Sometimes I wonder…
Sometimes I wonder…
Robin Williams’ played Professor John Keating in the Dead Poets Society. Keating was a rebel, he did not conform or agree with the then norm’s of teaching.
“Now I want you to rip out that page. Go on, rip out the entire page. You heard me, rip it out. Rip it out! Thank you Mr. Dalton. Gentlemen, tell you what: don’t just tear out that page, tear out the entire introduction. I want it gone, history. Leave nothing of it. Rip it out. Rip! Begone, J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D. Rip, shred, tear. Rip it out. I want to hear nothing but ripping of Mr.Pritchard. It’s not the Bible. You’re not going to go to Hell for this. Go on, make a clean tear. I want nothing left of it. ”
Source: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society
Keating was pilloried because he did not teach in the manner and mode expected of a teacher of the time. For many of us, Keating’s approach to teaching, his exuberant interaction, his enthusiasm, adaptability, flexibility, learner centric focus and passion is something we strive towards. He was a risk taker. We may not rip out introductions of textbooks, but we encourage discussion, analysis, evaluation and creativity – higher order thinking in classrooms based on passion for learning.
I wonder how many of the early adopters, innovators and mavericks of technology integration have been treated the same way as Williams’ character in the Dead Poets Society.
How many of the teachers who have taken risks by encouraging blogging, by opening the classrooms via collaboration, video and audio conferencing; by working across classrooms, cities and countries; by putting aside the unit plans to pursue the curriculum by oblique pathways? How many of these teachers have felt ostracized?
Being a 21st Century educator means you are a:
- Adaptor
- Communicator
- learner
- Visionary
- Leader
- Model
- Collaborator
- and risk taker
You need to be these things to to teach our 21st Century Students. Like Robin William’s Character, John Keating, in Dead Poets Society.
