Not a very catchy title, I know, but I am so excited by the opportunity I have this coming Tuesday. I will be one of two teachers meeting with administrators and IT people in my district about our technology plan. Here are the brief details of what we will discuss:
1. Any ideas for our district with information on how it would increase student achievement.
2. If you have evaluated our Technology Plan for a graduate class or created a technology plan for a graduate class, please bring it.
Now I have lots of opinions on where I would like to see our district go. The top items for me are
- 1:1 or as many computers in student hands as possible
- Opening up the filter as much as possible for students
- Consider Google Apps
- Student email accounts
- Teacher training for student-centered PD
- Wireless and student owned devices including cellphones, netbooks, and ipods.
- Buy less software and use open source instead
My district is moving in the right direction as teachers used to be blocked from pretty much everything students were, but now very little is blocked for us. I greatly appreciate this opportunity, but have to assume that these ideas will meet with resistance by some on the committee who truly do not know what great things are being done by other schools around the country and world. It is not that they are against these things as much as it will be new ideas to them. I confess I am zealous for these things and believe this is the right path to take.
It would be very helpful for me if I had some excellent examples of schools already using these tools effectively and/or example technology plans from your school/district. That way I will not look like a radical loner, but have “evidence” to show that these ideas are successful. Please share your thoughts (anything I forgot that you would add to my list?) and links to any “ammunition” to help me with my case in the comments. Thanks, I do not want to waste this excellent opportunity.
I am going to push the limits on this expecting them not to go as far as I would like (i.e. blocking only porn and truly harmful sites, but opening up social media sites for students) but hopeful that they will continue to move in a continuum toward openness and student-centered learning through technology.