Changing and Becoming
George Siemens makes many good points in his post On Distinctions Between “Change” and “Becoming”. One doesn’t have to have been in the field of education very long (we’ve all been there as students as well…….I remember “new math”) to see the many waves of change that come and go. It’s often a joke among teachers who end up saying such things as “This too shall pass.” It sounds like this type of teacher just has a bad attitude, but more than likely, teachers have seen so many new trends and have been involved in change for change’s sake so many times, that they are not very committed when it comes to each new wave of change. Rarely, does the change bring about a lasting difference or do we “become” anything other than what we were.
Siemens states that education has always played a dual role. The role of reacting to trends and adjusting our methods to reach students is one. The other is that of impacting society. Helping students, communities, and society in general to become something better is a positive goal. If change is necessary to do that and the changes sought are the right ones, then it should definitely take place. The results of the changes should be well thought out before jumping in head first.
