FieldFindr: Connecting Teachers to Global Citizens
Where teachers can meet volunteers with skills to share.
FieldFindr: What a Great Idea!
As a writer who has been supporting educational transformation for over 12 years and a passionate learner, I was excited to see this site. I have been thinking a great deal about the challenges teachers face in comparison to other professionals, as well as what it would take for the teaching profession to be considered one of our nation's most important creative enterprises and for schools and teachers to be viewed as active players in the knowledge economy—not just as the suppliers but as collaborative partners in solving problems and seizing opportunities worldwide.
I believe that this model you have created in the virtual world is one that needs to be realized in schools. I think every teacher should have access to a network of people who can add real value to teacher learning, lesson planning, assessment design, and even instruction. So many of the policy groups I have worked with advocate for greater collegiality among teachers—deprivatization of practice as they like to call it. I don't disagree with that but I have yet to see policy makers do more than pay lip service to networking beyond collaborating with one's circle of fellow teachers (if common planning time is in the budget, that is). I would like to imagine a system that creates new education positions that complement teachers' work—including paraprofessionals to do non-teaching duties with excellence and non-teaching professions who use their expertise in information technology, communications, design, business, the arts, and other areas to work with teachers to create the best possible learning environment for students.
Of course, the current system—accountability, budgeting, labor relations, etc.—would need to be redesigned. But in today's world, that seems like more and more of a possibility, as well as an increasingly urgent need.
I believe that this model you have created in the virtual world is one that needs to be realized in schools. I think every teacher should have access to a network of people who can add real value to teacher learning, lesson planning, assessment design, and even instruction. So many of the policy groups I have worked with advocate for greater collegiality among teachers—deprivatization of practice as they like to call it. I don't disagree with that but I have yet to see policy makers do more than pay lip service to networking beyond collaborating with one's circle of fellow teachers (if common planning time is in the budget, that is). I would like to imagine a system that creates new education positions that complement teachers' work—including paraprofessionals to do non-teaching duties with excellence and non-teaching professions who use their expertise in information technology, communications, design, business, the arts, and other areas to work with teachers to create the best possible learning environment for students.
Of course, the current system—accountability, budgeting, labor relations, etc.—would need to be redesigned. But in today's world, that seems like more and more of a possibility, as well as an increasingly urgent need.
Add a Comment
© 2009 Created by David Truss on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
You need to be a member of FieldFindr: Connecting Teachers to Global Citizens to add comments!
Join this social network