Creating a synergy sensation

In life we come across many different environments. Areas and communities in which we are forced to share or of which we are forced to partake. Most of these environments are created by other people. We therefore do not really have a say in the atmosphere and interactions within these environments. Take the city you live in as an example. Your influence seems limited to a vote in a local government election and initiatives you launch on your own accord. You cannot set the tone and that in a sense forces us into mundane participation. Consuming rather than actively engaging.

As a teacher you are in the privileged position of managing and thus creating your own classroom environment. This is a special opportunity of setting the tone for effective pedagogy and optimal learning. The realization is very empowering. Immediately one feels like the ruler of your own little kingdom. What you say and what you do, that is the law. You can determine punishment as well as praise. You are the dictator and they are your slaves. Working, working, working and paying your salary in the process.

The above mentioned realization however is unfortunately a skewed view of this precious privilege of orchestrating mental development. Many teachers fall in to the power trap and degrade themselves into forceful fascists. This power, responsibility rather, of mindfully designing a meaningful space is much more than simply controlling it with an iron fist. To a large degree it is the opposite.

As educators we have to make the most of what we have. In a short time we need to set and prepare children for their often scary life journey.  The key to doing this lies in synergy. I am sure you have heard the story of the horses pulling the cart. One horse can pull a cart of two tons. Two horses together thus should be able to pull a cart weighing 4 tons. In actual fact they can pull a cart of 7 tons. Synergy is therefore when the output generated by combining the inputs is more than the sum of the individual outputs. This beauty of teamwork is displayed in various walks of life. Adding various strengths together to become an unstoppable force. The same strategy should be employed when mindfully creating the learning environment.

By thinking of specific structures and activities we can transform a monologue into an interactive learning experience where all the children in the class engage in the subject manner in a critical and creative way. Once these thought patterns and creative ideas start combining we begin experiencing classroom synergy.

It is therefore powerful to be able to determine the song. It is however exponentially influential to be able to sing the song, in 4 different voices with a whole choir and orchestra forming part of the beauty.

Creating springboard boundaries

Education has developed over centuries and even millennia. It has always been in the human nature to learn and to discover. Over years and years of evaluating and adjusting we have developed education standards which seem foolproof. Going as far as standards for digital pedagogy, which seems revolutionary to some.

The conundrum we face with all these standards, norms and levels of proficiency which guide what the education world sees as success, they acknowledge the human nature of learning but fail to recognize the inherent need we have to discover. There is so much more in learning and innovation than we can imagine, yet these standards and bureaucracy norms form boundaries around us which act as limiting factors.

The only way to topple this wide spread way of thought is to start in a micro-context which flips all the standards we thought we knew and believed in on their head. The micro-context in question takes away certain stereotypical pitfalls of education which makes it stagnant. Tech-centered distance learning might just be the vantage point through which we want to gain new perspective.

Straight off the bat the norm of education is flipped. No classroom, no teacher, no curriculum which might be better suited in an old aged home. Instead of having rules for everything, from the way you tie your hair to the way you line up for assembly, the rules are replaced with values you cannot go without if you are to succeed. Granted, it will be more difficult to work when you do not have someone looking over your shoulder. Yet, isn’t that the point? The incentive to learn and distinguish yourself with special skills is enormous. Once children learn to work on their own it is a value of work ethic which  is imprinted in their very being. What happens to a house of cards without support? It comes crashing down.

Other values which can be crucial for distance learning is integrity, perseverance and accountability. Once we have moved from the paradigm of archaic standards we can begin to explore the endless possibilities of creativity and innovation. These values can become springboards rather than boundaries. Instead of learning to make use of technological tools we can harness their power by creating through them. A child not bound by a generic learning format has a bigger opportunity to cultivate and explore his/her true interests.

As a last thought I do however want to present one challenge. Learning works beter in community where we can test our ideas and challenge our critical way of thinking. We try different roles and experience firsthand the shoe that fit us the best. Therefore, when engaged in distance learning, make every effort to still form part of a social community. The world might be digital but it runs on relationship. 

Tweet, but tweet sweet

Now that we have come to terms with the fact that we cannot really come to terms of what digital pedagogy encompasses we should start to explore the possibilities. In this vast new realm we have dared to enter there are almost as many platforms and tools available than stars in the sky. One of these avenues is social media and can be explored to digitally enhance the learning experience. The flip side of the coin should just always be kept in mind. Social media can be a catalyst for positive change or the start of your own demise.

There are a number of very innovative ways in which social media is used to enhance learning. They can be summarized as follows:

   Connectivity

Twitter, Remind and various other communication channels can be used to form a constructive forum between the learners and the teachers. It can be used to share information on assignments and other relevant material to the specific subject.

            Assessment

Facebook, Instagram and YouTube can be used for feedback on tasks and assignments. Once a task is completed a photo or a video should be taken to capture and convey the activities and objectives of the specific assessment.

             Critical engagement

Blogs can be used to help learners practice their writing skills and their ability to critically engage with a specific topic. It has the added benefit of encouraging learners to critically engage with one another.

That sounds wonderful and in many ways social media is revolutionizing the classroom. If not well thought out and managed however it can do much more harm than good.

The wonderful thing about our constitution is that we have freedom of speech. This freedom allows us to say what needs to be said and is therefore a very good form of accountability. This right however does not include hate speech or any form of discrimination.

A sensitive topic in a classroom might lead to heated debates which might trap learners who are not sensitive to what they say. This could cause serious legal action if comments are indeed deemed to be discriminatory. Once convicted of such an indiscretion it remains with you for the rest of your life. Due to the public nature of social media, a mistake can mean that you do not get a job.

Even though an argument might not end in a court case, it can still cause polarization among different cultures, races or genders. Debates on social media can easily derail due to a simple misunderstanding.

Another threat is social predators that come across as lambs but are indeed wolves. These predators exploit the lack of world knowledge children have to lure them into their claws.

In the spirit of positivity I would like to end this post by highlighting an opportunity within this threat. Educators can use this to educate learners on the dangers involved in any publication and on the correct way to use social media and interact online in a respectful and value adding manner.

Tweet, but tweet sweet.