[OT?] Bad news???

[Earthednet-wp]

You folks are talking broadly about trying to create change in a system that may have little incentive for change. What I have found is that among the groups of those resistant to change, you need to find at least one person who finds your solution interesting, intriguing, or what not. You get one person sold on your idea (enough to spend some time learning how and trying to implement it) then that person may become an evangelist for other folks. I really think it is unrealistic to expect others who are not familiar with your ideas or tools, to immediately embrace them, especially if there is not a perceived problem requiring a solution.

Here in California, teachers work pretty hard and changes in standards and other "reforms" come along often and take lots of their time. My son is teaching 3rd grade and is interested in technology. He got involved with Lego Robotics. There are contests, national in scope, and high interest in robotics and IT in schools. He has a club where students prepare for contests by learning how to program the robots to do specific tacks. Before that, he had students doing podcasts and video yearbooks. He is unusual. The club is small. He is an early adopter, setting an example for other teachers about what students can do. He's an evangelist. You need a few like that to get started.

My main point is that it's not easy to get an idea/tool/technique adopted, but every small gain counts. Here, in the US, teachers get paid for professional development, or at least a small stipend. That helps get things going.

That's my perspective, as a retired college professor who has gotten a fair amount of grant money to develop educational strategies that require technology.

Good luck, be patient,
Bill

William Prothero
http://es.earthednet.org

> On Jan 24, 2014, at 1:48 PM, Alejandro Tejada <capellan2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Richmond Mathewson-2 wrote
>> [snip]
>> About 9 years ago I took my agent-led interface for Livecode to a 
>> Primary school in Fife to trial the prototype with Primary teachers.
>> The only reason any turned up (after all, it was outside working hours) 
>> was because the headmistress (and wonderful woman with a vision)
>> had three-line-whipped them. The reluctance on their part to take any 
>> risks and/or try anything original was majorly depressing.
>> 
>> As one teacher said, "Why should I bother to learn to use your thing to 
>> make programs for Content Delivery and Reinforcement when the
>> children are just fine without them?"
>> [snip]
> 
> http://www.reactiongifs.com/ricky-ricardo-omg/
> 
> That is exactly what teachers told me.
> In fact, some of them told me that they would
> cooperate if they receive money to learn and apply
> this new methodology for their classes... 
> 
> For that small reason, my website "aulasdigitales.net"
> is in a permanent hibernation state.
> In this website, I wanted to publish one stack (from each teacher)
> that helped their students to understand and practice their
> most difficult topic from their classroom.
> 
> Just one stack with their most difficult topic.
> 
> Created and published for free.
> 
> Students would benefited the most.
> 
> Could not start without cooperation from teachers.
> 
> I completely understand Richmond when he wrote:
> "The reluctance on their part to take any 
> risks and/or try anything original was 
> majorly depressing."
> 
> But tell me...
> It's any different in the place where you live? :(
> 
> Al
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> --
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