In an Open Weekend workshop at Knowplace, with Cristina Costa and Ramona Dietrich on Blogging Across the Curriculum, Ramona is suggesting that teachers whoi adapt computers will repalce those who are resistant to change.
My answer will be shared below unedited - as I'm short of time; the train for Hjallese near Odense will be leaving in just 29 minutes and I need a shower :-)
well, in some cases the computer with relevant content could simulate that extra teacher so often needed in a one teacher classroom.
Without being prophetic, I would love to point to a recent example on how global collaboration among teachers can lead to innovative ways of communication lessons. A dear friend of mine, Teresa d'Eca (Webheads in Action) is teaching computer assisted English language to young learners in Portugal. She has adapted the idea of having Mystery guests for an online interview, doing well prepared synchronous interviews with three of her online colleagues (in Australia, Sudan and the UK - Cristina Costa). Five years ago I visited Teresa's school for a whole day, learning about her resistant colleagues and enthusiast children - and I can imagine how these sessions last week must have been very intense and rewarding for both students and their teacher - the three guests included.
Using the blog Teresa manages to give students the news, outline the rules for the game, and report back to her virtual community, some of these educating fellows will in turn, will give feedback in the comments, together with some local students as a natural part of the community. http://call05-06.motime.com/
Some years ago, I also had the opportunity to be a Virtual guest and to meet with students from a distant university class online - in a blog workshop followed by a synchronous session that was thought provoking and heart warming, genuine conversation. They were adults, living in an isolated east European country, Belarus, and for most of them this was their very first meeting with someone abroad. I strongly believe this sort of global outreaching projects may have strong potential for building a better world. And the ruture belongs to teachers like the Webheads (so often mentioned in this context and also strongly represented in this weekend)
I am short of time this weekend but also wanted to contribute. Too bad I will probabaly not get online until tomorrow evening when the whole Open Weekend workshop will be closed down, and hidden from acccess. Do save anything you want to get back to, somewhere else!
yours, Sus Nyrop in Denmark
http://worldofwebheads.blogspot.com (not very updated)
and another blog at http://eduspaces.net/netopnyrop/weblog/
Keywords: edublogging, webheads
