Small Big Things: The Shifting Culture via #Remote Learning

A few years ago, I was introduced to the “Ameoba of Cultural Change” model. I found it to be an interesting way to describe how innovation happens in organizations. As simple, single-cell organisms, amoebas blindly step into the unknown, reaching for “food”; so too do organizations, as innovators and change agents push people towards new ideas and inventions. Although I agree with the personalities within this organizational change model, I don’t think that change has to happen this slowly.

Clearly, we are in unprecedently times and CoVid-19 has certainly been the catalyst for rapid changes in “how we do school” across the globe. And you see nations whose educational systems are paralyzed in the midst of this epidemic. It reminds me of the book, Future Shock by Alvin Toffler that describes the emotional anguish that people undergo as they try to adjust to rapid and disruptive technological changes.  I feel that we are definitely in the midst of this feeling as educators who would have been labeled as “laggards”, “curmudgeons”, and “reactionaries” are now unwillingly forced into change. But even those of us who are the “change agents” and “innovators” in our schools can experience equally and acutely how terrifying and painful this experience of remote learning is. The only difference is that our “AHHHHHHHHHH” converts into “AHH-ha” in a shorter period of time. Toffler reminds us all that:

The responsibility for change…lies within us. We must begin with ourselves, teaching ourselves not to close our minds prematurely to the novel, the surprising, the seemingly radical.

~ Alvin Toffler

Wise advice for all of us, don’t you think?

Personally, I am excited by the forced change–not because I think we all need an Edtech facelift in our schools, but because of the transformation that is happening pedagogically. In a short amount of time, more and more educators are shuffling off traditional and inefficient models of practice to create more intentional and dynamic learning experiences.

At our school, we have transformed the way that we have been using SeeSaw in order to provide for asynchronistic learning activities and now we are using Zoom for real-time instruction and social engagement. In less than a month, the teachers have been moving fast and furious in developing a positive challenge mindset, figuring out they can be more collaborative, and fine-tuning intentional approaches to learning and assessment. Although it is very hard for some to see how amazing this metamorphosis is, as a PYP Coordinator, I am in awe of my teachers and have a deep respect for them plunging into the unknown of online learning together. 

Whether we are doing distance learning for another 2 weeks or 2 months, I know that no one will be the same after this experience. At the very least, we will be more critical of curriculum-in-a-box approaches to teaching students and develop the skill of distilling the concepts and the strategies that students need to be successful.  Alvin Toffler explains the importance of this skill well….

You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” ~ Alvin Toffler

To get good at reflecting on our practice is so crucial during this time. But I feel that after we retreat into our long holidays,  all of us will have the opportunity to feel proud of our growth and willingness to tackle fears. Yes, there will be some of us who may feel traumatized and stressed by this technological kick-in-the-butt, however, I feel that a larger majority will be transformed and energized by their professional growth. 

But, you know what they say: Shift Happens.