Not Generation?

I’ve just read this:

http://wp.me/pwkUZ-5A [Bill Ferriter]
from http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/

… and am prompted to refute the idea that only people born within the last 30 years have “an entirely different set of expectations for their work experiences”. The author suggests that they: “want to be taken seriously and to have their professional strengths recognized and rewarded.  They grow impatient in situations where senior leaders fail to listen and frustrated when feedback on their performance is infrequent or ineffective.” – well don’t we all?

Frustration with the state of education and the apparently laggardly take-up of enriching and engaging technologies is not the sole domain of the 18-30’s or anyone with names like digital native or net-gens. A great many experienced (perhaps long in the tooth) teachers and trainers are equally frustrated by the “top layers of education’s bureaucracy [who] continue to doubt the intellect and ability of classroom teachers, leaving them out of important conversations”

I agree wholeheartedly that things need to change and that (like Bill Ferriter) we should bemoan the loss of any good teachers to whatever onward career they choose. But let’s be honest here: It’s the system that’s creaking and not necessarily the older teacher.

Let us make more effort to ensure that the leaders of Education become increasingly aware of the benefits for technology by promoting ANY good practice and not just that of those with fancy labels.

Also see:

http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/

and

http://elearningstuff.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/visitors-and-residents/

or hear:

http://elearningstuff.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/e-learning-stuff-podcast-018-digital-literates/