After 12 years at MUSD time has come to move on. Personally, I have accomplished much here, along with my dear friend, long-time EdTech Champion and Mentor, Gina Pinch (former Director of Technology – 9 years). Together we worked to bring 21st Century Skills and Literacies to the students and dedicated educators of MUSD.
I am the only thus the last Lab instructor and EdTech staff who was at MUSD before internet reached all buildings, before computers were in all classrooms, before teachers had email, before teachers had logins (the days of a generic for all staff – teacher/teacher), before we had network drives (that was ONLY 12 years ago!!!). Changes at the ‘Speed of Light’!!! Gina and I originated the professional development required for educator personal productivity – way back when the district first gained internet connectivity – the big government “goal” and the reformer and savior of education! We developed videoconferencing into a desired form of communication, instruction and community building.
Forgive one more overt shout-out to Gina Pinch who, in keeping with the ‘open’ themes of 21st century skills, created space in my work world to pursue the outside world, with a goal of keeping the district abreast of trends and thought within our field. Only with the support of administrators can EdTechies embrace the outer realms through participation in associations, partnerships and conferences. These can often be costly for an individual (thus financial backing from districts may make all the difference) or may take one out of their traditional work day. The VALUE of these exchanges are immeasurable and can help to not only enrich the individual participant but elevate the district (staff, students, community). Through her direct encouragement (and of course my own interest and passion to serve and be involved), I became an AzTEA Chapter Co-Chair, AzTEA Governing Board Member ATIC Associate Board Member, Pinal County ITv Consortium Board Member. These led to more active awareness of IDEAL, ETAN, ISTE, COsN, America-Asia Education Partnership, MEC, NECC, AzTea Tri-Conferences, ADE Tech Standards Revision Task Force, instructing at other districts or events. Every opportunity was met with a ‘Yes, go for it!’ While I had to ‘get it’ ‘do it’ and construct meaning, she had to ‘allow’ it and ‘allow me’ to embrace each opporutnity (time out of the office or on phone conferences, vid.conferences, skype and webinars…)!!! My personal growth and participation translated directly into growth for our department and our district. She supported my own inquiry into Second Life , with enthusiasm, so that together we could discover what this medium could mean to our learners and its broader impact on all learners.
I always have a shout-out for Gina, but the real point is – admins and employers need to value, encourage and support (with time and funds) the ongoing learning and development of their own EdTechies so that they can continue to remain on the edge of what is and what’s coming (leading or bleeding edge, discovering real estate with no walls or low walls and open windows). Be the champion of staff development of staff developers, support their embrace of the larger picture. Now that’s a visionary leader!!!
We worked tirelessly (well, I was tired) to shift understanding from personal productivity (web searches, Word & PPT “bookreports”, encyclopedic research shifted to a computer, e-gradebooks), to a project-based, real-world model that reflects the needs and outcomes and connectedness of the 21st century and is evaluated through authentic assessment: observation and outcome. It is a still uncompleted vision, we were stifled by an infrastructure we and, more importantly, web 2.o and 21st century literacies had outgrown – that ‘challenge’ has now been met and no longer exists (more on this below – see Trillion) and I have no doubt that what limited us will shift in time.
We had the opportunity to develop videoconferencing as a valued educational tool and the teachers partner, to increase bandwidth (through Trillion) with the early goal to be enabling us to ITv at all sites and robustly develop a web 2.0 connected student body. Sadly, I missed the bandwidth by mere days. Friday was my last day and bandwidth was connected THIS WEEK!!! District-wide ITv, my personal dream for the 08-09 school year, has yet to be realized. But….
We won some key issues, overcame some formidable challenges, and of course we lost some key issues and succumbed to some formidable challenges (sounds like a presidential election). We gained some higher ground and as every EdTechie knows – lost some valuable real-estate along the way. But in the end it was a great dozen years of my life. There is much left to do and I look forward to seeing where they/and I will go from here!
As I move forward toward new opportunity and new challenge, I will be working on the sturdy foundation of those whose good work precedes me (notably Robin McNulty et al) and hope that at MUSD, those who follow will find that Gina and I left an equally sturdy foundation on which to craft their own vision of EdTech for our students.
The kindergarten class, my first year instructing at MUSD, are now HS seniors, with my son among them! We move ahead to brave new worlds, together! To all who worked with me at MUSD (teachers, administrators, parents and students), to all who supported & encouraged me, to all who challenged the ideas (making me stronger, more able and hopefully more articulate) I wish you a life full of global collaborations and distant connections!
You can find me on Twitter, SL and here: Social Network: Special Ed in te 21st Century
(How Web 2.0 opens doors and windows for some of our most ‘Left Behind’ students)
Shout out to Peggy George for the amazing Diigo resources
Post script: A master teacher (my daughters 5th grade teacher) just made me her email signature (can I count citations now, like wikipedia?)
“”You have to recognize value in order to recognize its loss.”
- A. Chayefsky
