I must say I agree with a lot of the comments you have posted. Why is it that most teachers who aren’t familiar with new and better technology the first ones to revert to their antiquated teaching methods that only seem to have been effective over 30 years ago? Why is it that there is so much opportunity for a better change and not enough action? I feel that this may be one of the biggest problems educators are facing today. I am currently in school getting my masters in education and after reading this article and the responses, I feel inspired to try and help make sure the up and coming generation of students have a better chance at learning properly and being equipped with the best education they possibly can have. Where is all the motivation that is supposed to be coming from teachers, faculty and super intendants??

Your concern about our future with Web 2.0 I find both precise and eloquent. Although I’ve only taught for the past 5 years, my gut has been churning for some time about our educational system and its lack of “doing things differently.” When you speak of few schools making “fundemental changes” I think of my school. Yes, a few of us have some technology, but I also see the “haphazard, unorganized, unsupported” lack of planning that you speak of. Both as an educator and a citizen it terrifies me that the “greatest country in the world” has become so lackadaisical about education and progress. It’s no wonder the economical issues we are having right now. Where is our drive, our passion to move forward? I can just see my co-workers rolling their eyes with changes such at those at SLA and Central.

I appreciate your concern, hard-work, and vision. May that vision come to fruition sooner rather than later.

Stephanie

It is good to read the story of an established school transforming itself. For most of us, that is where we find ourselves.

Looking forward to PLP year 2!

I agree that doing this without technology is difficult, but it is the reality for many schools. That does not, however, prevent them from reading and talking and thinking and planning. The cost of technology is going to continue to drop. Should schools wait for the $99 laptop (3-4 years away) to start talking about what they are going to do with that $99 laptop? I don’t think we can wait to start the conversation. Change may not happen until with have the technology in hand, but it will happen more slowly if we wait for that day to consider what it might mean.

It’s been really fun sitting in the last couple of weeks. Almost makes me want to take back my desk job. ;0) It is all about the conversation, and as I said above, the very cool thing is that Central has decided to engage and prepare for a future that is quickly arriving, one that I don’t think most schools will be adequately prepared for. What I do wonder, however, is how many schools really have the appetite for change (or at least the potential of change) that Central does. There is just such a high quality of leadership there right now and they are seemingly at least all playing the right notes together. That’s just not happening many other places.

Can’t wait to see how things go.

One of the few things that stood out to me was at the end. While I applaud this great transformation effort, I don’t think having a discussion without the technology would be effective or empowering.

Leadership, in both pedagogy and technology are required to make this shift. While reaching beyond the old model of education is very hard and requires great leaders who support and engage, doing it without technology is a recipe for failure.

Where I am from, schools with a campus wireless deployment are the exception, not the rule. While internet access is omnipresent, easy connection is not. We have a long way to go in infrastructure, in both money and knowledge. Many technology leaders are also very protective of equipment and don’t allow teachers to use laptops as their own, locking them out of the control panel, and precluding them from installing software or connecting to home networks.

We have some districts on the edge of 1 to 1, but the high cost of getting in the game is closing the door, as well as the reluctance of schools to support such an endeavor.

I really question, can we really have the discussion about the 21st Century school without the technology in the background. Can we make the change without what the web has to offer open for every student in every class, or are we selling a pipe dream that will become another failed school improvement plan?

Hurray for Central!