Goals and Processess - Innovation and Integration

(PBS MEDIASHIFT)

A thought-provoking article from PBS MEDIASHIFT that raises issues that are confronting the school in its quest to prepare children for the century in which they will live and work.

Digital technology innovation and infusion in the curricula is about more than buying shiny new things and hoping that they make kids smarter. Its about the necessity for some fundamental changes in the way we view schools and the education of children.


(I hesitate to use the term "Disruption" because I believe that it's become a little over-used of late. Digital technologies are however, disruptive and challenge long-held norms and practices.)

"The systems and values of industrial education were not designed with innovation and digital tools in mind. Innovation, whether it's with technology, assessment or instruction, requires time and space for experimentation and a high tolerance for uncertainty. Disruption of established patterns is the modus operandi of innovation. We like the fruits of innovation, but few of us have the mettle to run the gauntlet of innovation."

  Teaching Innovation Is About More Than iPads in the Classroom

 by  Aran Levasseur, July 16, 2012

"The profusion of digital technology at work, home and everywhere in between is evident to even the most causal observer. In this climate, it's understandable why many schools are interested in technological integration and innovation. While it seems clear that students will increasingly be expected to be adept at using digital tools in their professional and personal lives, there isn't great clarity on how exactly these tools should be used. Often visions and goals are nebulous -- if they exist at all. We can't just buy iPads (or any device), add water, and hope that strategy will usher schools to the leading edge of 21st century education. Technology, by itself, isn't curative. Human agency shapes the path. 

In light of this dynamic, two critical questions need to be asked and provisionally answered when integrating technology into education. 

The first question, while obvious at first glance, isn't always fully articulated: "What are the educational goals of technology integration?"

The second question is equally important and often more elusive: "Do the current systems and processes support the integrative and innovative goals?" (read the entire article)

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