Skip to Content

Tech Forum

I went to several really good sessions at the Tech Forum.  The first was “Break the Early Adopter Barrier: Get Everyone On Board!”  I chose this session because I find that I am always really excited to try new tools and technologies with my students, but I tend to get frustrated over time with the slow pace of change in our schools.  While I’m not an early adopter when it comes to gadgetry, I am philosophically an early adopter when it comes to trying new methods with kids.  So, I went to this session hoping to learn some strategies for both supporting systemic change and also managing my own expectations in regards to systemic change.  The panel discussion included a superintendent, two technology directors and a teacher.

The superintendent was particularly inspiring – he spoke about how his job is to create space and support for early adopters and to remove obstacles from those who are taking risks.  He emphasized the importance of focusing on “purpose first” in creating change – knowing and communicating the purpose for any initiative will automatically make it more successful.  All four of the speakers spoke about the importance of modeling risk taking and rejecting the culture of mediocrity.

One suggestion that I really liked was to ask teachers to discard one outdated practice every year.  To support that initiative, there is one day a week where informal PD happens all day long.  Teachers can exchange their duty for a drop in session to get support around their technology-related goal.

The other session that I really enjoyed was “Re-Envisioning Learning Spaces” with David Jakes.  Jakes is at the forefront of the blending of digital and physical learning environments and I was fascinated by his discussion of how we can transform static spaces into vibrant learning communities.  He argues that education  must be: any time, any place, anyone, any path, any device.  He recommended the book Make Space : How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration by Scott Doorley and Scott Witthoft and I’m looking forward to reading it!

I agree with Matt that the other powerful thing about the day was the ability to step away from the regular work day and reflect about my practice as an educator.  It’s so inspiring to hear and meet other teachers, librarians, techies, leaders and thinkers!

No Responses to “Tech Forum” Leave a reply ›

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment