Written by It has been a challenge to decide what to write about as my inaugural foray into the educational blogosphere. 
Education is already one of the most complex fields and then add to that the many hats I wear: teacher, instructional coach, Dean of teaching and learning, volleyball coach, faculty advisor, supervisor of Roots and Shoots club. As a teacher I am interested in harnessing technology to improve student learning. As an instructional coach, I want to help individual teachers become the best they can be. As the Dean of Teaching and learning I want to create systems that make it easy for all teachers at my school to improve their craft. And on the list goes. There is so much to learn in each of these arenas that it can be overwhelming and quite frankly rather paralyzing.
I am envious of the digital natives who seem at ease with vast amounts of information flowing past them. I’m not sure if it is my generation or my personality type but I don’t skim well. When I read something, I read for deep understanding. Yet I find myself exposed to so much information that there is not enough time to explore in depth which leaves me in a state of feeling inadequate and frustrated. I need to find some strategies to help me learn to be at ease with the flood of information around me as well as approaches to narrow my focus enough that I can take a good long satisfying drink.
Hi Kathy,
The candor of your post is refreshing and I think many of us share your sentiments. The ubiquity of ever-evolving technology and its impact in the classroom can be overwhelming. At times, it can feel like we are either getting swept up in its current or being pulled under.
Like you, I read for deep understanding. I’m at my best when I have large swaths of time to dedicate to uninterrupted reading and research — time not often available to those who wear many hats. It’s my hope that your year with Cohort 21 will not only provide you with that time and space, but that it will provide you with a network of people who can help you explore your interests, build a framework, narrow your focus, and hone your craft.
Here’s to swimming against the current together!
Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday at our next F2F.
Shelley
Hey Kathy,
I love this post! There is definitely a need for deep understanding and how to empower students to do so when all they are exposed to are quick videos and chunks of text on a daily basis. I think it’s important to refine the tools you’ve been exposed to, and over time the information finds you and you figure out what’s worth reading. For instance – Diigo will tell you how many people have vetted and shared the resource thinking it was valuable. Or certain people on Twitter and Google + will consistently put out “Gold” and you can spend less time perusing and more time understanding.
In the words of many GSuite presenters – It’s like drinking from a firehose and it’s important to try one new thing. I think if you can empower your teachers to work together to try one new thing in small groups, then those ideas that they’ve chosen will empower them to try continue to hone their craft. I looked a personalized PD model for my school a few years back and I’d love to connect to hear more about where your teachers are investing their time and energy in their development.
@kanderson –
I can certainly understand the sentiments you’ve expressed here! I’m on the opposite end from you, though – I am a digital native and am quite comfortable with the mass amounts of flowing information. However, there are times that I wish I could step back from that and engage more deeply with things. It can be so overwhelming to try to sift through the information that comes at you so fast and furious. I used to be a voracious fiction reader, and now I find that between staying on top of the blogs I read (both professionally and personally), my Twitter feed (professional only) and my email inbox, the only reading for fun – when I deeply engage with a work of fiction for hours at a time – is during school holidays. I wish it weren’t the case but it is. 🙁 I’d love to hear the strategies you employ to block out everything else and set aside time for deep reading.
Jen