Apologies to those of you who come here looking for the latest tips from the world of Unpopular Pop, but this post is about the rather more gnarled topic of The Day Job. Normally I would have posted it on my dedicated education-themed blog (a blog that is, as the Poptastically astute amongst you will recognise, named after an XTC b-side) but it didn’t sit comfortably there, perhaps because fundamentally it’s about looking at a problem and, frankly, wondering if one is really capable of dealing with it.
You see, I’m in the middle of an advertising project with my GCSE Graphic Design students at the moment. We’ve had a few lessons recently where I’ve felt many of them fumbling about in the pit of uncertainty, but on Monday this week it was clear that they were starting to climb out. Students sculpted their friend’s hair into mohicans; they drew delicate patterns around eyes and cheeks with eyeliner; they scurried outside to take photos of buildings and landscapes. In short, they really started to take ownership of, and to direct their learning.
As the two hour lesson went on I pitched in some ideas for them to take on board. The key idea was about editing; about boiling ideas down to the essential ingredients and throwing away what you no longer need. About making emotional connections.
It strikes me now, as I grapple with the task of leading colleagues on our journey towards transformed learning supported by mobile technologies, that I might do well to treat this challenge in the same way.
It’s a big challenge isn’t it? And as I find myself in the same pit of uncertainty and despair that my students experienced I must admit to feeling a marked sense of inadequacy. I can’t see the route out and everything I reach for to steady myself crumbles in my hands. Perhaps it’s good to be reminded of these feelings so that we can better understand our students’ learning experiences. Perhaps it makes us stronger.
Only time will tell.
Oh, and for the Pop sensation seekers amongst you here's a song to keep us all going:
Only time will tell? The Perfect Disaster...
Posted by: carlos | February 08, 2012 at 15:30