Engaging the wheel

Much has been said in the endeavor to decode the term and practice of digital pedagogy. In an ever advancing world the need for revolutionizing education has become of utmost importance. Many future focused voices can therefore be heard in coding and decoding the very essence of it. The only clear answer to date is as follows: To tie it down to the mere use of technology in the classroom has been found to be limiting and extremely regressive. The question then remains, how do we define it?

In the continual debate about what digital pedagogy actually is, lies the answer. It is an argument, an engagement which should role on into vast possibilities of enhancing education. The enthralling yet complex contradiction makes it powerful. It cannot be limited to a certain practice or 5 point plan. Loosen the reigns and let learners and pedagogues alike explore all opportunities.

It cannot therefore be optimized without extensive research and critical thinking about the way we learn and the skills we should learn in the fast paced world of today. Therein however lies the true beauty. Just by developing the way we engage with digital pedagogy we are already unlearning stale thought patterns of the past and learning about powerful new ways of going about the teaching and learning process.

 According to Howard Rheingold the core is that it is a developmental participative pedagogy assisted by digital media, which focuses on catalyzing, inspiring, nourishing and guiding literacies essential to life in the 21^st century.  I want to once again just focus on the phrase “assisted by digital media” mentioned above. The emphasis is not placed on the electronic elements, it is merely an element. The digital media can be seen as the wheel. It is a crucial component and catalyst to further developments, yet it is one component. The journey remains life changing. The relationship between the driver (teacher) and passengers (learners) remains at the core of the transporting process to an education. What digital pedagogy has done though is give the passengers a powerful say in the direction of travel.

To reach its full potential the concept of digital pedagogy should spark more questions among teachers and learners. What is the limit to what I can become? What tools can I use in this process? Who will walk this road with me? The possibilities are endless.

Now that the wheel is rolling, why not make it turn it into a propulsion system to make the vehicle fly?