Bricks and Mortar

Ironically, even though (in my opinion) my technology in the classroom experiences were the stronger area of my application to become an administrator, most of my summer work has been dominated by building needs and plans. A recent telephone conference call with fellow ADEs, Lucy Gray and Cheryl Davis provided a nice change of pace. The two of them are flying in for Mercy's staff in-service on August 23. We are developing an exciting day which will include a keynote presentation by Cheryl, workshop sections, and project creation/sharing.

More on this, soon. Back to Bricks and mortars.

In my new position, I meet lots of vendors and contractors, taking bids on everything from gym floors to electrical substations. I was thinking about this recently, contrasting it with my career in the classroom. And what I considered was this-- Those folks have accepted as necessary a digital world. Invariably they use smart phones, and of course no one mails me a quote on paper. I have seen iPads used by sound technicians, architects, electrical engineers, and furniture salespersons. They've used them to take notes, make presentations, and show me configurations and designs.

No doubt some of these folks have been compelled to adopt technology by their employers. Others see it as an obvious means to get ahead or make a sale. In either case, competition is driving technology integration.

Here is what I am driving at: Teachers are relatively quite insulated from these pressures, but I see the great majority of our staff as accepting tech integration if not for their own benefit, at least as necessary for their students as they prepare for life beyond high school.

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"WhatIt Was" by permission of bill.d