The Key to Empowering Educators? True Collaboration

Amy Jessica McMillan
CO - Constructivist Teachers

Schwartz, K. (2013). The key to empowering educators? True collaboration. MindShift. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/10/the-key-to-empowering-educators-true-collaboration/

Summary:
Written in support of Connected Educator's Month, MindShift author Katherine Schwartz argues that in order for educational technology to be used in innovative ways, teachers need a strong collaborative culture. Schwartz says that when new technology is introduced, most educators use it to simply replace the old paper and pencil way of doing things. This is due to many factors, not least of which is the fact that standardized testing and other bureaucratic procedures tend to reinforce the old system. Instead, Schwartz sees teacher collaboration as a way of encouraging teachers to take risks. Teachers can support each other as they try using technology in new ways, even when plans sometimes fail. Connie Yowell, the director for U.S. Programs at the MacArthur Foundations is quoted, describing the goal for teaching and learning to be about, "shared interest and it has to be about making, producing, and creating." For that to occur, teachers need to work together.

Evaluation:
I fundamentally agree with everything this article claims. Teachers need to collaborate in order to successfully use innovative technology in the classroom. I know this from my own daily experience as a classroom teacher. When we use a technological tool for the first time, there is always a period of trial and error. Mistakes happen. It feels a bit insecure and risky. When teachers know they have administrative support and that they have a network of colleagues to rely on, they can face these inevitable hiccups in pursuit of the larger goal. Schwartz also makes a valid point about how the current testing system validates the old ways of teaching and therefore discourages teachers from innovating. This is an ongoing concern and Schwartz does not offer any way to fix the situation.