Why Educators must be Curators!

 

I want you to think back in time for me.



It's around the year 2000.



How did you consume your media?



In my own experience bubble, I was in my early teens. If I wanted to watch something special on TV I either showed up at the time it said in the TV Guide or recorded it onto video tape. If I didn't do that or I missed it I was really out of luck. 



Over the next few years though something came along to revolutionise this method. It started here in the UK with +1 channels, where a copy of a tv channel was broadcast separately an hour behind. It grew into catch-up websites (iPlayer was a big one here in the UK) where some shows were uploaded to and were accessible at any time.



Suddenly the channel controllers, the producers and schedulers were no longer in power. It was me! I had control of what I wanted to watch and when. Sure, going to the cinema and watching a brand new show live were better but Media had turned into a consumer-driven industry, rather than a producer-driven one.



Now, 20 years later, Education is following suit!



Is this a good thing?



Like any change, there are negatives and positives, but before we can evaluate these we have to have a picture of what exactly this Student-led movement will do and how as educators and parents we can use it effectively. 



What is the most open and user-driven way that education could be? Learners who Google the answers they need? Who consult websites for further data? Who collaborate with friends for the answers? Sure, it is learner driven but how do we mark the quality of these sources? How do we keep the learner motivated to consume?



The answer is, without oversight of a individual who understands the subject no quality information can be retained. Educators (be they professional or parent!) need to adapt the way they see self directed study and transform themselves into curators!



One of the easiest ways you can do this at home is by using Google Sites. It is free and accessible via Google Drive. It allows you to build and host simple websites in which you can put links and documents related to the areas you want your student to explore. You keep the sense of free learning for the learner yet are assured of the quality of what they will read. 



These sites can be social too!



Share them with others, invite collaboration that is monitored. As more and more young people are isolated from one another this is a simple way to keep that sense of learning community alive whilst being as safe as can be.



If you are a parent or educator, how do you see this change in the educational landscape? How do you feel about becoming a curator?  What will be the biggest challenges?



Let me know!