Well, contract negotiations are underway between part-time teachers and the university. The union meeting was a couple of nights ago, and although I couldn't attend, I've been following the email trail between various teachers and union reps. One email in particular struck me as odd, and the more reading I'm doing in one of my courses, the more I am surprised by the thinking behind the email.
The language institute has been promising that Moodle is coming. And now they are starting to do some teacher training, to prepare us to use it. Most of the teachers have no idea what it CAN do, let alone what they WANT it to do (myself included). There is a sense of fear among teachers. New Technology = Scary!
Back to the email in question... I'll paraphrase...
We (part-time teachers) are being asked to do curriculum design using Moodle.
Those plans become the property of the university.
The university will then use the plans to offer online courses, forcing us part-time teachers out of jobs.
"Do they think they can replace instructors with online courses?" (The bottom line).
Apparently, this is an issue in contract negotiations. Seriously??
Why is this weird to me?
One of my courses is entitled "Teaching and Learning Online". I've been reading papers and studies done over the past 15 years or so, and so far...in all that I've read...there is a great emphasis on the role of the teacher as a 'resource manager' and a 'partner in learning'...a 'maximizer of student interaction', 'monitoring and facilitating interactions, and participating in the exchange of knowledge' (Beldarrain, 2006). I've not yet come across any suggestion that teachers will become obsolete with the advance of technology. If you know of any, please advise now, and I'll look into re-starting that Art career!
So, I'm more than a little surprised that my colleague has this fear. I guess that's the "fear and awe" that Bax mentions: "fear, alternating with exaggerated expectations" (Bax, 2003). I never would have thought that my job would be jeopardized simply by taking up a new tool and finding uses for it. It's just a tool...like a hammer...you can learn to use it, and create magnificent cabinetry, or you can let it sit under the kitchen sink, only taking it out once a year to hang the next year's calendar. Hardly something to get in a knot about. And taking it to the union....as a threat to our jobs...*sigh* .....I don't know what to say.
It brings to mind a great quote I heard years ago by David Thornburg:
"Any teacher who can be replaced by a computer...deserves to be."
References: (I didn't intend for this to become a research paper, but I really must cite those refs!)
Beldarrain, Y. (2006) Distance Education Trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2). 139-15
Bax, S. (2003) CALL-past, present and future. System, 31. 13-28
Gods... this might be the only blog in existence with a frikkin reference list!
ha ha I like the last quote!
ReplyDeleteI try very hard to build a vibrant, inclusive, safe and loving environment in my classroom. On the upside, if we're learning online we won't need to worry about that guy with the lack of personal hygiene (until e-learning comes with smellevision that is....)
ooohh...the personal hygiene guy....*shudder*
DeleteHopefully, smellovision will come with an 'off' button!
I really enjoyed your post, Rona and I share the same ideas with you: tools are tools and it’s up to the user to use them wisely or not. Teachers cannot be replaced by tools. I actually believe that with so many great tools in our disposal, good teachers are more essential than ever. A not so well-designed lesson may find its way in the class and eventually pass unnoticed. This is not the case for online lessons, however, as they are much more demanding in terms of planning and preparation. They can be chaotic and confusing and can easily let students down.
ReplyDeleteWe must admit it’s never easy for teachers to get out of their comfort zone and adjust to new trends and ways. It’s also challenging to be a beginner again and feel at a constant loss with new tools and terms (We’ve all been there). As I see it, it’s ok for someone not to want to be part of this massive change. It’s a personal choice and should be respected as such. But they should not shift the blame to others- institutions or educators- who do want to be. They may occasionally feel behind but with all due respect, this is where they have decided to be.
Best,
Sophia
I was thinking maybe I was too hard on that guy. I understand his fear, and I understand what it means to feel overwhelmed with new technology that doesn't make sense to you. I get that.
DeleteI guess I was a bit peeved that he seems to be casting himself as a victim: A victim of the big, bad technology that is out to steal his job!
I agree with you... we all make a choice about which side of tech we are going to be on. If you decide not to try, and not to adapt, then yes, I think you will be left behind. If you want to make yourself indispensible, and ensure that the institution NEEDS you, in order to make that technology run...then I think it is your responsibility to do something about it rather than sit there and whine that you might lose your job. We all might lose our jobs anyway, but we can make a choice about how much we want to make ourselves useful! You're right...it's a personal decision.
I think that like most institutions they'll soon realise that online learning without a 'teaching presence' doesn't work and will change their policy.
ReplyDeleteWhat you might like to look at is articles on copyright and IPR and what an institution can and can't do with material you produce. If they pay you directly for it, or it's part of your regular teaching, they have more rights, but if they don't pay you directly for it, then technically it is still yours and they need to pay you royalties.