Four years ago when I began contracting with an Ohio state agency as an instructional designer, possibilities seemed to abound -- to contribute from home, to work in a new online environment, to deepen my understanding of online learning, to design and develop professional development that modeled constructivist learning, and to draw on all I knew and be challenged to learn more.
Unfortunately, today I lament the loss of possibilities after a design team meeting to edit an online pilot course for entry year teachers. I dutifully took notes as elements I deemed so important to good learning were put on the chopping block and began the edits with a heavy heart -- get rid of the blog, the teachers didn’t like it (gone the possibility to begin the journey of critically reflective teaching; the team work was too difficult for them, they couldn’t find the team area (it was linked from the main course menu), get ride of the teamwork (gone the possibility for sharing in the work of meaning making).
I worry as I see this happen not only here but with youngsters in classrooms across our country. Where is the nurturing and scaffolding when something is “too much for them” and “too hard”? What possibilities are lost when we don’t challenge ourselves as educators and challenge our students too? But I digress---
The door seems to be closing on this leg of my journey. The subject matter experts have become so instructive. I regret that; however, it’s time to move on. But the closing door is opening on new possibilities-- again -- to draw on all I know and be challenged to learn more, to make some small contribution that helps educators embrace and engage in 21st century learning, to deepen my understanding of the pedagogical possibilities that transform learning through the seamless integration of web 2.0 tools.
Possibilities do abound!!
Photo credit: http://flickr.com/photos/slabbers/23037726/
