Whine prevention (From Machines Are the Easy Part)

From Machines Are the Easy Part; People Are the Hard Part. 
Illustrations by Brady Johnson

 47. Whine prevention.

An old principals’ riddle:

What is the difference between a puppy and a teacher? The puppy stops whining when you let it in your door.

(Don’t tell the joke above in the teachers’ lounge.) 

The best advice ever given about whining is in Richard Moran’s book Never Confuse a Memo with Reality (HarperBusiness, 1993). He writes: “Never take a problem to your boss without some solutions. You are getting paid to think, not to whine.”

The administrator’s job is to create problem-solvers, not problem articulators. 

“And what do you think should be done about that?” is a good phrase to practice using.

48. If you can’t solve a person’s problem, at least let them know you’re aware of the problem.

There are problems that do have solutions, but that can’t be solved immediately. My techs are often stymied by strange technology behaviors. But a quick e-mail that says, “I am aware of the problem and am working on. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.” Helps.

Internationally-known speaker and author, Ian Jukes, responds to all e-mails he receives within 48 hours. He’s a pretty big fish and probably doesn’t have to do that. But it is very cool that he does.

The majority of the problems in our “technology” department stem not from the technology, but poor communications.

But we’re working on it and will get back to you when we’ve come up with a solution.

Teaching rules

 49. A project not worth doing is not worth doing well.

Kids have the capacity for sophisticated thinking about ethical issues. One emerging line of reasoning that all teachers should consider is: “Cheating is OK when the assignment has no purpose beyond busy work.”

If a student has the choice between spending time:

• Practicing lay-ups
• Putting in a few extra hours at work
• Reading about personal interests
• Doing your stupid assignment

who can blame him if he finds ways to minimize the work involved in what he views as lacking value?

Same attitude I take toward state reports.

50. Rule of Restructuring Education with Technology: the real changes are in teaching practices not technology.

• Using a word processor to create prettier worksheets is not integrating technology into the classroom.
• Teaching kids how to design a multimedia presentation devoid of content is not productive.
• Providing Internet access to students without instructions in and a purpose for its use is a waste of resources.
• Putting kids in front of a reading or math workbook that has been moved at great expense to a computer screen is dehumanizing.

Only slowly has the profession come to realize that technology “integration” really means moving to project-centered, authentic, collaborative, and creative focus in the classroom.

Technology can help catalyze the replacement of the 3 Rs of Rote, Restraint and Regurgitation with the 5 Cs of Child-centered, Creativity, Computers, Collaboration, and Communication. (And maybe 6 if you add Compassion.)