Technology and trends and the various applications to education have been instrumental components in our staff development days and ongoing changes to our culture at my school. As the administrator in charge of staff development, I put a survey out to the staff at the beginning of the school year regarding topics for professional development. Technology and the various applications was clearly a majority favorite. Our departments all use Edusoft in order to disaggregate data and fine tune their dept. pacing calendars. Webgrades is a fan favorite of the parents (and the students) in order to best maintain a pulse on their student's progress.
I plan on sharing the video clip, "A Vision of Student's Today" to our staff along with providing a technology website handout. The ideal theme of 'create experiences and not lectures' is fast becoming a culture change at our school and it is exciting to see all teachers embrace the idea of technology applications in their classrooms.
In order to get a greater perspective on technology and school culture, I have agreed to create an online survey through Kwik Survey for the teachers, parents and students. The survey will ask specific questions about technology but will also reference general aspects of the school. The survey will be posted on our website and all stakeholders will have easy access. I am looking forward to the results of such a survey and hope it will enlighten everyone and assist in future decisions.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tech Trends
Ed Tech - The Trends for the Next Five Years...This article was enlightening and started a conversation that surrounded the idea of cell phones and various hand held devices that should be used as apart of the learning process. The idea of incorporating a device that the students already hold dear is genius. Ed brought up the idea that his school wants to spend thousands on 'clickers' but Ed and others (based on an active conversation regarding tech trends) were quick to realize that thousands of dollars could be saved if a method was set up through Tweet Deck and the utilization of students hand held devices. Great Stuff!
The conversation above is a prime example of creativity on the move and the social environment willing to change with the assistance of a few pioneers and progressive individuals. The leadership it takes to get the mass majority on board is a crucial element. Like Faverty stated, 'A leader should open the door and not let it close.' I suppose it takes trust on both ends to create an environment that maximizes full potential and celebrates 'out of the box' thinking. Self- Actualization is the idea that we are all striving to reach our full potential even leaders who are constantly rethinking their various game plans and evolving. What we do is what we learn!
The conversation above is a prime example of creativity on the move and the social environment willing to change with the assistance of a few pioneers and progressive individuals. The leadership it takes to get the mass majority on board is a crucial element. Like Faverty stated, 'A leader should open the door and not let it close.' I suppose it takes trust on both ends to create an environment that maximizes full potential and celebrates 'out of the box' thinking. Self- Actualization is the idea that we are all striving to reach our full potential even leaders who are constantly rethinking their various game plans and evolving. What we do is what we learn!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Innovation and Vision
A great quote to start off with...." The task of the modern education is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts."~C.S.Lewis. I see this quote as a friendly reminder to not forget where we came from and to move forward with close ties to assist all students on all levels. School reform can be seen as a daunting task but I believe the educational leaders can add value when looking through the lens of the 21st Century Skills. On this note, educators have to challenge the thinking of today and truly buy what they are selling. Lip service is only going to cause disservice to all involved. Let's break the mold and think big...Innovation,Leadership, and Technology!
The concept of 'buy what you sell' was a prominent componenet in the Toffler book, Revolutionary Wealth. The Tofflers coined the word "prosumer" to describe people who consume what they themselves produce. They are quick to point out that everyday activities such as blogging, facebooking, tweeting contribute and add value to the traditional economy. Other ideas mentioned in the book: 1) wealth cannot exist in isolation and, 2) politics are not the same as economics.
Trust is a factor that is folded into politics and leadership. And I believe in order to move forward we need to loosen the grip of various constraints formed by unions and the like if we want to see progress and trust a new-found direction. Again, referencing the 21st Century Skills, experts are insisting that we need to evolve and emphasize technology, problem solving, workforce connections, and civil responsibility when looking at school reform.
The concept of 'buy what you sell' was a prominent componenet in the Toffler book, Revolutionary Wealth. The Tofflers coined the word "prosumer" to describe people who consume what they themselves produce. They are quick to point out that everyday activities such as blogging, facebooking, tweeting contribute and add value to the traditional economy. Other ideas mentioned in the book: 1) wealth cannot exist in isolation and, 2) politics are not the same as economics.
Trust is a factor that is folded into politics and leadership. And I believe in order to move forward we need to loosen the grip of various constraints formed by unions and the like if we want to see progress and trust a new-found direction. Again, referencing the 21st Century Skills, experts are insisting that we need to evolve and emphasize technology, problem solving, workforce connections, and civil responsibility when looking at school reform.
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