom; an obsession with rules and regulations, or in this case an attachment to your own ideas of how things should go, can lead to missing real educational opportunities. When students show an interest in something, go with it; an ability to improvise and work with students predisposed knowledge is a great asset for any educator. He moves on to addresses communication. For me this is speaks to one of the elements of education that has been lost in recent years; as a group, teachers must work together to achieve the maximum potential of the educational environment. Teaching should, and once was, a collaborative medium. We encourage students to believe that “two heads are better than one”, but seem to ignore that anecdote when it comes to our own profession. He also touches on communication, but in regards to students. So many teachers have a need for authority or order that they loose touch with there students, and thereby dismissing any input they might have. McClung points out that such an exchange is important for growth as both a professional and individual. Lastly he addresses that teachers should not be afraid of technology; while more elaboration might have been warranted, especially considering the purpose and goals of edm 310, the idea rings true. So many people are afraid to move technology into the classroom for fear of how it will affect the traditions of “schooling”. Our society, and by association, and our children are changing; if we do not use every asset we have available to make education relevant to 21st century students, considering all the information we could ever teach them is only keystrokes away, we will loose the battle in preparing them for a globalized future.