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It's not about moving parts...

Chromebooks are all the rage at the moment. I  have one. I like it. It does what I need it to do. It fits in my purse. At my school, many seem to feel that now that they have access to a free device, they are "21st century teachers". It's sad really, because like all other trends in education, pedagogy always seems to fall by the wayside. Our school board has invested huge financial resources in devices because certain people feel that if we want teachers to integrate technology, there can't be any road blocks to access. Each school was given a class set of Chromebooks for teachers to use. I think the thought process behind it was that as long as the Board was providing access to the technology, teachers would be more inclined to use it. Instead, I have had requests for certain software to be loaded onto the device so that marks can be done at home. Teachers want the Microsoft Office applications loaded, not understanding (and clearly missing the point entirely) that the reason we were giving the devices out is for teachers to further develop their aptitude with GAFE, to increase their comfort with classroom implementation. On the one hand, I have to give credit where its due: teachers are curious and want to experiment with different devices. Chromebooks in the hands of 25 teachers is definitely progress in my school. On the other hand, there really needs to be a shift in mindset. Here we are, 15 years into the 21st century, and educators still don't fully appreciate the role they have and how it is being reinvented and redefined almost daily as the needs of the world beyond the four walls of the classroom.

This summer while taking my PQP Part 2, I gave a seminar on what I think it means to be a 21st century administrator, but much still applies to educators in general:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1S6lndk7pbUr1u8fT3gUQ3QGd6r2qbmWkiHlQa56renY/edit#slide=id.p

My role in this is to continue to be an example of leadership and the innovation that is required of us to make learning more relevant and rigorous for our students. Yes, I have made more of our day-to-day processes paperless and I carry my Chromebook with me to all my meetings and presentations to model for staff and students that the nature of my work is evolving too. I have to constantly remind myself (and it seems to be one of those lessons I can't for the life of me internalize...) that the pace of change in schools in no way reflects the pace of change beyond. Slow and steady, while exercising excruciating caution is the way to go, and I have to get over it.

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