Comments on: Vision challenge – Part 2 http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html Technology, leadership, and the future of schools Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Gross http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html/comment-page-1#comment-14315 John Gross Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html#comment-14315 In short, this might be what's wrong with public education today. The world changes faster than we do. This vision had best be compelling enough or we slip further behind. I think we already see it in many non tech classrooms today, the kids have cell phones, pagers, blackberries, etc and we're still standing in front of them "talking at them", pointing to an ancient map or chart. Teachers are too comfortable using the proven methods and are "too busy" to even experiment with any "new" methods, and administration isn't nervy enough to facilitate change because many administrators are also from the old school and don't understand where change will take us and how valuable technology can be in the classroom. Really all they're interested in is how do they meet their budgets handed to them by school boards who are mainly interested in funding this new "cash cow". I see this in my Penn State online courses. Students are asked to do projects and the variety of presentation methods vary widely from multi media all the way back to simply using a word processor. It's not difficult to tell which districts are technology oriented and which aren't, just from the teacher/student usage in what's turned in as assignments. In short, this might be what’s wrong with public education today. The world changes faster than we do. This vision had best be compelling enough or we slip further behind. I think we already see it in many non tech classrooms today, the kids have cell phones, pagers, blackberries, etc and we’re still standing in front of them “talking at them”, pointing to an ancient map or chart. Teachers are too comfortable using the proven methods and are “too busy” to even experiment with any “new” methods, and administration isn’t nervy enough to facilitate change because many administrators are also from the old school and don’t understand where change will take us and how valuable technology can be in the classroom. Really all they’re interested in is how do they meet their budgets handed to them by school boards who are mainly interested in funding this new “cash cow”.

I see this in my Penn State online courses. Students are asked to do projects and the variety of presentation methods vary widely from multi media all the way back to simply using a word processor. It’s not difficult to tell which districts are technology oriented and which aren’t, just from the teacher/student usage in what’s turned in as assignments.

]]> By: Jack Phelps http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html/comment-page-1#comment-14316 Jack Phelps Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html#comment-14316 That's what adoption curves are for. Naturally everyone won't buy into something at once, and very few people will buy into something untested. So if they listen and won't have it, wait a little while, find more use cases, and try again. If you're/we're right, they'll eventually buy in. If we're not, then good for them for not succumbing to our silver tongues! That’s what adoption curves are for. Naturally everyone won’t buy into something at once, and very few people will buy into something untested. So if they listen and won’t have it, wait a little while, find more use cases, and try again. If you’re/we’re right, they’ll eventually buy in. If we’re not, then good for them for not succumbing to our silver tongues!

]]> By: sylvia martinez http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html/comment-page-1#comment-14317 sylvia martinez Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html#comment-14317 It seems obvious to me that a vision created outside yourself will never be good enough, for any age learner. We should be facillitating epiphanies, not trying to make other people re-experience our own. That said, I think it's the learning stories that count, and that's about process, not the end result. It seems obvious to me that a vision created outside yourself will never be good enough, for any age learner. We should be facillitating epiphanies, not trying to make other people re-experience our own.

That said, I think it’s the learning stories that count, and that’s about process, not the end result.

]]> By: A. Mercer http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html/comment-page-1#comment-14318 A. Mercer Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2007/07/vision-challe-1.html#comment-14318 Okay, I think in reading what David Warlick has said recently he has one of the most powerful messages about what these tools are for (learning is about a process, not an end goal), but the summary you have here is not doing it justice because it is too long. There is a compromise between my overly simplistic one line above and the paragraph there, I think it might be worth finding it? Okay, I think in reading what David Warlick has said recently he has one of the most powerful messages about what these tools are for (learning is about a process, not an end goal), but the summary you have here is not doing it justice because it is too long. There is a compromise between my overly simplistic one line above and the paragraph there, I think it might be worth finding it?

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