I used to recoil when the term “leverage” was applied to computers in educational settings; I had heard too many administrators and vendors describe how some tool could be “leveraged to improve student outcomes.” As we chatted while waiting for a meeting to begin, an English-teaching colleague pointed out that the word really does apply Read More
Category: Elevator Pitches
Elevator Pitch on Zone of Proxial Development
Like all Vygotskian ideas, the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is a complex theory, but it can be reduced to a few simple principles that are quite easy to understand. First, within any domain of human knowledge, there are problems that an individual can solve easily and there are others that are too complex to Read More
IT and School Curriculum Planning
Educators are constantly reviewing what they teach. Many regulatory agencies require curriculum documents to be updated, and professional organizations update curriculum suggestions as well. IT professionals are often expected to participate in some of these efforts. Although IT professionals will not make recommendations about what should be taught, they are asked to participate in curriculum Read More
Elevator Pitch on Innovation
Education is a practice that has an interesting relationship with technology, especially information technology. Whenever a new technology arrives, there are teachers who perceive it to be an intrusion. This is a reasonable response as the new technology will be causing them to reassess their practices, change some, and abandon others. Many interpret this as Read More
Elevator Pitch: Assumptions About Tests
Educators assume tests and other types of assignments in which students restate when they have learned, or perhaps apply what they learned to familiar problems, are an accurate demonstration of what students learned. While this may accurately measure changes in memory, it may not indicate the learner’s capacity to be critical, creative, or pragmatic with Read More
Elevator Pitch: Reality of Curriculum
Most folks assume the curriculum comprises the information students are expected to learn, and that it is well-known, agreed upon, and accurately reflects the world. This is not true for many courses. Human knowledge is far more than information, and what we learn or when we apply what we have learned, it is rarely as Read More
Edtech for IT: Accessibility Checkers
IT professionals can expect to be asked to support accessibility checkers in the productivity suites they deploy. These tools (which may be built into the applications or may require add-ons to be installed) will identify parts of the presentations that are not compliant with ADA requirements. For example, they will identify missing metadata, missing navigation Read More
Elevator Pitch: ADA & Multimedia
Because schools are public institutions, they are compelled to follow the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This means teachers who create multimedia for use in their classrooms must ensure the materials are accessible. Accessibility of multimedia means, for example, video is closed captioned, slides have unique names, descriptive alternative text is added to Read More
Elevator Pitch on Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that was begun in 2001, had a reputation as an unreliable resource as it is edited by volunteers. Many who were responsible for managing school IT at the time blocked access to it on their internet filters; I was one of those who did. Over time, educators and IT professionals realized Read More
Elevator Pitch on Changing Nature of Education
Education really has changed in recent decades. My reasons for concluding this is true are many, varied, and too complicated to detail here. It is tempting to blame education for the changes in society that we observe, but that will gain us nothing and the blame is not deserved. All schools serve the learners who Read More