Blog it!
Should teachers blog? There are quite a few teacher blogs but in reality very few teachers have taken the plunge. Many bloggers, like myself, prefer the anonymous approach. This allows me to stick my neck out, to promote unfashionable and innovative ideas. It also means that I have to be what is often demanded - a reflective teacher.
I've met with a fair amount of hostility. I think that rather proves that the blog is having an effect. If you say something that the establisment doesn't like it becomes very defensive. The foundations of most ivory towers are very sandy because all the grains - defenders of the status quo - can be guaranteed to move in different directions. So change may happen.
There has to be some value to teachers making themselves visible. Teachers are often seen as remote, out of touch, boring and unwilling to move with the times.
There is, for example, recent criticism of the new science curriculum.
http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article1835118.ece
It seems as if teachers are dumbing down even more. Science must now be taught as a subject that would enable someone to succeed on a quiz show rather than have any depth of understanding of scientific principles. But are teachers to blame? A blog enables a teacher to join in the criticism and to shout, "It isn't me that wants this dumbing down. Vote for someone who really cares about education - if you can find one among the current crop of politicians."
The other side of this is that someone must approve of the changes. There must be some elitist idiot who sincerely believes that the dumbed down diet is all that the consumer children deserve. Do these people blog? I've seen little public defence beyond comments in the 'fossil media'.
I don't know who invented the term 'fossil media', but it sums up the tame journalists who print uncritically whatever is fed them.
A blog needs to express robust opinions otherwise the blogger is just another sand grain in the ivory tower foundations. You need to target your audience, even chivvy them into reading your opinion and having done that it extends discussion of issues.
A blog is potentially also another teaching tool. I've encouraged kids to make entries to their school blogs every ICT lesson, but these were limited by not being distributed and were therefore not really that worthwhile. If they were part of the school's Intranet and monitored, they could become a worthwile tool alongside Wikis and podcasts.
Blogs must be simple to use. They must be fun to use. But they are only valuable when used and shared. They don't only give a voice to teachers. Are we ready for uncensored student voices?
I've met with a fair amount of hostility. I think that rather proves that the blog is having an effect. If you say something that the establisment doesn't like it becomes very defensive. The foundations of most ivory towers are very sandy because all the grains - defenders of the status quo - can be guaranteed to move in different directions. So change may happen.
There has to be some value to teachers making themselves visible. Teachers are often seen as remote, out of touch, boring and unwilling to move with the times.
There is, for example, recent criticism of the new science curriculum.
http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article1835118.ece
It seems as if teachers are dumbing down even more. Science must now be taught as a subject that would enable someone to succeed on a quiz show rather than have any depth of understanding of scientific principles. But are teachers to blame? A blog enables a teacher to join in the criticism and to shout, "It isn't me that wants this dumbing down. Vote for someone who really cares about education - if you can find one among the current crop of politicians."
The other side of this is that someone must approve of the changes. There must be some elitist idiot who sincerely believes that the dumbed down diet is all that the consumer children deserve. Do these people blog? I've seen little public defence beyond comments in the 'fossil media'.
I don't know who invented the term 'fossil media', but it sums up the tame journalists who print uncritically whatever is fed them.
A blog needs to express robust opinions otherwise the blogger is just another sand grain in the ivory tower foundations. You need to target your audience, even chivvy them into reading your opinion and having done that it extends discussion of issues.
A blog is potentially also another teaching tool. I've encouraged kids to make entries to their school blogs every ICT lesson, but these were limited by not being distributed and were therefore not really that worthwhile. If they were part of the school's Intranet and monitored, they could become a worthwile tool alongside Wikis and podcasts.
Blogs must be simple to use. They must be fun to use. But they are only valuable when used and shared. They don't only give a voice to teachers. Are we ready for uncensored student voices?
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