Yahoo is about to launch some sort of teacher tool. Here’s a piece of the promotional text from the "get ready" page:
Get ready to create, modify, and share standards-based curriculum.
Oh, rapture. That just screams sexy, doesn’t it?
In all seriousness, though, I’m curious to see what they’re building here. Might be handy. Perhaps we’ll get to know soon.
Their first strike? My school’s not listed in their "peer network." Might that be fixed soon?
Oh, and while I’m thinking about it, while I think it’s wonderful that big technology companies like Google and Yahoo are putting some resources into teacher professional development, I have a real concern about the "certifications" that both Google and Yahoo, as well as other corporate "partners," are offering to teachers.
I understand the business angles around entering into arrangements with teachers. If we teachers are "certified" in your products, that means we’re probably more likely to use them with our students. That means we’re helping to build user bases. I am okay with that if the tools and products are good ones. Such relationships are also good PR, as well as good things for businesses to be involved in. I don’t believe that every corporation is necessarily evil. Many folks in business honestly want to help schools. That’s a good thing.
But since when did we need a bauble or two from a company, along with a sticker, t-shirt, or resume line, stating that we were "certified" to use their stuff? In light of the certification conversation over at Will’s place, I wonder what others think about whether or not a few hours spent with a corporate cadre is a meaningful certification.
Sure doesn’t sound like one, at least from much of what I see. But teachers get something out of that deal, I’m sure. Why else would so many folks become Discovery STAR Educators, or Google Certified Teachers, or Yahoo Teachers of Merit?
Do we want to belong to something that badly? Do we desperately crave that praise that we’re not getting elsewhere? Or is there a deeper something there? A greater understanding that translates into hours of free labor and word of mouth marketing for those corporations in exchange for some coupons, clothing and community? (Disclaimer — I actually really like the WOMMA philosophy — I think it’s a refreshing and honest approach to marketing. I’m afraid this post doesn’t sound so kind to those ideas.)
I’m realizing that I’m beginning to sound rant-y, which is not my intention. I’m genuinely curious here - are these meaningful, two-way partnerships, or are we lowly teachers being taken advantage of a little bit?
