Empty Terms

Keeping the fidelity of an idea is a challenge. Too often in education, and probably other fields, a term assigned to a practice travels quickly through the community losing its fidelity as it does. The idea might be a valuable one, but the term, the label attached to the idea, can soon become ubiquitous. As it is increasingly used it becomes less potent because the meaning is diluted.

An example is 'Professional Learning Communities.' Since the phrase was first coined in the 1990s there has been much written about the idea. Subsequently, new related ideas also spread through the education lexicon. This includes 'Professional Learning Teams', 'Teacher Learning Communities', and the like. Within a relatively short period of time school leader's everywhere would be able to articulate how they were utilising PLCs - effectively or otherwise. The term PLC became something educators know... but arguably without the depth of understanding.

Thus an 'empty term'. It seems that when an education system pushes an approach or strategy its potential to make the difference intended is also limited. Terminology is adopted as if it is the key to successful outcomes.

It can be that as practice informs, there can be improvements to the original idea. It is true that Colliding Ideas can allow great ideas to emerge. It can also be argued that some take up of an idea across a schooling system, even if it lacks the fidelity intended, results in at least a small benefit for learners. But mediocracy is likely the result. However small incremental change is insufficient to reimaging schooling.

Similarly, 'hanging a shingle,' saying a school is a 'x' school, is not enough. As soon as a 'shiny idea' is created and labelled, its purpose can be lost. The 'education industry' driven by sales and profit presents many 'solutions', but the complexity of schools usually requires a Sophisticated Synthesis of ideas, learnings, and understanding of a school context.

The existence of these empty terms is also a consequence of the now outdated need to be 'knowers.' Its a mindset of sounding like we are authoritative and have the answers. The ability of 'talking the talk' is what has advanced many schooling careers and it is why the need to transition from being Knowers to Learners is now so important.