I would like to share a quote with you from Andrew Douch's blog.
"A 'desire path' is an unplanned path worn into being by people leaving the path provided by a landscape designer. There is a principle in landscape design that some people call ‘paving the desire path’. Instead of planning and laying paths and then expecting people to follow them, you watch people, to see where they actually go, and then pave those paths. Paved desire paths will be more successful - because you are simply making it easier for people to do what they want to do anyway."
Douchy uses this image as a metaphor for deciding which technology tools to use in the classroom.
For me, the metaphor extends to my feelings about technology in the classroom - and my philosophy of education in general. I hear so many teachers complain about how tired they are of nagging students to put away cell phones and i-pods and to stop sneaking off to myspace.
Why not yield to their intuition - and connect their interests to what we are trying to teach?
Why not follow their path and see where it goes?
4 comments:
Very interesting post and great accompanying picture. I think that there is something to this approach. People are more inclined to venture further on a desired path than be pulled or shoved in an undesired direction.
Lisa,
You are very profound. Again, you are going to be a great teacher.
Lisa, a great blog!!! I hope you keep bloggin and relfecting on everything you do for students.
Send me your email address and I'll be glad to invite you to the MCTE ning.
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