Comments on: “It” http://ransomtech.edublogs.org/2009/04/04/it/ A quest for learning, unlearning and relearning... Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:39:18 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Stephen Ransom http://ransomtech.edublogs.org/2009/04/04/it/comment-page-1/#comment-189 Stephen Ransom Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:53:52 +0000 http://ransomtech.edublogs.org/?p=203#comment-189 Lee, I certainly don't mean to discount the tools. Without them our capacities are drastically reduced. Tools allow us to go places, do things, and create like never before. However, the pursuit of the tools to make us great rather than the hunger to create and achieve great things is the issue that I am getting wrestling with. I read both of Gary's articles that you mention and notice that neither of them emphasize the latest and greatest tools that we should be using. They emphasize important and powerful ideas and significant learning opportunities. Let the tools be used naturally to support those enduring ideals. As you so aptly put it, take your time, understand the tools, choose wisely - and above all else, understand how the tool(s) can support a passion and zeal for great ideas and meaningful learning opportunities. When teachers are equipped with this kind of capacity, I think they can (and desire to) better adapt to new tools that support these aims. If they are looking for tools alone to achieve great things or to turn mediocre ideas/teaching into great ideas/teaching, they will be sorely disappointed at best; deceived at worst. Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts - and for the tweet that got my creative juices flowing :-) Lee, I certainly don’t mean to discount the tools. Without them our capacities are drastically reduced. Tools allow us to go places, do things, and create like never before. However, the pursuit of the tools to make us great rather than the hunger to create and achieve great things is the issue that I am getting wrestling with. I read both of Gary’s articles that you mention and notice that neither of them emphasize the latest and greatest tools that we should be using. They emphasize important and powerful ideas and significant learning opportunities. Let the tools be used naturally to support those enduring ideals. As you so aptly put it, take your time, understand the tools, choose wisely – and above all else, understand how the tool(s) can support a passion and zeal for great ideas and meaningful learning opportunities. When teachers are equipped with this kind of capacity, I think they can (and desire to) better adapt to new tools that support these aims. If they are looking for tools alone to achieve great things or to turn mediocre ideas/teaching into great ideas/teaching, they will be sorely disappointed at best; deceived at worst.
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts – and for the tweet that got my creative juices flowing :-)

]]> By: Lee Kolbert http://ransomtech.edublogs.org/2009/04/04/it/comment-page-1/#comment-178 Lee Kolbert Sun, 05 Apr 2009 02:21:32 +0000 http://ransomtech.edublogs.org/?p=203#comment-178 Great post and certainly thought provoking. I agree with everything you said and for the record, I was referring to David Warlick's comment about starting to understand FaceBook. Yes, once he finally undertands FaceBook, there will be another FaceBook-type of tool out there. My advice to him (as if...) and everyone else is to take your time understanding the tool, because better you should understand the reasoning behind using the tool, the pedagogy, the purpose and the anticipated result, so that in the end when the tools change, the shift is seamless. Gary Stager just recently wrote 2 very good articles on what makes good classroom projects: http://stager.tv/blog/?p=359 that I recommend reading. Now, on the other hand, let's not discount the "it" as it relates to the tools themselves either. It is the tools that allow us to do the building in the first place. Whether it be Delicious or Diigo, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we have something to show teachers that is relevant and simple that might just be the ticket to them taking that small step out of the box. Thanks for the great post. I'm honored that my small Tweet was what got you started. ~Lee Great post and certainly thought provoking. I agree with everything you said and for the record, I was referring to David Warlick’s comment about starting to understand FaceBook. Yes, once he finally undertands FaceBook, there will be another FaceBook-type of tool out there. My advice to him (as if…) and everyone else is to take your time understanding the tool, because better you should understand the reasoning behind using the tool, the pedagogy, the purpose and the anticipated result, so that in the end when the tools change, the shift is seamless.

Gary Stager just recently wrote 2 very good articles on what makes good classroom projects: http://stager.tv/blog/?p=359 that I recommend reading.

Now, on the other hand, let’s not discount the “it” as it relates to the tools themselves either. It is the tools that allow us to do the building in the first place. Whether it be Delicious or Diigo, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have something to show teachers that is relevant and simple that might just be the ticket to them taking that small step out of the box.

Thanks for the great post. I’m honored that my small Tweet was what got you started. ~Lee

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