This is just me thinking out loud…I have no idea where this post is going to go.
I showed this video today:
Although I don’t think it is the best video, it is always nice to hear voices of kids as we move forward in education. I showed this video knowing that it was from Pearson, a company that I do not know much about, but I am guessing I would not really be pushing for in our schools. E-textbooks are cool but not 21st century learning. Other than that, I don’t know much about what they do. In fact, that video might actually start a conversation about what they do and how they can help kids, which is what I am sure that they are hoping for. Still, that video is not going to sell me on any product.
Now some might be against sharing a video from that company but I think that the people that work there are actually trying to make a difference in the lives of kids. I may not agree with their beliefs on education and learning, but honestly, I can guarantee there are people there who want to do good. I could also probably say that there are people there who are interested in making a ton of money and are just wanting to sell a product. I honestly don’t know though.
So some might be against supporting a company that makes money off of selling something to a school yet I see something like “Powerful Learning Practice” share a ton of good stuff and get supported by many educators. I think one of the big differences is that many in the “Twittersphere” know the people that work with that group. Signing up for their professional development program isn’t free, yet they share a lot of extremely valuable stuff for educators that many of us benefit from freely (like this Connected Learner Manifesto).
But Pearson is sharing stuff we can use freely as well? So what’s the difference?
I also think about how Dan Meyer wrote about not sharing “Top 100 Posts” by Online Colleges. I try my best to avoid linking to these sites on Twitter but I am going to be honest, I have shared them before. When I have shared them, I actually have had people share Dan Meyer’s post directly to me. I get that the intent is not to improve learning, but to drive blog hits because lists do that.
So what happens when a blogger starts to make lists incessantly, not necessarily for their own learning, but to drive hits to their blog? I think that most bloggers (including myself) enjoy when our work is looked at, but I struggle when “hits” become the focus. Isn’t that what the “Online Degree” sites are trying to do? Get hits? Should educational bloggers have their work discredited because of what their intent may seem to be? People love lists because they are short, get to the point and helpful. I have written posts that have lists in them and I often refer back to them myself or refer others to them. Sometimes those lists are helpful.
So what am I saying in all of this? To be honest, I have no idea. I do know that it is important for us to know where the content that we share comes from and be thoughtful of the purpose. I also don’t believe that all educational programs or companies are bad yet I am still going to be highly thoughtful and critical in my thinking of what they are doing and what they are “selling”.
What I am trying to figure out is what is the conversation that we should be having with kids around sharing this type of content, what they should share, or even should they share stuff that comes from a particular source? Many are comfortable with sharing stuff from a company like Pearson or Discovery Education, but others are not so much? Should we be critical of either party? I am really unsure and clouded on this topic.
Thoughts?
That is a very difficult topic and I don't know if there is a good answer. It is important to know the perspective of the person you are sharing information from. When you share links to articles about politics, do you stop and think about the article if it comes from a particular think tank or news agency? Many people take into account links to "controversial" science topics depending on the source. I think it should also be considered when dealing with learning material or programs, free or not-free. It is important to consider what the information is and if it is arguing for a product or even just a practice, it is important to question it.
It might be tough to try and stop kids from sharing stuff, but it could be useful to leave a thought provoking topic to help them get in the practice of asking questions themselves such as: who wrote this? why is their goal? why did they write it?
I think it's always about being an informed citizen. Post whatever you wish but be clear about your intent and inform yourself about the link or idea you're posting. In the case of the best blogs list from online degrees, I think understanding why they are posting it is important, at the same time you might find the resource itself useful so if you're sharing it be transparent and be informed.
I think there's an assumption or stereotype that all educators are motivated by altruistic motives. If that were true, we'd teach for free. We need to be more honest about that. That's not to say it's our primary motivation but it is a factor. You and I both speak at conferences and schools and we usually don't do it for free but we also don't do it just for the cash. We deeply care about learning and education and want to make a difference. We need to be more comfortable and honest with that apparent dichotomy. But we also can point to a body of work and reputation that stands on its own. Bottom line is that few of us are singularly motivated, there are always multiple factors. When judging others, we need to understand that and perhaps consider the overall body of work or message and yet we can still extract ideas we think are useful even if the majority of content may be tainted with nefarious motives.
How's that for a comment that goes nowhere?
George thank you for recognizing that PLP is a company pursuing a vision that we believe will improve the lives of kids and the professional work of educators.We are a small company that's able to stay true to its vision by giving away all it can but also seeking a paying clientele among folks who see value in investing in deep thinking, year long, job-embedded professional development led by practicing educators and leaders in the field, such as your brother.
To help you see the difference between PLP and larger companies like those you mentioned: What We Believe: http://plpnetwork.com/what-we-believe/
Best,
Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, CEO
Powerful Learning Practice