Kenneth J. Willers (principal atsign stjohnseagles dot com) penned an open letter to Elementary school teachers and thanks to an email that I just recieved, I have persmission to post some “words” here.
Dear Elementary School Teacher,
Are you teaching in a “cyber-classroom?” Is your instruction considered “high-tech?”
If you answered “NO” to either question, should you feel guilty?
As the Principal from a school that received the 2003 Catholic Schools of Tomorrow Award for our Innovation with Technology, I emphatically say, NO! You should not feel guilty!
The explosion of information technology is certainly challenging business-as-usual for you, the elementary educator. Yet, I believe most of you certainly have risen to the challenge, even though some ‘administrators’ might disagree with my assessment.
As an elementary school principal myself, I would like to speak to you directly, and let you know how humbled I am at the amazing work you do every day. The difference you have made in the lives of so many young people is a testimony to your commitment and dedication to your vocation as an elementary educator.
What does this have to do with technology? Nothing â and that’s the point.
The letter goes on to talk about how it’s the content, not the tools that are important. Teachers are and always have been the condiut for information to pass through their students and this is a role that should not change now that there is “technology” to be “integrated”. He points out that access to technology is an important part of being able to play the role of conduit and that teaching the tool itself is the wrong way to look at the “problem”. Afterall, we have all commented that the students already know how to use the technology from outside the classroom.
I replied to Kenneth with some points – the first being that integration is only truely successful when the individual involved is comfortable with what they are integrating. This suggests, in my experience, that teachers who are phobis with regards to technology are not likely to integrate technology. So, if we want to have greater integration, preservice programs have to try to get as much exposure and access to technology and related materials as possible during their stay within the realm of their post secondary education.
Kenneth also mentions that it is up to the administrators out there to allow new tools to come into the classroom as they are identified – and perhaps by students who in Kennth’s model are the technology experts.
Kudos to Kenneth for pointing out that at the end of the day, eductional is not about the tools that we use, but what we use them for.
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