What about Lisa???

As I reflect on the mixed reactions of our colleagues to the influx of technology in our schools, I realize there is a running trend that causes me concern. We as educators seem to care so much about safeguarding our classes, lessons and quizzes from the Bart Simpsons of the world that we forget to nurture The Lisa Simpsons. What about Lisa? Doesn't she deserve the ability to learn at her own pace? Isn't she able to multitask? Doesn't she always turn things in on time? Why are we being so rigid on how we manage the minutia. Why do we immediately dismiss new innovative lessons based on the fear of cheating or other nefarious acts.

One reason I believe this is happening is because the chasm between the learners of yesteryear and the learners of today is so substantial that there is a lack of understanding of how life occurs for the students of today. Teachers often teach based on their own learning experiences in school and we are now at such a divide with the ubiquity of technology and social media that even the process of thinking is different for our students today than it was for us or even for students in our early careers.

Now I am not suggesting that we let students do whatever suits their fancy or that we go completely online, moderation of things like screen time and the internet are a must! But maybe we spend less time trying to lock up every loophole and avoiding technology and more time breaking the glass ceilings we have created by using templates from the 19th and 20th Century to dictate the 21st Century classroom. Just because we fear the world of Wall-E doesn't mean we should condemn our students to a life of the Flintstones. Bart will always be Bart...finding ways to get under your skin, cheat or even Snapchat during your lessons. Why should Lisa suffer for his negligence? Karma will get him, but in the meantime have we spent too much time setting restrictions and ignoring innovation that we have inadvertently killed Lisa's creativity? We also need to fight the need to be a step ahead of the kids in all things...we will never be ahead in terms of technology, but that is not our job. We are experts in our content and the delivery of that content. No one is expecting us to learn how to code or learn how to write APIs.
So the next time you find yourself worrying about locking the proverbial vault on a quiz or project remember that there will always be a Bart, a Danny Ocean or even a Horshack...but let's not forget that our purpose as educators isn't to exploit the negative behaviors, but the research shows that success in classroom lies in the positive reinforcement that we give to the Lisa like behavior, letting all others know that the culture in our classroom nurtures the ability that we all possess to be life long learners. And perhaps by the end of the semester, year or longer (maybe never) Bart will reorient his wayward compass ultimately finding that his happiness isn't in the antics he gets away with, but in finding his purpose through demonstrations of  creativity and integrity.