172: On Digital Information in Schools | RSS.com Schools have always been places where information is consumed and created. For most of the history of schools, that information was created as physical artifacts (works written on paper, images drawn on paper, songs recorded on tapes, and similar creations). Once physical or analog media is created, Read More
If the news about ChatGPT had broken at anytime other than less than a month before the end of the fall academic term, the handwringing about it would have been more obvious. There have been a few articles and blog posts describing how this will upend everything and make education and certain jobs obsolete. My Read More
Technology decision-making in educational institutions can be a complex endeavor. In large part, the complexity arises from the governance of public schools. In part, the complexity arises from the misunderstandings different stakeholders have of the work of the other stakeholders. Elected boards of citizens are frequently responsible for decision-making in schools, and those boards hire Read More
Students and teachers, the users who comprise the largest groups of IT users in school are unusual compared to the IT users in school offices and those who fulfill similar roles in other businesses and organizations. These differences are grounded in the flexibility they need as teaching requires adapting to the interests and unanticipated needs Read More
While it is true that it is users’ perceptions of the factors related technology acceptance, their perceptions can sometimes be wildly inaccurate. Teachers are also a group of users who can be very quick to label systems as “broken” and to reject any attempts at support they perceived to be taking too long as interfering Read More
207: A Challenge for Rural #edtech Leaders The arrival of desktop computers reversed the trend to marginalize electronic technologies and information in classrooms; digital tools and digital media have become important tools for all students, and comprehensive education is understood to provide students experience using these tools. Early in the history of desktop computers in Read More
As they collaborate to make decisions about what technology to install and how to manage it, school and technology leaders must share understanding of three ideas. First, the systems must be sufficiently secure to remain functional and reliable, but open enough to allow for the functions educators deem necessary. Second, to accomplish secure yet flexible Read More
When I was a child and young man, telephones hung on walls and there was no indication of who might be on the other end when it rang. All calls–friends, family, colleagues, misdials, telemarketers–were treated the same. We stopped what we were doing and went to see who was there and what they wanted. With Read More
202: An Observation of IT in Schools If you get bored, skip down to the end… Schools have always been information-rich places. There is a curriculum to be taught that comprises ideas, concepts, information, and skills. Learning the curriculum requires information-rich interaction between teachers and students and among students. Humans have invented technologies to facilitate Read More
201: IT Goals in Schools In all organizations decisions are made for several purposes, and goals are set at three levels to guide decision-making and improve performance. At the broadest level, organizations have strategic goals. These are captured in the mission statements that are adopted by the leaders at the highest levels. In schools, the Read More