Recently, I decided to unplug from Twitter and Facebook and Stumbleupon and only allow myself to check email and peak at my Bloglines reader. I did this for two reasons: 1) My wife was reminding me how much time the computer was taking out of my days. This was a truth I didn’t want to admit and one I’d been struggling with. Between teaching and the computer, I wasn’t devoting much time to the things that are important (i.e. wife and daughter) [Disclaimer: I wasn't shirking responsibilities or daddy-daughter time, really.] 2) I was feeling overloaded, too connected. Does this make sense? These were my thoughts the morning I read Teach42’s post about joining a PLN.
“I also know quite a few educators that are becoming more and more disillusioned with their jobs and are leaving teaching, and I can’t help but wonder how much of the blame falls on being part of an open network.”
There’s a simplicity in Teach42’s statement, but something in it resonated in me.
“Yeah, that’s me,” I whispered into my coffee cup.
Why is it that the more I am connected, the more overloaded and disconnected I feel to what is happening before my eyes? I’ve learned more that I thought possible through Twitter and in reading others blogs, but more times than not, the information is coming so quickly that I have difficulty sifting for the kernels of nourishing corn.
And what does that say for my teaching practice? Am I uncomfortable with the challenges of teaching in the 21stC? Am I too self-centered to realize that that the more connected I am to other teachers around the country and world, the better I can teach my students how to navigate this flat world?
I’m left with more questions than answers.
Namaste
1 response so far ↓
Steve Dembo // 2009/02/27 at 10:42 pm |
I think you’re asking some tough questions without easy answers. But no, I don’t think it indicates that you’re ‘uncofrtable with the challenges of teaching in the 21stC.” If anything, I think it shows that you are subconsciously creating your own filters and techniques for dealing with information overload. Pure and simple, I do think that we’re bombarded with too much info. And it’s entirely possible that it’s leading us to be more and more satisfied with less depth of understanding. Rather than learning a few things in depth, I’m wondering whether many of us (EdTech Community) are learning hundreds of things at the surface level. Perhaps, without realizing it, you’re putting in place fuses that are preventing yourself from going that route. And if that’s the case, it may just be that you’re a few steps ahead of many of the rest of us that are constantly struggling with how to deal with that.
Just a thought. Thanks for sharing yours!