Thursday 30 September 2010

Dilute well before serving...


As I have stated in previous posts (Bridging the Gap, Bridging the gap 2 and Grape Expectations), I am dedicated to helping give, the professionals around me, as much help as I possibly can. All I strive to do is open their eyes to the potential of harnessing some of the myriad of tools available. Every day I peruse postings from twitter, and I follow links, I bookmark pages, I read blogs and I comment if I feel it is appropriate. From this I am able to dilute the concentrated information I recieve and then filter it accordingly before serving it to my technowary colleagues.
The strength of the web and its plethora of tools and wealth of information is also its weakness. Information overload, can and does provide a barrier to prevent a vast number of digital immigrants from accessing and therefore realising the potential of the technology at their fingertips.
I have no solution, I try hard to help, I spend time sharing, I laud the merits of web 2.0 yet my most successful converts have been the educators to whom I have carefully spoon fed a single idea at a time.
The converted amongst you (and if you are reading this then you are no doubt a digital convert if not a native) should take heed, the constant stream of ideas and concepts we sift through and store for use (or not!) will be a daunting prospect for a majority of our colleagues, not because they are technophiles or unable but because it is too rich to digest.
Our 21st century learners will embrace the opportunities we present them because that is where they are.
True 21st century practitioners will continue to provide the conduit through which these learners will flow.
The gap, if their is one, remains in giving the technowary an opportunity to guide their learners, even if somewhat tentatively, in a wise direction.
My advice therefore - Continue to learn; take every opportunity to improve your CPD; network in a way that suits you but sometimes we need to think and dilute well before serving....