But, I am often worried that the educational culture is too patient with its members to
change. At the NAIS Conference Sir Ken Robinson presented a New Yorker cartoon: an older
man gets a wakeup call in an hotel room - Wake or die! I believe we need to hear the
message. Our students do.
I question our patience with our colleagues because we touch the future. As such we need
to be even more flexible than we know our students will need to be. What a responsibility
and what a nearly impossible expectation!
Still, the characteristics of a technology integrator need to reflect someone who will
empathize with her or his adult learners as well as understand the learners with whom
those teachers will interact. And, as Marilyn pointed out, our institutions must
encourage experimentation, allow stumbles, reflect on what worked and what didn't,
celebrate successes and foster more experimentation.
The tension in this model represents, I believe, our most likely success; without it I am
certain we will fail.
my nickel (the penny may cease to exist!)
David F. Withrow
Director of Technology
Harford Day School
Bel Air, Maryland 21014
voice: 410 879 2350 ex 33
fax: 410 836 5918
http://www.harfordday.org
The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.
- Yogi Berra
[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
RSS Feed, http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?RSS&L=ISED-L
