Building learning communities

In Sarah Weisz's TEN blog I found a post that caused some reflections. Building professional learning communities simply tells about Will Richardson's idea that many teachers don't understand how technologies can facilitate learning, and invites to join a discussion opened by a TEN member in the site forum.

Is it really so in Italy? Don't many teachers realize about the potentials?

With some effort (VERY ironic here) I think I could agree, even if maybe things are changing a little. The effort that is being made in introducing technologies in didactics is certainly big. What are the obstacles?

• Teachers feel unprepared to use computers (and probably many of them really are);
• teachers feel unprepared to use ICT in the classroom (and certainly many of them really are);
• teachers feel introducing technologies as something "more", not as a different way of thinking and doing;
• teachers have no clues about what can be done with technologies, because they don't know them and don't practice it;
  
• teachers are focused on syllabuses, abilities students must reach (for tradition or to pass the final exam) and don't have any time nor will to try anything new;
• teachers have no will to try anything new;
• teachers have no will.

I believe that the first step is to show teachers that doing something is possible. Show them finite products, even if the quality is not supreme, to let them know what it's all about. I think it's up to the curious ones, to those like me, to open the way so that in our Italian schools something new is tried, if it's worth it.

And I want to underline this element of prudence: if it's worth it. Experimenting is always a little game on our student's heads, and it doesn't mean improvising, and above all it means having the intellectual honesty to admit when something hasn't worked.

I am trying to do something. The project is going on, although, between election days and new labs to be baptized, we slowed down a little. Our next step is to publish the wikis...
I am also using a wiki to prepare an environmental education project in cooperation with other schools nearby. I hope it works. If nothing else, some more people will know that wikis exist.

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