Educational Insanity

Two caveats first: One, I may have unconsciously or even consciously included “unschooling” in the title because I suspect that will draw traffic. I’m guessing the unschooling types are abundant in the blogosphere (see e.g. http://anunschoolinglife.blogspot.com/).  And, my narcissistic need for attention is now well-documented.  Second, I feel like I’m sticking my neck out here a bit. Be gentle; please.

I’ve ALWAYS been a staunch advocate of public schools. They served me well. But, at the moment, I’m in a bad place with the institution of public schooling. Much of my current state has to do with pondering my son’s pending entrance into the world of formal “schooling” when we enroll him in preschool in the fall. I feel really good about the place we’ll be sending him come September, but I can’t help think about what happens 2.5 years from now (how’s that for thinking ahead?). If my wife and I are so focused on doing what we think is “best” for our child, how can I justify “exposing” my child to an institution that:

• conceptualizes learning as a solo flight
• tinkers towards modernity, but still remains woefully incapable of supporting the development of 21st century skills and dispositions
• is complicit in systematic, if not intentional, segregation by race between and within schools
• consistently sorts children according to unchallenged constructions of “ability”

I could go on, but I’ll stop there.

I’m not ready (yet?) to fully embrace “unschooling” and I’m not sure I have the will or the emotional fortitude to implement the ideas behind that “movement.” I’ve read some stuff by John Taylor Gatto and other unschooling advocates; it all strikes me as simultaneously compelling and ridiculous. I do, however, feel a need to learn more (what else is new?).

I have 2.5 years to reconcile my concerns with the institution of public schooling and my core values as a learner and a parent. Dear readers, I’d be forever indebted should you wish to help me through that reconciliation process.

John Hendron points us to an article about work that his former Superintendent, Dr. Frank Morgan, is doing in Kershaw County, SC. Speaking about the use of podcasting, Dr. Morgan is quoted as saying, “I’ve just found it powerful…We live in a different world now, so we have to use multiple means to communicate with people.”

I have two things to say in reply. First, we need more superintendents like Dr. Morgan. Second, if you read to the end of the article, Hendron mentions that in his county (which happens to be one exit West of where I live) teachers are contractually obligated to blog. I think I’m starting to like living in a union-free Commonwealth.

On Thursday and Friday of this week, I was at the Education Law Conference held by the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute at VCU (my U.).  It was a really well run conference.  On Friday, I live blogged the session on Religion in Schools.  It was my first attempt at live blogging.  You can see the replay at the link below.

LIVE BLOG

In my last post, I was saying that I didn’t think my faculty colleagues would use an electronic communication system that required them to go to the information. I suppose I was referring to the difference between what I’ve heard referred to as push vs. pull technology. I was also probably projecting my own concerns onto my colleagues; maybe they would embrace a Google Space.

I say that because I realized tonight that all of this social network stuff that David Warlick wrote about today and that Britt Watwood picked up on works wonderfully for me because I crave information and I can’t stop learning. Furthermore, I can’t get new information and learn new things quickly enough (am I a learning addict?). So, I’ve built my network. Enter RSS (thanks, Britt, for pointing that out to me). Enter Twitter (and particularly Twitterfeed and the Apple equivalent (name escapes me)). Enter not just Bloglines, but Bloglines Notifier. Enter Gmail and Gmail Notifier (I also use Lotus Notes for my work e-mail which has a notification feature). All of this notification technology feeds (pun intended) my demand (addiction?).

It’s immediate notification! I love it.

I’m having a little trouble wrapping my head around an idea, so I thought I’d throw it out to the edublogosphere (hello?  anybody home?).

I’m trying to figure out the best way to support a face-to-face professional learning community with an electronic personal/professional learning network.  So, imagine that in my workplace we have monthly f-2-f meetings to discuss a book or a journal article.  I’m looking for the best way (digitally) to foster additional (synchronous/asynchronous) communication between those sessions.  We could enroll everyone in a Blackboard course, but Bb just isn’t right for that.  I could also develop a Google Space for us.  But, I’m certain that folks don’t want another place to have to “go” to see if there is new information or new communication. 

Is Ning the right answer?  Or, is that overkill?  What is the best way to electronically supplement a professional learning community?