Tough Conversations... Have Them!

The Dangerously Irrelevant author, Scott McLeod called upon edubloggers to write for Leadership Day 2010. To be honest, I almost didn't write this blog post because things have been so busy throughout July, hence the lack of blog posts.

But, the ideas, concepts, and motivations of the thousands involved in the School 2.0 movement are too important to ignore. So, I write.

This past week I had the opportunity to get the ear of the superintendent of my school district. This is a very rare feat, as I work for a school district serving about 70,000 students. The topic of instructional technology came up, and I was encouraged.

We discussed the importance of what Chris Lehmann always speaks about... making technology like oxygen - invisible. I discussed with him the need to not just implement technology, rather make it an everyday piece of what we "do". Conversations entailed topics about our student's use of technology - from cell phones to ipods to ipads to netbooks. I discussed with him that our students need access to the technologies that they are exposed to outside of school. (Something that our district blocks - Internet censorship from GoogleDocs to Facebook, no cell phones, etc...)

I discussed what I believe is our responsibility to educate these students on the technologies they use. Students misuse these technologies because there is no room in the curriculum for us to teach and incorporate the appropriate use of these tools. Something that I told the superintendent is vital to the success of creating the 21st C. citizen.

So, on Leadership Day 2010, I had a conversation with my leader. Just as Scott McLeod did, I encourage you to have these conversations with your leaders. The movement begins with us. Initiate change.

Happy Leadership Day 2010!

More to come...

Mike Meechin, M. Ed.
mike.meechin@gmail.com
twitter.com/innovateed

For more information about Mike Meechin and Innovate Education, LLC. professional development please visit: www.innovateedu.org