My Thoughts on Jeannine's "Susan Patrick" Post

We have so much to think about from this post. It was one of the things we talked about during the meeting today. There is a paradigm shift that needs to occur, and those in education for longer lengths of time are the ones stopping it from happening. In the meantime, our students are moving on without us and losing ground to students from other countries. These are my reflections to this topic:

School 2.0 is a Department of Education project that needs to gain HUGE momentum. You can get the materials for free to start the discussion. Why not order them and pass them on to the powers that be. If that doesn't work, find some like-minded co-workers and start your own discussion. Let it affect your own classroom instruction. Here is what the School 2.0 site has to say:

"School 2.0 is a brainstorming tool designed to help schools, districts and communities develop a common education vision for the future and to explore how that vision can be supported by technology. School 2.0 provides a "big picture" perspective that allows for a common point of entry so that all community stakeholders can participate in this important conversation. While School 2.0 depicts a variety of educational and management scenarios that utilize technology, the examples, information and ideas included are designed to serve as prompts for discussion and should not be construed as a recommendation of any particular technology or scenario. Rather, School 2.0 is purposely a sketch and a work in progress. It is designed to facilitate community discussions and preparations for short and long term educational and management goals."

The Partnership for 21st Century Technology Skills that was listed can be found here.

The National Education Technology Plan is another great resource we should use in our districts. Texas is having problems passing its own Long Range Technology Plan because of the fear that our teachers are not prepared for it. How can they be prepared if we do not require the districts to prepare them. Read what Miguel Guhlin has to say about the topic in his post "Blocking Ed-Tech Progress." Let's step up and encourage this discussion in our districts even before the state wises up and steps up to the plate. This has a huge impact since it directly affects NCLB:

"In addition to the many indicators of tangible progress, the law is stimulating lively debate over how to re-think and redesign educational models to raise standards, retrain educators, reapportion budgets, exploit new technologies and provide students with the technological and individual support they need."

What I like best about the Long Range Plan is the steps it offers for success. While they may not be perfect, they are great starting points:

1. Strengthen Leadership

For public education to benefit from the rapidly evolving development of information and communication technology, leaders at every level – school, district and state – must not only supervise, but provide informed, creative and ultimately transformative leadership for systemic change.

2. Consider Innovative Budgeting

Needed technology often can be funded successfully through innovative restructuring and reallocation of existing budgets to realize efficiencies and cost savings. The new focus begins with the educational objective and evaluates funding requests – for technology or other programs – in terms of how they support student learning. Today, every program in No Child Left Behind is an opportunity for technology funding – but the focus is on how the funding will help attain specific educational goals.

3. Improve Teacher Training

Teachers have more resources available through technology than ever before, but some have not received sufficient training in the effective use of technology to enhance learning. Teachers need access to research, examples and innovations as well as staff development to learn best practices. The U.S. Department of Education is currently funding research studies to evaluate the effective use of technology for teaching and learning. The National Science Foundation also provides major support for educational research.

4. Support e-Learning and Virtual Schools

In the past five years there has been significant growth in organized online instruction (e-learning) and “virtual” schools, making it possible for students at all levels to receive high quality supplemental or full courses of instruction personalized to their needs. Traditional schools are turning to these services to expand opportunities and choices for students and professional development for teachers.

5. Encourage Broadband Access

Most public schools, colleges and universities now have access to high-speed, high-capacity broadband communications. However, broadband access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year could help teachers and students to realize the full potential of this technology and broadband technology needs to be properly maintained.

6. Move Toward Digital Content

A perennial problem for schools, teachers and students is that textbooks are increasingly expensive, quickly outdated and physically cumbersome. A move away from reliance on textbooks to the use of multimedia or online information (digital content) offers many advantages, including cost savings, increased efficiency, improved accessibility, and enhancing learning opportunities in a format that engages today’s web-savvy students.

7. Integrate Data Systems

Integrated, interoperable data systems are the key to better allocation of resources, greater management efficiency, and online and technology-based assessments of student performance that empower educators to transform teaching and personalize instruction.

So take these things into consideration at your next committee meeting within your district. Are your decisions helping your school progress in a positive direction for the future of your students? Or is it status quo for the sake of argument? Don't cheat your kids.