I am rapidly becoming a tweenteacher reader based on excellent blogs like this one on technology in the classroom (the graphic is worth the look). It still seems pathetic that education is the one area that has not benefited from technology. In any other industry, when there is shortage of a critical resource (ie great teachers) technology creates efficiencies that allow us to fully leverage that resource.
It is sad that we do not use technology to its fullest. Computers can provide the absolute best differentiated instruction, help with language acquisition skills, provide tutoring, and fully leverage great science teachers to thousands of students.
Yet we sit in our antiquated system. Insanity is truly doing the same thing and hoping for a different result. We need to do something different.
Showing posts with label classroom technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classroom technology. Show all posts
Monday, July 7, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Transforming Schools
Education next has a great article on transforming schools. The authors explain the current systems in historical context as organizations invest in innovation/technology and see no return on that investment. Schools everywhere are experiencing this and it is because we are trying to “cram innovation into the existing operating model” which never results in improvements.
They say that the innovation rarely ends up competing directly against the existing model. The new technology must grow in non-existing markets in order to disrupt the current model to create systemic change. This is already happening in education as online programs are getting students to finish their degrees, offering AP online, allowing rural districts to offer courses in high school that they never could offer, and offering online programs including SES online.
Our current educational structure is not serving our students well. Innovative use of technology will continue to progress on the fringes of current processes and eventually, it will cause a total disruption of our educational systems. Once that happens, we will finally get the improvements we need to compete in the global arena.
Organizations that are ready to accept that technology and embrace this change will be the ones that survive. It is a very exciting time to be in education. Read the article.
They say that the innovation rarely ends up competing directly against the existing model. The new technology must grow in non-existing markets in order to disrupt the current model to create systemic change. This is already happening in education as online programs are getting students to finish their degrees, offering AP online, allowing rural districts to offer courses in high school that they never could offer, and offering online programs including SES online.
Our current educational structure is not serving our students well. Innovative use of technology will continue to progress on the fringes of current processes and eventually, it will cause a total disruption of our educational systems. Once that happens, we will finally get the improvements we need to compete in the global arena.
Organizations that are ready to accept that technology and embrace this change will be the ones that survive. It is a very exciting time to be in education. Read the article.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Management by Fad
When United States manufacturing companies were getting their collective butts kicked by Japan in the late 70’s early 80’s, they started grasping for straws. They would try anything new to get their edge back and the string of different techniques they tried became known as management by fad. Many of these fads were actually sound ideas. However, when companies went to implement the latest fad, they neglected to properly train staff which created lousy execution.
Fast forward to today where K-12 education is getting their collective butts kicked in the world arena and here we go again: management by fad. Schools are trying anything, as long as it is new, to improve education. Since results are hard (and costly) to measure, we just go forward with things that sound like they should work. And what is usually lacking is proper training which is creating lousy execution.
Technology is big – we are trying to use the the latest technology but we really don’t have any knowledge of how to use that technology to improve education results. So we spend a lot of money and have smart boards and laptops in classrooms – but not a lot training and knowledge for teachers on their use and how it can impact achievement.
Block scheduling - intuitively obvious that it would work but we have no real data and now we read that schools are questioning the unintended consequences of this approach. Having gone through this with both my kids, I often wonder if this is better or worse as it seems better for classes with long set up and clean up (chemistry, art, shop, band, PE), but worse for history, English and math where it might be better for daily classes. Once again, it appears that more training and better execution would create improved results.
Our teachers need better training on how to use the new programs – not just new programs - and we need to find something to measure effectiveness lest we continue to dart in and out of programs without any real long term direction.
Note that in the previous post, the world’s best schools don’t have one way of doing things. They have great teachers who receive great training in delivering great instruction. Buying laptops and moving to block scheduling cannot make up for problems in those areas.
Fast forward to today where K-12 education is getting their collective butts kicked in the world arena and here we go again: management by fad. Schools are trying anything, as long as it is new, to improve education. Since results are hard (and costly) to measure, we just go forward with things that sound like they should work. And what is usually lacking is proper training which is creating lousy execution.
Technology is big – we are trying to use the the latest technology but we really don’t have any knowledge of how to use that technology to improve education results. So we spend a lot of money and have smart boards and laptops in classrooms – but not a lot training and knowledge for teachers on their use and how it can impact achievement.
Block scheduling - intuitively obvious that it would work but we have no real data and now we read that schools are questioning the unintended consequences of this approach. Having gone through this with both my kids, I often wonder if this is better or worse as it seems better for classes with long set up and clean up (chemistry, art, shop, band, PE), but worse for history, English and math where it might be better for daily classes. Once again, it appears that more training and better execution would create improved results.
Our teachers need better training on how to use the new programs – not just new programs - and we need to find something to measure effectiveness lest we continue to dart in and out of programs without any real long term direction.
Note that in the previous post, the world’s best schools don’t have one way of doing things. They have great teachers who receive great training in delivering great instruction. Buying laptops and moving to block scheduling cannot make up for problems in those areas.
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