Comments on: Doha Reflections

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:18:40 +0000

I think of a school as a microcosm of the globe.
In the past I have been at schools where some teachers were indignant if the bright children were given extra opportunities and special acknowledgement when they achieved special things. My response to them has been that not only do those students deserve to have their needs met as human beings, but also the school needs the brightest to keep extending because it shows the rest what is possible. Balanced against this ‘priviledge’ is responsiblity and these students need opportunities for social action outcomes as part of their learning.
Same goes for us as educators in developed countries I reckon.

Rotorua – Learning at School conference

By: Jabiz (Intrepid Teacher)

Jabiz (Intrepid Teacher) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:59:51 +0000

Quick note: Thanks for the shout out, I was disappointed we didn’t get a chance to hang out either. Perhaps our paths will cross again somewhere else on the globe.

As for understanding Doha, I have been living here for three years now, and I still can’t get my head around this place. I have traveled quite a bit and have been living overseas for nearly tens years, and I have never seen a place like this before.

You saw what you saw and you experienced a tech conference with no Wifi. I would say you got the right taste. See you on the interwebs!

By: Alan Levine aka CogDog

Alan Levine aka CogDog — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:18:27 +0000

Thanks for sharing your experience, and I am smiling at the parallels of The Education Project and WISE (especially where it says “What Makes The Education Project Unique?”) — maybe we need to do some conference social networking and introduce these two events to each other.

After clicking publish, I’ve been worried I did not state clearly, not that I can even be that clear, the point about the inequities in the world. I think they are inescapable. Yes, it is our human responsibility to do what we can to offer a hand (or more) to developing nations. Stopping innovation at the top end is not going to help those at the bottom end, but equally, we’d be remiss in this responsibility to ignore the rest of the world.

So what’s going on in Rotorua in February? (besides hot water…)

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:08:29 +0000

Thanks very much for these reflections. I have been waiting to hear about it since following the Twitter stream. I went to The Education Project 09 in Bahrain the month before and was very surprised to hear about WISE as the aims of the two conferences seemed so similar.
I attended TEP09 and blogged about a few of the sessions, but the real impact it made on my thinking (possibly reflecting the guilt you mention) led me to create a quick movie http://manaiakalani.blogspot.com/2009/11/creativity-elusive-ideal.html I was very challenged by the people from developing nations and what they had to share.
As you say, it is not worth comparing apples and antelopes. But we do need to reflect deeply on the kernel of what we really have to offer developing nations when coming from developed nations.

Ka kite (see you in Rotorua in February)