He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
Just because something is easy, fast and measurable doesn’t make it good.
Recently I went to fill my car with petrol. Hopping out of my car I lifted the nozzle at the pump and then read the instructions, oops typical me, act first read instruction second. Anyway, I had choices either pay at the pump, which I now could not do because I had lifted the nozzle or I needed to go inside and prepay. Inside my options had changed, I couldn’t fill my car because I did not know what that would cost so I had to think of a dollar amount that I wanted to put into my tank. The attendant said the change to either pay at the pump of prepay, was in response to too many people driving off without paying. It was not that long ago that some petrol stations always had a forecourt attendant, a friendly face that offered help if needed. Could their response to the drive offs have been different, rather than driving disconnection by using technology, what if there was a friendly face in the forecourt again. Someone who was also there keep an eye out for those that I am sure just could not afford the ridiculous petrol prices. No excuse I know, but really the prices were BAD.
What does this have to do with ECE, well petrol prices and prepay pumps, nothing much, but what about connection? Recently after a conversation with a teaching team they commented that I had left them with the impression that I did not like online platforms which is not quite true but their comment inspired be to reflect on my own bias about online and then to write this blog.
Online platforms like prepay pumps have their place in the world but my concern is that technology replaces connection. The sharing of learning stories online has become something that most centres do but there was life before online, professional life, that included having conversations with whānau about the learning of their tamaiti. Conversations that drove connection. Sure these were not so easy to make visible when ERO or MoE asked to see whānau participation in curriculum design. I am not sure if being motivated by the ability to easily show you are ticking a box should be our motivation.
Online platforms have made it easy to share learning stories with whānau, and I love this, I get to read the learning story for my moko the instant it is uploaded. Please don’t get me wrong online has a place and there are many benefits, but it is just one tool in our kete as kaiako. I can guarantee that you will have some whānau that respond online and others that you never hear a word from, they maybe reading the learning stories just not commenting. Regardless of whether the whānau engage in a visible way or not the kanohi ki te kanohi conversations with the whānau about the learning story you have just written, talking with passion and enthusiasm about what you have noticed, recognised and responded to will drive connection more. There was life before online, sometimes I think a simpler way of being. With the online platforms, for apparent ease of use, we have created forms galore. IDPs, planning, internal evaluation that doesn’t necessarily connect to curriculum design and PGC, curriculum evaluation and I am sure more forms are waiting to be developed. This constant form filling out is also driving disconnection, as kaiako struggle to keep up with the work load, a work load that in some cases is totally unnecessary.
In ECE we have always had to complete assessment of learning (learning stories), internal evaluation and policy reviews this has never changed, what has changed is our response to these. Technology which has tried to make things easy has overcomplicated and multiplied the workload for kaiako. Connection to what is important, relationships with whānau, colleagues and mokopuna can become squeezed into the margins as we focus on systems driven practice. As kaiako we should be able to passionately engage with writing learning stories that come from the heart.
Putting aside our online platforms, still writing the learning stories, but having the conversations with colleagues, mokopuna and their whānau kanohi ki te kanohi will have so many benefits for everyone’s wellbeing, something I am sure many of you continue to do. Feeling well connected to others promotes positive mental health and gives meaning to life. Research into human connection suggests that emotional conversations, support, positive vibes and affirmations can all help to enhance our mental health. Paying attention to the small moments of connection in our daily lives yields benefits both personally and interpersonally. One conversation with whānau at the beginning of the day can create a huge sense of wellbeing that will last with them and us throughout the day. It does not have to be an either or, but a balanced view of how technology supports what we do, not how technology replaces what we do so well. Connection, connection, connection.
So in conclusion, it is not that I do not like online platforms, they are a great tool, but they should not drive our practice. We will always be influenced by change which is meant to make life easier, but easy is not always best. Relying solely on a system that drives disconnection is flawed, there needs to be a balance, not thinking that technology will ever replace the human connection that we all deserve. If one of our motivations for using online is the ease of gathering whānau voice remember there was life before online so it is achievable in an authentic and meaningful way.
I write not to defend my stance but to create a provocation for kaiako who are at times feeling overwhelmed by the workload, to make sure you are only doing what is necessary and not being influenced by the tides of change into thinking that you need to be filling out so many forms. Forms that rob us of our joy and connection to what is important - he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/mental-health-connection-psychology-relationships/