Sunday, October 10, 2010
Most progressive educators likely think of themselves as activists. Perhaps not the kind who burn flags outside of the White House, but the kind who actively promote change in education. Most spend some time on Twitter or Facebook, talking about what needs to be done to truly make an impact on a system that is clearly broken.
They may even be regulars at the EdChat discussion every Tuesday on Twitter, where teachers hammer out solutions to specific problems.
Teachers who read this blog and watch Learn it in 5 how-to videos are Web 2.0 enthusiasts, who most likely are using some of these tools in the classroom.
This fact alone certainly separates them from the average teachers, whose students are still mired in the pencil-and-paper world.
Is this activism?
Does using Web 2.0 and social media tools and chatting up change on EdChat really make you an education activist? Malcolm Gladwell, of the New Yorker, would probably say No.
Gladwell recently criticized people who use social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, as forms of activism, calling this "slacktivism."
The notion of social media impacting causes is puzzling to Gladwell. "Why does it matter who is eating whose lunch on the Internet?" Gladwell asks. "Are people who log on to their Facebook page really the best hope for us all?"
The theory behind slactivism is that social media promote a sense of activism for users, who don't have to do too much to feel like they are actually making a difference. It's easy to sign an online petition or make bold suggestions during a Twitter chat. The action behind the activity is what creates real activism, Gladwell suggests in his article.
Are teachers slacktivists?
Although I don't agree with Gladwell entirely, his assertions about social media and slactivism did get me thinking about how much and how often teachers discuss how to improve education.
I hear and read a lot of talk. There never really seems to be much change, though.
This makes me wonder if teachers are really activists, or if they are, as Gladwell might suggest, slacktivists.
Please tell me Gladwell is wrong.
