We Need Change

Whether you are a coach or a lead teacher or an administrator, you know that part of your role is asking teachers to reflect, adapt, and sometimes change their practice. This topic of change has been on my mind lately, because this year, in particular, we've challenged teachers to stretch further than they've ever been in the area of technology. Our instructional technology coach, Melanie, has them using tools like google docs, google maps, wikis, blogs, and google reader. She's also been supporting them as they pilot a new on-line grade book. This level of change creates disequilibrium and it has been interesting to watch how different teachers have handled this added level of risk.

If, like me, your role requires you to ask others to take risks and change, you may be interested in reading these two blog posts.

Why Change? and The Net-Generation

Change is inevitable, but how we embrace it widely varies. I find it critically important in my work to have a firm handle on why I am asking teachers to change, and these two posts are certainly part of why change in education must happen. I worry that if, as a system, we continue to stick our head in the sand, we will fail a generation of digital natives. And, I think we all need to shoulder our share of the responsibility for that.

Image: (Seth Godin, The Big Moo, 2005, p. 36)