Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue.
I am writing this post suggested just for the introduction of this week. I wanted to write my first ideas and thoughts before digging to the articles and the task, forum and the up coming virtual conversation.
I am the kind of person that wants to think that tools are not good or bad per se. I believe that it is what you decide to do with these tools that defines if an action is correct and the outcome is positive or not. Also, we should debate what is positive and good before that, any ways…
We are in the digital era. At this point, the debate about weather technology is good or bad is just too simplistic, and it does not have much value any more. I think the debate should go beyond whether the technology is helping or improving the learning process, at the end of the day we don’t have a choice. Technology is everywhere and it is here to stay.
As a society, we have achieved a level of technology where robots and AI are part of our routine. It is not science fiction any more. Because of that, teachers and professionals of education should be discussing what to do with that. What is the development we want to see in the field? To what extend can this development be enforced when things are changing dramatically.
I feel that there is a strong link between technology and privatisation of education. The truth is that new technologies and technological discoveries are coming from private companies. How will this affect education? This is a question that I want to open to my classmates in the forum. Even if I have had some thoughts about it, I don’t have a clear position, and I would love to read different opinions about it.
For a long time I thought that a public system was the solution to avoid biased practices and malicious interests. However, coming from a country with a high level of political corruption I am not sure about this any more. From the perspective of society,what is education trying to achieve? Is the school a place to prepare students to be ready for the future market. If that is the case, who knows better the market that big companies?
Or in the other hand, primary and secondary education are the place where students learn to socialize and interact? In that case, is the use of latest technologies actually necessary?
Are private interests more “obscure or immoral” than the public ones?
All these ideas reminded me one episode of The Simpsons, where a future alternative classroom is presented. In this scene we can see how “new technologies” are introduced in a classroom and are sponsored by a well known soda company . I find this reality terrifying!
Do are we ready to let private tech companies to take a big part of the education?
Ok, this will be a long post… When I started the programme for the first time I wrote this post. I have thought to copy and paste the same text because I think it explains who I am and why I landed here very well. In addition, I will add some comments (in italic) to update information, or make comments I think can reflect the current reality.
Enrolling to the course has been one of the biggest decisions of my life, I feel it is a great opportunity to make a significant change for my professional future and I am excited and scared.- as I said back then, enrolling to the course was and is a huge step. I was ready to start the programme, but life happens and after years and years of waiting, finally my partner and i had a baby, that brought instability and craziness but also a lot of love! And I must take care of him, I needed to focus on that. So, once again, I dropped off my studies. But here I am again! – In order to explain my personal expectations, hopes and concerns about the course I think I should start from the beginning.
I was never a good student, well, some teachers would say that. My grades were fine, but I never fit in a traditional classroom. I talked too much and l distracted myself and everyone around all the time. So, I decided to drop off high school and find a job. After a year of working I decided to go back and get my certificate. I also did some professional training as social worker while i was working. I was lucky to find a job in a non profit organisation where I worked with children and teenagers in an informal education environment. At some point, I felt the need to learn more about theory and definitely, it was necessary to obtain a degree if I wanted to get a better job. So, I ended up going to university.
I studied Pedagogy-Education Science. When I started I wanted to learn different ways and methodologies to teach. At that time, I thought that I could do a better job that all my former teachers. When I finished the degree, I was convinced that the problem of formal education was beyond issues with methodology or motivation. And the fact that I did not fully enjoy classes was not 100% responsibility of my teachers. Ratios, money, rules, security, curriculum, Pisa test, politics… there are many factors affecting the education system and the way we learn.
During that period, I never stopped working. I knew that doing was my favourite way to learn things. However, in uni I learned a lot of theory of education and sociology. And I became very interested in the questions of “why do we learn? Or why don’t we learn? ” and “how we learn?”. Is there a magical way that works for everyone? Can this method be created? I always felt that my time in the university led to more questions than answers.
I never felt the need to continue with my studies. As I said, doing is my preferred way to learn, and I have been lucky to find jobs where I have developed new skills and knowledge. Also, I never found a course that I found interesting enough to invest my time and money. – I feel for the first time now, study is not only a need, a requirement or tool. For the first time, I want to do this. I feel this change completely the paradigme. I always faced my studies from a perspective where i needed to get the certificate, I must get it in order to achieve something else. Today is not the case. Today I want to learn, I want to interact and nourish myself with knowledge. i wanted that time ago when I first enrolled to the programme, but now as a mother, it is more clear! I want to this for me, of course it will open new doors I am ready to cross, but i study for myself. –
So, why now? Why this programme?
First of all, the last 6 years I have been working in tech. I moved from teaching to testing. I have learned a lot, even to code a bit in java! But, I feel it’s time to go back to education. I miss the field and, most importantly, I feel that there is a lot that my knowledge in tech can bring.
Secondly, I left the university almost 10 years ago, and I have been working since I was 16. I felt the need to stop a little and for the first time don’t prioritise my work. I decided to follow the part time version of the programme because I need to work, but I want that the course to be my main priority. I am willing to read, research, and learn. I want to be a new version of me that is actually a good student.
Thirdly, I live in a foreign country. English is not my native language and I think doing the masters is the next level of my learning process. I am scared and excited to do such an intense course in a second language. I know it will be challenging. But, I hope it will be the final step to feel comfortable with the language. Also, I think it will open more doors to new job opportunities and it will allow me to feel confident to organise and lead a group of people in the same way I do in Catalan or Spanish. The language it has been one of the reasons why I have been away from education in the last years, and now I am ready to break the cycle and allow myself to find a job where I need to speak at a very high level.
Finally, I still have lots of questions about education that need an answer. I am looking forward to sharing thoughts and theories with other people!
My expectations about the course are very high. I am making an financial effort –– OMG! double effort!!! – to do the course and I hope to learn more about theory and methodology, especially in digital environments. I spent a lot of time thinking and deciding what course to do and when I found this one it was not easy to make the decision. In fact I applied two years ago, but I never started because I felt it was not really the right time. Now it is. – And it wasn’t!!! (face palm) what a journey with this programme! our story started a looong time ago, but it seems that never is the time, but now it is? we will see. I hope it is, and I will do my best to make that happen, but life have taught me, not to plan, absolutely nothing! So, I will go one step at the time, week by week. –
