I agree with much of what you say and I've seen Fred Bartel's posts suggest=
ing "let's rebuild a school from scratch." I think both your remarks and Fr=
ed's initiative are always useful ways of thinking about what we do. If we =
don't think outside the box, who will? The reality is that whatever we come=
up with, we are years away from agreement on concept to reality. So, I'm t=
hinking we have to make the best of the organizations, infrastructures, and=
experience sets that we have. While they may not be ideal for constructivi=
st or student-centered approaches to learning, I'm looking for significant =
incremental changes that will convince those that are more reluctant to cha=
nge that technology has a key role in improving teaching and learning. That=
was the source of my question. Castells' suite of books has been published=
for some time, and as good as it is, has made little impact on anybody out=
side the technology circles in independent schools and higher education. Ca=
reers ago, I was told by a sales manager, "If you want to make money, learn=
to sell what we make, not what you think we should make." Yes, I'd love a =
revolution, but I'll settle for a good skirmish. BTW, the edACCESS influenc=
e is evident in your remarks.
Joel
On 12/14/09 11:29 AM, "Thomas Flanagan" <TFlanagan@winsor.edu> wrote:
Joel,
I don't think you will get your holiday wish soon. Schools are typically wa=
y behind the "paradigm shifts" going on in society. While speaking with a r=
esearch chemist last week when she found out that I worked in technology in=
schools, she asked me:"Do they have clue as to what is going on in the wor=
ld, how fast things are moving?" Guardedly, I said that there were a few, b=
ut in reality I believe that the disconnect between education and people th=
at are actually doing things in the world is enormous. If you are familiar=
with Manuel Castells I think he does a fair job at describing the paradigm=
shift that is just beginning to occur. According to Castells everything is=
being transformed by "information networks" the economy, work, culture, po=
litics, the state. Education will change too, probably more dramatically th=
an we can conceive at the moment. Decentralization is at the heart the new =
information network, but schools continue to be bastions of centralized aut=
hority. It seems that to begin entry in to the new paradigm, schools must f=
irst take stock of what is happening in the world at large and then begin t=
o strategize how to become more engaged in the information network. Simply =
using modern tools in a traditionally centralized system will not do it.
Tom Flanagan
The Winsor School
--
Joel Backon
Director of Academic Technology / History
Choate Rosemary Hall
333 Christian St.
Wallingford, CT 06492
203-697-2514
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