(brainstorming. getting closer to what I want to examine… see v.1 and v.2 for context)

Bridging theory and practice.

Bridges. Sun rising. Strong metaphors for change in education. Photo taken by dogra, made available on flickr through a cc license. Click image to view source.

There is a lot of theory around education, around the best way(s) to teach children.

Often theory is presented to teachers as an end-product, in the form of curricular reforms or technological reforms that are expected, at times mandated, to be used in the classroom.

Researchers question – why aren’t our findings being transferred into practice?

Teachers question – why are we being asked to do something new, something else again?

Policy makers question – why are teachers being so difficult?

How can we change these questions?

How can we bridge the gaps?

I believe it comes down to

competing value systems between the different stakeholders that create

• difficult relationships
• fragmented culture
• unstable ground

The feedback I received from my doctoral seminar group and from Chris is helping me to bridge the gaps in my ideas. Interestingly, as I do that I’m also discovering that my ideas are about bridging gaps.

Time to read, think, write.

I’ll keep you posted.