A Growing Zone is Not a Comfort Zone:
Future as a Learner Essay
by Tracy Marshall
Photo from Creative Commons: https://flic.kr/p/xpn2r
Once, when I was a young college instructor, I walked down the corridor of my department seeking out a senior colleague to help me mull over a content issue I was having in one of my classes. She was a colleague that knew my content well and had worked at the college for many years, so I wanted her to counsel me in tackling this particular issue before it snowballed. When I arrived at her office door, I was taken aback by what I saw. My colleague was perfectly poised, kicked back in her office chair, with her feet criss-crossed and propped up on her desk, looking quite content comfortable. After my brain registered the relaxed posture, I noticed that she was reading a book...for fun. She and I were in such different places. I was fretting over my particular content issue, a bit frustrated and always having some teacher duty to perform, even in the evenings and on weekends. So, when I saw her sitting in her office like that, I felt like I walked into a dream. I thought, “Wow! There must come a time when this job actually gets cushy!” I was so struck by this image of contentment and comfort that I could barely remember why I strolled down to her office. I asked her my question, she answered me in a short discourse, and off I went back to my office. Walking back down the corridor, something didn’t sit well with me. When I arrived at my office, I ran into another colleague who didn’t teach in my content area. Still sort of stunned by what I had just witnessed, I asked the other colleague when in a person’s career does a person get so comfortable with the role of being a teacher, that she can kick back in her office and read for fun. She said, “Never...if you are a good teacher.” She said that providing a good educational experience for students never allows such comforts because the teacher’s job is always evolving, if the teacher is striving to improve herself to serve the needs of learners. I’ll never forget her response to me and I think it serves as one of the more poignant professional moments in my career.
I don’t project my future as a learner to be comfortable. The job of educational institutions is to prepare learners for their futures. Society is in a constant state of flux, evolution and growth, which means the job of the teacher is always in flux and evolving.
|
|
|
|
It really goes without saying that the Michigan State University Master’s of Educational Technology(MAET) program gave me a solid foundation off of which to build. I feel so fortunate that I was able to be a part of that program. But, it is now up to me to keep evolving, progressing and learning. I’ve built up a good Professional Learning Network through Facebook and Twitter that serves as easily accessible contact points. I can pose a question for consideration, participate in conversations about educational technology in real time, read articles and keep abreast of emerging technologies and teaching experiences of others so that I can learn and grow. Through these social media networks, I connect with other professionals in the MSU MAET program that I know, with professionals that I don’t know personally, but whose work I value, and professional organizations, such as ISTE(International Society for Technology in Education), MACUL(Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning) and NMC(New Media Consortium). I cannot stress how important these connections are for the field of educational technology, especially given the rapid pace good, usable technologies emerge. I plan to keep attending webinars, conferences, reading newsletters and blogs as well as remain in contact with all the people I know in the educational technology field so that my knowledge and skills as an educator will always evolve and mature.
In addition, I hope to continue thinking about, and perhaps developing a TPACK-like model to be used by students to guide them in their thinking about their own learning. As indicated in the TPACK model, educators need a solid foundation in technical knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge in order to prepare 21st century students to succeed. I'd like to examine the components that learners need, as learners, and build a model similar to the TPACK model that represents the student ideal so that the fate of learners doesn't just lie in the hands of teachers using TPACK. I'd like to create a model that learners can use so that they can take control of their own learning, conceptually, in the way that the TPACK framework affords educators the ability to do in their teaching. Technical knowledge, content knowledge and learning knowledge seem to be important dimensions of learning that students need to consider so they can engage in thinking about their learning, instead of just making their way through each course individually without any broader framework for learning available as a guide. I think many learners know that they need to grasp a certain amount of content knowledge. Additionally, students know that in order to produce good work, they need to maintain a certain level of technical knowledge, but most students aren't guided in the topic of learning knowledge. This is what I'd like to study in the future. How do we convey to learners the importance of knowing how to learn? Maybe we need a LTACK model to empower students to understand the learning process and how it is always interacting with their technical knowledge and content knowledge of courses. I've seen so many college students struggling with the the learning process. Many convey that they thought they were prepared for college because they have had fair amounts of success in elementary, middle and high school. I find myself thinking that a model, similar to TPACK, meant for students, could help them capitalize on a solid foundation and think about the learning process so they embrace and love their learning experience.
In addition, I hope to continue thinking about, and perhaps developing a TPACK-like model to be used by students to guide them in their thinking about their own learning. As indicated in the TPACK model, educators need a solid foundation in technical knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge in order to prepare 21st century students to succeed. I'd like to examine the components that learners need, as learners, and build a model similar to the TPACK model that represents the student ideal so that the fate of learners doesn't just lie in the hands of teachers using TPACK. I'd like to create a model that learners can use so that they can take control of their own learning, conceptually, in the way that the TPACK framework affords educators the ability to do in their teaching. Technical knowledge, content knowledge and learning knowledge seem to be important dimensions of learning that students need to consider so they can engage in thinking about their learning, instead of just making their way through each course individually without any broader framework for learning available as a guide. I think many learners know that they need to grasp a certain amount of content knowledge. Additionally, students know that in order to produce good work, they need to maintain a certain level of technical knowledge, but most students aren't guided in the topic of learning knowledge. This is what I'd like to study in the future. How do we convey to learners the importance of knowing how to learn? Maybe we need a LTACK model to empower students to understand the learning process and how it is always interacting with their technical knowledge and content knowledge of courses. I've seen so many college students struggling with the the learning process. Many convey that they thought they were prepared for college because they have had fair amounts of success in elementary, middle and high school. I find myself thinking that a model, similar to TPACK, meant for students, could help them capitalize on a solid foundation and think about the learning process so they embrace and love their learning experience.
