Friday, July 4, 2008

Dr. Scott McLeod's blog and Leadership Day 2008

From Dr. Scott McLeod's blog, Dangerously Irrelevant

"Calling all bloggers! - Leadership Day 2008
A year later, our leaders still need help, of course. So I am putting out a new call for people to participate in Leadership Day 2008".

Guidelines

On July 4, 2008, blog about whatever you like related to effective school technology leadership: successes, challenges, reflections, needs. Write a letter to the administrators in your area. Post a top ten list. Make a podcast or a video. Highlight a local success or challenge. Recommend some readings. Do an interview of a successful technology leader. Respond to some of the questions below or make up your own. Whatever strikes you. Please tag your post with these Technorati tags: leadershipday2008, schooltechleadership

If you don’t have a blog, comment on someone else’s post and/or send your thoughts to Dr. MCleod and he will post them for you. He will do a summary afterward of what folks wrote and talked about [bloggers, this means some new readers probably will head your direction!].


Be sure to check out Dr. McLeod's blog, Dangerously Irrelevant

Thanks Dr. McLeod and we look forward to your collected comments from this year's call for participation.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Paradigm Paralysis

This topic is part of my weekly assignment. One of the books for the course is Windows on the Future Education in the Age of Technology by Ted McCain and Ian Jukes (2001). The book can also be found in Google Book Search with limited preview (http://books.google.com/) where you can build your own library.

I discussed the paradigm paralysis with my daughter and asked her about possible solutions. Her first response to the paradigm paralysis referenced the difference between her and her friends using digital gadgets to teachers who do not even read email. I applauded her intuitiveness and reviewed the paradigm paralysis self checklist with her which proved both of us grow with our changes. Whether it is due to the multiple moves with the military, her curiosity coupled with my support of her exploring the world, we accept change as part of life and learn to adapt, implement, and overcome.

I read to her some of the historical references where teachers and principals worried about students as they transformed from using bark to calculate and migrating to slates to forgetting how to sharpen a pencil with a knife to using ballpoint pens and forgetting how to make ink. While my mother can remember using slates and ink bottles during her school days she has migrated into the digital world. It took her a few years to finally purchase a computer, but now she loves her laptop and we successfully weaned her off of AOL in less than a week.

How do you overcome paradigm paralysis? How do you help others overcome their paradigm paralysis?

Do you volunteer at a local library to teach computer skills? Blog about the issues? Experiment with digital tools? Make a commitment to learn something new every day? Share knowledge with others so they may overcome a personal paradigm paralysis? Incorporate an "insist and assist" method of delving into the world of digital gadgets?

Feel free to share your ideas...the Google search for paradigm paralysis and education produces many results.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Back in class

The breaks in between classes seem to pass so quickly...but I am looking forward to this class titled, "The Connected Classroom - Curriculum Development and Technology." As I reflect on the past classes and ponder whether I am going to make it through this doctoral process...I can pick up the discussion with three of my co-workers who are also pursuing doctorate degrees.

I am working on my reading, researching, and writing assignments as I recover from phase one of my first dental implant surgery and I am humbled by the pain killing medication. I still prefer eBooks, reading online, and toying with various text readers over the assigned textbook. The online courses I am taking still require me to purchase printed textbooks and I would prefer to have the book read to me during the recovery phase or after a long day on the computer. As I am coming out of the haziness brought on the pain medication, it is challenging to read the assigned books. I look for the supplemental electronic documents, presentations, blogs, and discussion groups but for this class it looks like we will be creating our own. So I am off to read another three chapters and remind my college bound daughter that she will up her reading and writing game very soon.

Northcentral University: http://www.ncu.edu/academics/graduate/graduate.aspx
Augusta State University: http://www.aug.edu/