Comments on: School reform vision needed http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/ Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:14:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Tuttle SVC » Blog Archive » Saying “No” to “Saying No To School Laptops” http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-15438 Tuttle SVC » Blog Archive » Saying “No” to “Saying No To School Laptops” Mon, 11 Sep 2006 05:34:08 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-15438 [...] Wes’s response to the article has gotten the most attention. I find it to be a peculiar piece of rhetoric, primarily because the cusp of his argument seems to be that for a one-to-one program to be successful you have to first reform the leadership and culture of your school. That strikes me as a rather pessimistic and unappealing vision. I’m interested in technology as an aid to the process of reform, not as icing on the already baked reform cake. The neat thing about Wes’s line of argument is that it establishes a ready-made excuse for any failed laptop initiative. Of course it didn’t work, because you didn’t change the way your school functions first. [...] [...] Wes’s response to the article has gotten the most attention. I find it to be a peculiar piece of rhetoric, primarily because the cusp of his argument seems to be that for a one-to-one program to be successful you have to first reform the leadership and culture of your school. That strikes me as a rather pessimistic and unappealing vision. I’m interested in technology as an aid to the process of reform, not as icing on the already baked reform cake. The neat thing about Wes’s line of argument is that it establishes a ready-made excuse for any failed laptop initiative. Of course it didn’t work, because you didn’t change the way your school functions first. [...]

]]> By: (High Tech), High Concept, High Touch « Ubiquitous Thoughts http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-15248 (High Tech), High Concept, High Touch « Ubiquitous Thoughts Sun, 10 Sep 2006 05:56:17 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-15248 [...] I just finished reading Daniel Pink’s A whole new mind the other day and some of his ideas fit in really well with the discussion that’s been going on about the need for vision for technology and learning during the last couple of days, including Wes Fryer, Graham Wegner, Sharon Peters, and myself. While Pink does not really focus on technology or education, his argument for an increased emphasis on what he calls R-Directed Thinking (emphasizing right hemisphere skills), can provide us with more ammunition for putting forth the kind of vision that many of us think is missing in education. [...] [...] I just finished reading Daniel Pink’s A whole new mind the other day and some of his ideas fit in really well with the discussion that’s been going on about the need for vision for technology and learning during the last couple of days, including Wes Fryer, Graham Wegner, Sharon Peters, and myself. While Pink does not really focus on technology or education, his argument for an increased emphasis on what he calls R-Directed Thinking (emphasizing right hemisphere skills), can provide us with more ammunition for putting forth the kind of vision that many of us think is missing in education. [...]

]]> By: Learning Is Messy - Blog » Blog Archive » Society May Be Willing To Invest In Children If They Are Seen As An Immediate Value To Society http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-15240 Learning Is Messy - Blog » Blog Archive » Society May Be Willing To Invest In Children If They Are Seen As An Immediate Value To Society Sun, 10 Sep 2006 04:46:45 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-15240 [...] We of the edbloggosphere have bemoaned the snail’s pace progress in educational change. One of the issues I believe is that kids are perceived by society as only having the potential to contribute to society sometime in the future. If kids were appreciated for what they can contribute now, and that “contribution” was valued by society, perhaps society would be more willing to “invest” more substantially in them at an earlier age. One of the transformative aspects of technology is that it allows students to produce finished products that others have access to and can use: Other students, other members of the local community and members of the global community. [...] [...] We of the edbloggosphere have bemoaned the snail’s pace progress in educational change. One of the issues I believe is that kids are perceived by society as only having the potential to contribute to society sometime in the future. If kids were appreciated for what they can contribute now, and that “contribution” was valued by society, perhaps society would be more willing to “invest” more substantially in them at an earlier age. One of the transformative aspects of technology is that it allows students to produce finished products that others have access to and can use: Other students, other members of the local community and members of the global community. [...]

]]> By: Musings about Teaching High School, Social Computing and Ed. Tech. » Response to the Wall Street Journal Slam of 1:1 Laptop Initiatives http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14864 Musings about Teaching High School, Social Computing and Ed. Tech. » Response to the Wall Street Journal Slam of 1:1 Laptop Initiatives Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:05:03 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14864 [...] Wesley Fryer, who is completing his PhD on the impact of technology immersion (1:1) on student achievement, presents a response to the article in his blog post “School Reform Vision Needed”. I have to quote at least one small paragraph from his blog: I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it a million more times before I leave this marvelous planet– the only silver bullet for increasing student achievement is A GREAT CLASSROOM TEACHER. Curriculum offers no panacea, high stakes testing offers no panacea, neither do or will curriculum pacing guides, new textbooks, or any type of technology you can buy. TEACHERS are the most valuable instructional resource we have in the classroom. [...] [...] Wesley Fryer, who is completing his PhD on the impact of technology immersion (1:1) on student achievement, presents a response to the article in his blog post “School Reform Vision Needed”. I have to quote at least one small paragraph from his blog: I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it a million more times before I leave this marvelous planet– the only silver bullet for increasing student achievement is A GREAT CLASSROOM TEACHER. Curriculum offers no panacea, high stakes testing offers no panacea, neither do or will curriculum pacing guides, new textbooks, or any type of technology you can buy. TEACHERS are the most valuable instructional resource we have in the classroom. [...]

]]> By: Learning Is Messy - Blog » Blog Archive » I’ll Add To The Rant http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14812 Learning Is Messy - Blog » Blog Archive » I’ll Add To The Rant Fri, 08 Sep 2006 07:31:20 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14812 [...] So the edbloggosphere has been on a every other month rant about the sorry lack of initiative by politicos, school boards, school administrators and others, to try new approaches in education. Well I’ll add to the chorus. [...] [...] So the edbloggosphere has been on a every other month rant about the sorry lack of initiative by politicos, school boards, school administrators and others, to try new approaches in education. Well I’ll add to the chorus. [...]

]]> By: We All Need Perspective … « Ubiquitous Thoughts http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14624 We All Need Perspective … « Ubiquitous Thoughts Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:25:28 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14624 [...] Much can be said about this article, and the best commentary I’ve seen so far is Wesley Fryer’s post on a “vision needed“. He argues that schools need: [...] [...] Much can be said about this article, and the best commentary I’ve seen so far is Wesley Fryer’s post on a “vision needed“. He argues that schools need: [...]

]]> By: 2 Cents Worth » Vision & Leadership http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14577 2 Cents Worth » Vision & Leadership Thu, 07 Sep 2006 09:51:50 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14577 [...] Wes Fryer has weighed in on the Wall Street Journal piece on 1:1 education (Saying No to Laptops), in his customarily eloquent and compelling way (School Reform Vision Needed), asking the right questions, questioning our vision of teaching and learning (the stories) rather than…. Well he says it better. …laptop immersion projects should be all about changing teaching and learning in fundamental ways– NOT simply “doing school” with digital tools. We don’t need digital worksheets. [...] [...] Wes Fryer has weighed in on the Wall Street Journal piece on 1:1 education (Saying No to Laptops), in his customarily eloquent and compelling way (School Reform Vision Needed), asking the right questions, questioning our vision of teaching and learning (the stories) rather than…. Well he says it better. …laptop immersion projects should be all about changing teaching and learning in fundamental ways– NOT simply “doing school” with digital tools. We don’t need digital worksheets. [...]

]]> By: Doug Noon http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14534 Doug Noon Thu, 07 Sep 2006 05:35:36 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14534 <em>Panacea</em> and <em>silver bullets</em> is such a great concept. You're right, we do need good teachers. But good teachers have to recognize that they can't do it all by themselves, either. Superheroes exist in comic books, and hardworking, caring, thoughtful people should remember that they may not ever see the result of their teaching efforts. In the real world of the classroom, we go around setting little fires, putting other little fires out, kicking stones downhill, and backfilling low spots - changing, and rearranging in the name of... a Vision of what a person could and should become. Each of us holds this personal vision close, and some of recognize that we share a bond in how we see things. Do we, can we ever, <em>should</em> we agree on how to direct the processes of change? I don't know. Lately I'm thinking that maybe all we need to do is recognize that there is no resolution, and that the search for truth will ultimately help us to prepare ourselves for a future in which certainty is abandoned as a worthless illusion. My VISION is one in which there is room for discussion about whose vision will count. Panacea and silver bullets is such a great concept. You’re right, we do need good teachers. But good teachers have to recognize that they can’t do it all by themselves, either.

Superheroes exist in comic books, and hardworking, caring, thoughtful people should remember that they may not ever see the result of their teaching efforts. In the real world of the classroom, we go around setting little fires, putting other little fires out, kicking stones downhill, and backfilling low spots - changing, and rearranging in the name of… a Vision of what a person could and should become.

Each of us holds this personal vision close, and some of recognize that we share a bond in how we see things. Do we, can we ever, should we agree on how to direct the processes of change? I don’t know. Lately I’m thinking that maybe all we need to do is recognize that there is no resolution, and that the search for truth will ultimately help us to prepare ourselves for a future in which certainty is abandoned as a worthless illusion. My VISION is one in which there is room for discussion about whose vision will count.

]]> By: Mark Ahlness http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14502 Mark Ahlness Thu, 07 Sep 2006 01:13:32 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14502 Wesley, Right on the money, again. A couple of your points that really made me nod my head uh-huh: - the idea some technicians have that there is nobody in charge of things in the classroom - am currently battling with IT over the iron girdle they've put on all student workstations, in my opinion making them nothing more than thin clients or dumb terminals - how engaging or empowering is that for a student? I am a very squeaky and irritating wheel right now... - the total lack of vision of administrative tech leaders for staff tech training/development. Where I work, every single tech development opportunity (class) is based on "how to get the most out of your Microsoft application". OK, I exaggerate - but only a very little. There is not a single offering for anything even remotely associated with web 2.0. So in the end, in the concrete world we walk into every day, what do we do, what do we do... ? What I do is this: I have a 1 multimedia machine per 2 students (actually better than that) classroom, and I immerse them, teach them, watch them, learn with them - and share our stories with the world. And I will go local this year with my colleagues, offering the training in my school and online that they are not getting from their tech leadership. School reform has to happen from the ground up, at least out here... Wesley,
Right on the money, again. A couple of your points that really made me nod my head uh-huh:

- the idea some technicians have that there is nobody in charge of things in the classroom - am currently battling with IT over the iron girdle they’ve put on all student workstations, in my opinion making them nothing more than thin clients or dumb terminals - how engaging or empowering is that for a student? I am a very squeaky and irritating wheel right now…

- the total lack of vision of administrative tech leaders for staff tech training/development. Where I work, every single tech development opportunity (class) is based on “how to get the most out of your Microsoft application”. OK, I exaggerate - but only a very little. There is not a single offering for anything even remotely associated with web 2.0.

So in the end, in the concrete world we walk into every day, what do we do, what do we do… ?

What I do is this: I have a 1 multimedia machine per 2 students (actually better than that) classroom, and I immerse them, teach them, watch them, learn with them - and share our stories with the world. And I will go local this year with my colleagues, offering the training in my school and online that they are not getting from their tech leadership. School reform has to happen from the ground up, at least out here…

]]> By: astephens http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14481 astephens Wed, 06 Sep 2006 22:26:30 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/09/06/school-reform-vision-needed/#comment-14481 Wesley, I agree with your comments. I responded to parts of this article the other day over on my site if you want to take a look http://musingsfromtheacademy.wordpress.com/2006/09/02/saying-no-to-school-laptops/ Wesley,

I agree with your comments. I responded to parts of this article the other day over on my site if you want to take a look http://musingsfromtheacademy.wordpress.com/2006/09/02/saying-no-to-school-laptops/

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