Photo by NESA by Makers on Unsplash

What else can we be practising while we are practising hard skills?

Today in class we learned and practised some technology programs with Rich McCue, an excellent teacher and fellow dog-lover.

Specifically, we worked with:

Technically, everything went fine. I have used iMovie for projects, but I learned a few things, including how to edit green screen video clips. Screencastify I will likely use. Audacity I will keep in my back pocket if for some reason I can’t use GarageBand.

I wonder, though, about the usefulness of straight technology learning, at least if it isn’t paired with something else. Because in some ways, even the ability to use these programs is a bit like “content” in curriculum – it’s something I can Google. Indeed, whenever I run into a technical problem or question, I Google my question and find YouTube videos, instructions, or message boards with the solutions.

Communication, collaboration, collegiality

The teacher/facilitator in me can’t help but wonder what it would look like to do the same thing, but with learning support groups assigned at the beginning. i.e. Here are 2-3 people that you should ask questions to as you go, and with whom you will share your mini products. Maybe add a goal of making your group laugh?

People already started doing this this, but informally, randomly, probably distracting some people and making others feel left out.

I think that the teacher competencies, which are not so different than the core competencies we are meant to develop in students, are better served with some emphasis on those multi-syllabic c-words… community, communication, collaboration, collegiality.