The technology maturity survey was an eye opener. If someone had asked me where my school rated before I did the survey, I would have said my school was fairly progressive. Now I realize that we are barely at Island status.
I rate my school as an Emerging Island for a combination of reasons. The primary reasons are:
- Because I realize now that it isn’t just about having “stuff”.
- How technology is or isn’t being integrated into the curriculum
- The impact technology has on student achievement
- Limited communication between stakeholders
Today after a PD activity, a couple of teachers were talking about what happened to all the student laptops we had last year. I listened to all of the different ideas they had for students no longer having access to computers in the classroom, but I didn’t say anything. The sad thing is I know where they are – locked in a room in the media center. The computers are just sitting there, so close but totally inaccessible. It feels like we are taking giant steps backward.
Our district’s goal is to prepare our students to successfully compete in a 21st century environment. We have the ability to do that: we just have to get everyone moving in the same direction. To do this, we must have a common focus. We can no longer be “islands” operating in isolation. Communication is the key!