Reflection on reading. #1 "Practical Reality"

I'll make a start on a topic that is worrisome to myself and probably to all teaching staff at any institution reinventing or updating itself. 

We are, as it were, reinventing 'ourselves'. Many tutor staff have great depth of knowledge and conviction for their chosen disciplines, they know their stuff.  Technology per-say is not the issue, many trade disciplines have made huge advances in the technological arena, and staff, in the main, up-skill themselves to take these newer techniques and methods on board to keep relevancy.

The paradigm that is changing is the 'on-line' 'open source' communication revolution.

 Accessible, timely, new, cool, collaborative, these are the tools and toys of our time and the younger adults are quick to work them out. Many of 'us tutors' are not as quick and I think 'fear', to some extent, the leap/plunge of faith necessary to truly advance in a collaborative environment with their students.

We are therefore forced, to some extent, to recognise that we need to be "re-booted" with, training, best practice workshops, COPs, help boards, mentor personal, and TIME to develop and be able to recognise the potential , not only of the new technology tools, but just as importantly the new pedagogical relevance that can be attained for our students through wise use of these tools.
In her paper,  "Using Safety Nets: Flexible Learning and Operational Change." (S.Goodbourn, 2004) focusing on staff induction, Sue concludes: "Organisations need to provide the new VET teacher with a flight path, a navigation system and flying lessons. Additionally, while it is essential for them to decide on the 'who', 'what', 'when' and 'where' of the induction program, it is the 'how' - the method and the process- that seems to be most critical."
The similarities I recognised within this paper spoke loudly that many of 'us' will in effect be 'as new staff', the dynamic shift in course tools and pedagogy around truly focusing on student-centred delivery makes it so.

Students will still go through the 'pain' and uncertainty, they still experience the chaos as time-lines and pressure asserts itself onto their performance. This is true of all things in life and dealing with it is a 'skill' like any other. Collaboratively and with communication among peers these trials are less daunting. This communication needs however to be on their terms, with their (and hopefully 'our') Web 2.0 devices, tools and applications. It has taken me a concerted and 'full on' focus for about a year now to feel some real ability and comfort with these new tools. I'll certainly help colleagues when I can. But I also have a need to progress with this new knowledge for 'myself', herein I believe can lie a problem. If I feel this way and wish to really 'run with it' say... next year, will I distance myself so far away from following colleagues as to be speaking a separate language from them? What then...? Is my 'walking the talk' going to give me time to help others 'walk the talk' also. It takes real effort to reinvent oneself and apply foreign ideals for the first time. I'm sure lessons I've learned to date will require some rethinking and again a concerted effort to develop into a more organised platform. Will this leave me time to mentor, advise, show, help?

The development needed to effectively and responsibly attain a "Living Curriculum" employing Web 2.0 tools, applied via existing staff is much the same as the responsible steps any good 'new tutor' induction program upon entry to an institute should maintain.
I find interesting parallels between the implementation challenges of our new "living curriculum" and discussions on "induction" of new staff to institutes.
I recognise that we have, in place, and operating, three dedicated staff to help develop 'newbies' to living curriculum methodologies and pedagogies.With one day per week available for them to: Learn for themselves, operate among us, suggest models for different disciplines, mentor, trial, develop, reflect, report, etc... etc... etc...
Hmmm, We may need induction of new staff just to allow time for our own learning journeys within this brave new world.

    Works Cite:

Goodbourne, Sue. "Using Safety Nets: Flexible Learning and Operational Change." Knowledge Tree Index Page. Ed. J. Murray. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. <http://knowledgetree.flexiblelearning.net.au/edition05/html/pra_sue_goodbourne.html>