Virtual Roundtable: Social Media in Education – What’s Working and What’s Not

I am participating in a virtual roundtable on the value and importance of social media for education and learning from February 17th-Feburary 23. 

Christopher's Movie Matinee

I used this NFB film from 1968 for many years when I was teaching film. The filmmaker, Mort Ransen came to my classes and we often discussed what changed in the lives of the "kids" depicted in the film. Well, years later this film stands as a crucial example of best practices in pedagogy. The film is really about giving young people the chance to speak and take control of their agendas — to produce some outcomes commensurate with their assumptions and outlook on life. It is definitely worth viewing.

Intuition/Leadership

There are many different ways of looking at leadership. One of the most important for me has been to trust my intuition over the course of a long career. Sticky situations often require quick decisions. Hesitation can have a very negative effect. At the same time, great care has to be taken in thinking through decisions. The tendency is to believe that good organization overcomes some of these challenges, but good organization is about people, teamwork and the ups and downs of emotions in the workplace. The differences between intuitive responses to complex situations and defaulting to the organizational line are sometimes complex and broad. Due process is essential, but not if process becomes an excuse for inaction.