Norsk versjon 🔗 I’m going to try something that I know is impossible – talking about a profession as one entity. In Norway, there are 77,000 teachers, and of course, all of us are individuals. Still, there are some things I’m pretty sure many teachers agree on: We are tired of people with little expertise telling us how to do our jobs. The pendulum swings from one side to another, so what was in vogue 30 years ago is now considered the newest hotness. Be it politicians, parents, or others – many teachers want to be left alone, and be free to do a job they’ve many years of education and experience in.

But many have written about this before.

I would like to point at a problem this has led to. It has, in my view, created a sort of hardness in the profession that’s made us impervious to change. I understand why, but we mustn’t fire our clay. By this, I mean that we have to stay like lumps of clay: have some structural integrity while still being malleable.

Norsk versjon 🔗 This post is based on a feature article published in a Norwegian newspaper, Dagsavisen. I’ve attempted to extract the main points, and make it valuable for anyone reading. Some sources I can only find in Norwegian, so let me know if you have questions about the sources!

The introduction of one-to-one digital devices in Norwegian schools was, and is, highly uncritical. Around the country, students and teachers has gotten devices thrown after them without a proper plan. In many places, this has led to schools not able to afford books alongside their iPads or laptops. This again has led to protests from teachers and parents. But while I agree with a lot of the critics, their answer is often «less technology», but I think the answer is «better use of technology».

Why?

First, we have to answer one critical question: Why do students need their own devices? Why do we need to digitise our schools? The answer is twofold: