“What Vision?”

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 12^th 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”!