Cultivating a Seed

A long time ago, over 200 years ago, planting seeds was done by the hand sprinkling method. The “sower” threw the seed on the ground and then watered it and hoped some of the seeds would root down and grow. Since then, we started to use a tool to plant those seeds. Sometimes it was a hand tool pushing that seed into the ground. And even more recent than that, we use machines to plant seeds. Any logical thinker would say that with machines we have become more efficient planting those seeds, and getting seeds to grow and mature.

As I think about education, we as teacher cannot afford to be a sower who only throws the seeds out and hopes that some of them root down and grow – but in reality that is what many of us are still doing. I vote that we stop with the sprinkling of knowledge, and the hand tools, and begin using the machines to teach kids. As you know I am a proponent of laptops for every student, so this is a perfect way to plant the seeds of knowledge. The machine simply allows access on a more global level. It allows a more individualized education instead of sprinkling on what they have already heard. The students can grab the seeds they haven’t planted, root them down, and grad another seed and begin working on that one. Each student will cultivate different crops, come up with different ideas, and harvest new experiences.

To take this one step further, teachers already know that the “sower” version of professional development doesn’t work. At least with the machine involved, you can grab and seed and cultivate it on your own. It takes every seed time and effort to grow. Some plants take longer to get started, and other take longer to mature, to bloom, and to produce something new. It is the same feeling for students to get frustrated with the sprinkle method as you do in a staff development that is done the same way. (Yes, this is related to the parable of the mustard seed… a little allusion… a little metaphor…)