Though #IMMOOC season 4, sadly, is coming to an end, the challenge thrown out by this year's authors, George Couros, Katie Martin, AJ Juliani, and John Spencer remain. We've delved into the books, discussed ideas through blogs and chats, and we've listened to the guests on the live events. The ball has been tossed into our courts, so what now?
While standing in line at PetSmart today, I noticed a reoccurring phenomenon. Dogs everywhere, walking with their owners, tugging at their leashes in a concerted effort to go an entirely different direction than intended. For the most part, each dog owner seemed unaware of the Slanted Dog Walk unfolding all over the store.
As educators, we spend a lot of time telling each other, our students, and ourselves that failure is good. We learn from failing. We encourage students to keep at it, to not give up, to finish the effort. Some of us even model that sometimes, so that we can show students that risk taking is okay, necessary, and totally worth it. And then, we educators, look at a new idea, a way to empower our students, a system that get's them in the driver's seat of their own learning, and we back away slowly in fear...of failing...of failure.
Growing up in an educational system that valued and rewarded compliance and conformity has produced plenty of educators who wallow in complacency. There, I said it. We wallow. In complacency. Sound harsh? Maybe, but that doesn't make it less true, and we need to reflect on our own practices even now. Weekly, Daily. Hourly. I Do, We Do, You Do, in this context, now glows in a whole new light.
