At a recent meeting with our
technology leadership I asked each to respond to where they perceived we are
with respect to our plans for mobile/digital learning, comprehensive refresh of
technology, and connectivity and access.
They did a pretty good job of answering.
I then asked, “Where did we expect
to be?”
As the room silenced, I read the
uncomfortable, awkward, and possibly confused looks on the faces of staff that
only moments earlier were quick to articulate where we were. Rather than show my disappointment – more in
myself than in staff, I asked, “What has guided the decision making and
procurement process for technology?”
I quickly followed up with, “What
is our vision for technology?” “What is
the mission of technology?” In an
attempt to break the silence I finally asked, “What is the vision for our
organization?”
At last, a response, “All means
all”.
What does “All means all” have to
do with technology?
Everything!
Backing up, I offered where I
expected us to be at this point – over four years into digital
integration. First and foremost I
expected that our student performance would be higher than it is – although we
have made significant improvement. It
should be obvious but our core work is teaching and learning. Technology is merely a tool to leverage,
drive, inspire, motivate, innovate, create, and imagine different – deeper application,
construction, and demonstration of learning for each learner. Specifically
related to the teaching and learning tools of this century:
1.
I expected we would have every third through 12th
grader with mobile learning device;
2.
I expected we would have a comprehensive refresh
plan that systematically as well as systemically refreshed all aspects of
technology; and
3.
I expected we would have unlimited, ubiquitous
connectivity and access in every instructional space, workspace and in every
school.
In response and to be accurate, a
number of staff said after hearing where I expected us to be, “This is the
first time we have heard this!” My only
thought was to return to an earlier question, “What has guided the decision-
making and procurement process for technology?”
Vision or the lack of is exactly where we find
ourselves at this given point. To
address this deficiency technology leadership is earnestly revisiting the
district’s technology plan through the lenses of a new vision - “Technology
shall be the central component serving
as a link between all curricular
areas and is utilized as a common tool
for students and faculty to communicate,
collaborate, and construct learning inside and outside our classrooms and schools.”
Not to oversimplify – “central
link, common tool to communicate, collaborate, and construct learning” is at
the center of this vision. This vision
requires elaboration and operational definitions for “central link” and “common
tool”.
As a “central link”, technology
must be dependable, reliable, high capacity, secure, fast, easily supported,
and all those necessary, essential functions of making sure everything works as
planned. “Central link” is far greater
than the operational aspect of technology.
It requires “linking” content, information, subject matter, knowledge,
and etc. with acquiring, applying, demonstrating, evaluating and creating
learning.
“Common tool” includes unlimited
access and opportunity. It is not lab
based. It is mobile. It is any place, anytime, any space – hence it
is common not uncommon.
Communicate, collaborate, and
construct should be self-evident. Yet,
the tools of learning in this age require a set of skills not previously
required. That is, the wired, digital
native learners require skills, knowledge and experience conceptualized by “digital”
literacy – safety, discernment, ethical, moral, and legal implications and
consequences, practices, and nuances of “living” online, virtually without
boundaries or borders. In many respects,
the application of these skills is the culmination of learning how to use ones’
mind well, learning how to relate and learning how to decide.
In all reality this present
generation will learn and apply their intelligence differently than past
generations. This is as it should
be. However, we must be careful not to constrain
or prohibit the “growth of the foot by the size of the shoe”. This begins with vision!
We must in every way shift
intentionally and purposefully our vision from a simple update or newer version
of the past to a picture that begets inspiration, imagination, innovation,
creativity, and motivation to communicate, collaborate, and construct
–
Simply
put, our vision must be something that everyone wants and must be a part of –
“all does mean all”!
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