Everytime that I have a similar discussion with friends, pairs, and colleagues about the future of education in a global and digitalized society, I can see how their faces and comments turn pessimistic step by step about how we are losing this generation so attached to their mobile phones and internet in a quasi addictive manner. The sensation that we, as a society, are doing something wrong can be sensed in the air. How many times do we get involved in similar conversations? It reminds me of the fabulous scene of Woody Allen’s movie Radiodays (1987) where the main character gets spanked by the rabbi and his parents in a discussion where they portrait the radio as the source of his bad behavior (see video below).
The Radio was guilty!
Extending the pedagogical experience beyond the classroom is part of the challenges of the XXI century educational process. Institutions and staff have to be aware of the needs of society and students that demand changes in the way that they are educated. This is not new, and education and the educational models have been linked to the vicissitudes of the history and the progress of science and technology. We need to accept that now is a time where the educative paradigm is shifting towards an online learning and get the most of it.
In my experience, I have the opportunity to see and experience that Finnish institutions are really engaged in the idea of digitalization, not without critical voices raising concerns because of these changes. Perhaps the main issue is that institutions want the teachers to create online content and use blended learning without proper training or time allocation. Many colleagues have already worked hard to prepare their teaching material and don’t count on time to create new versions. Others just ignore the capabilities of digital learning and the immense possibilities that some tools can have. Speeding up the process not only involve hiring specialists but also prepare a transitional period in which the teacher can adapt their lectures. An institutional compromise is necessary, from both the directives and the teachers, but also from the governments and the local authorities.
Extra: About the web seminar, the idea of pedagogy of compassion really hits me (positively). I know it can be very controversial, including what we can define as compassion, can be really context dependent, but at least to a personal level I find interesting that some schools of pedagogy consider that some levels of bond between students and teachers can give to a more complete educational experience. Again, it reminds me the movie To Sir, with Love (1968) by James Clavell with the great Sidney Poitier as main character. I was very young to understand the context when I saw this movie, however, its ideas are back to remind me that the educational process is done among humans for humans, and there is nothing more human that compassion.
