The lines of learning are getting real blurred and that is a good thing. Doesn’t really matter what profession you look at, the lines of learning are getting blurred. One way to think of where we were in education, not even a full generation ago, was there was a time when the teacher was called the “Sage on the Stage”. Then the shift was for the teacher to be the “Guide on the Side”. Now in examples of vibrant classrooms, or learning environments I would say that it is hard to know who is the teacher and who is the student because those roles can be interchangeable. The shift is all for the better in my way of thinking, but certainly there can be struggles for all involved.
I believe that one improvement in learning is there are so many more resources to use for growth and development. Twitter has expanded the way we communicate with others who are in the field about new ideas and methods. Podcasts allow us to connect by listening to other’s ideas and experiences and then either incorporating parts or all of the ideas/experiences.
One podcast I would suggest is by Don Wettrick: StartEdUp podcast In a recent episode about VR in the Classroom, I heard Don talk about his own Rule of Thirds. Included are these three points; 1) are you passionate about it?, 2) What (new) skills are you going to acquire? and 3) Who does it serve other than you?
The Rule of Thirds can be applied to group projects as some guidelines to help students know what the parameters could be. Imagine the start of a project where the students get to focus on their passions and they must acquire new skills that are tied to the passion. The last guideline is that teens are being asked to serve someone other than themselves. That sounds like a win-win-win to me.
The Rule of Thirds could also be great if you were wanting to set guidelines for professional growth and development. I would use the three points when working with teachers who are forming Professional Learning Teams in school. Give teachers the encouragement that they need to branch out into areas where they have always wanted to go, but have been afraid of failure. Maybe the new technique or method did not work the first time the teacher tried something new, but the success comes when they have attempted something that they are passionate about, they acquired new skills and they are serving others. All of us need to learn each day for our own growth and development as persons, as professionals and as role models for our students. If you are looking for a little help to stretch outside your comfort zone, then consider incorporating the Rule of Thirds. So you can keep growing and moving forward serving others.