Today I am writing to you with a dilemma. You see, my daughter attends a school in a rural area of America where not all of the community members are tech or internet savvy. In fact, the majority of our population still lives without a basic computer in their home. The lack of technology and the general disdain shown for it in our school system is something that haunts me as my husband and I raise two technology savvy young ladies in the 21st Century.
As the secretary of our Parent-Teacher organization, I have created and update monthly a website for the PTSO, but there are few who actually use it. Our school district has a poorly updated, rarely visited web page of their own that regularly sits dormant for months at a time. At the beginning of the school year last year, parents were told educators would be keeping a class blog to help parents/guardians stay involved and up-to-date with the classroom, but they were never used and at the beginning of this year the blogs were not even mentioned. I, and a small group of connected parents, have attempted numerous times to offer help with the website or raising awareness, inquired about the teachers’ blogs but to no avail.
We are simply being shut down at the door: the principal’s door, the superintendent’s door, and the board’s door. In the last year, while many schools are expanding their technology based learning our school is drastically falling behind. Who does this hurt? The students, the teachers, the administrators, the parents, and our collective future. If our children do not begin learning with and in the 21st Century while attending school, they will inevitably fall behind once they enter the workforce and are competing against thousands of other applicants. While I know my husband and I do all we can to make sure our children grow into contributing, technologically savvy, always learning worldwide citizens,
I can’t help but wonder about the students who’s parents are not interested in or unable to do the same. These children will grow up and contribute to the world’s future. I want them all, not just my own, to have the most advantages as possible. How can I help my community embrace technology, not just in the classroom but also in their daily lives?
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Amanda,
Have you considered appealing to the state for help? As parents you are their constituents and they should listen. If it’s money they need for implementing tech, help them apply for grants. Maybe there are other districts in the state that are like yours but are using tech in their schools/district. Your district could take a page from their book. Or at least get a fire lit under their you-know-what.
I can imagine you’re frustrated. Don’t give up!
Hello Amanda,
It’s very clear that you sincerely and passionately believe in the value of technology in education, and that your interests extend well beyond the care and development of your own children, which is great. The unfortunate reality however around what you have described can, I think, be summarized as follows (pardon the obvious):
It’s just not as important to them as it is to you.
I recently wrote about this very subject, here, on my blog, in a post called “How’s your alignment?” http://www.ncs-tech.org/?p=4995. Although the focus is different, the essential dialog is the same, to wit: what do you do when your organization doesn’t have the same priorities you do?
I’m not sure how much it will help, but I wanted to share in case it did.
I’ll close with this thought. Your choices from here on out are to:
A) keep the conversation alive; do whatever it takes to keep the issues in front of your district decisionmakers (in a non-threatening, ever-helpful sort of way);
B) accept the status quo will never change and try not to let it bother you too much;
C) move.
Hate to be so pedantic, but it’s really that simple. What’s not so simple is dealing with the people in your community, some in the school administration, and some outside it, to generate support for your ideas.
Good luck to you!
-kj-
p.s. I hope you choose Option A!
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“No one, not even a farmer, works as hard as a caring teacher, but there is nothing lazier than an uncaring one.” – Tom Moore
Kevin Jarrett
Technology Facilitator, K-4
Northfield Community School
Northfield, NJ USA
These are really good ideas. I love showcasing success stories and presenting ideas that have worked. Thanks Michelle!
Hi Helen:
I’d have to agree with you. We’re often afraid of what we don’t understand and that is true worldwide.
Wow! Thank you so much for the suggestions. Yes, option C might be simpler. A is hard but worth doing.
Amanda,
That does sound like an annoying situation to be in, especially in this day and age, but unfortunately it happens all over the world not just America.
In my role as a Teacher in England I often find the value of technology is often overlooked or viewed in a paranoid and suspicious manner. I have also found that sometimes people just avoid it because they do not understand it or are unwilling to learn.
Do not give up, keep trying to get you voice heard…its travelled across the world perhaps it might have reached someone in your own state.
I apologize if you’ve already tried this, but I would recommend opening up the building to your community and have frequent “come learn with us” nights. Obviously, this will take a number of volunteers to help pull off, but it’s definitely worth it!
Lure them in with dinner, raffles (ask for donations from local or not so local businesses), social activities. Each time, bring in a new secret weapon- perhaps, some fabulous internet activity that the kids have completed. Ask for other schools around you to visit or Skype in with examples of how they would like to partner with your students and community in an online learning adventure.
In my experience, the only method that I’ve found successful in helping to persuade those who don’t want to be persuaded is to show them what they’re missing. When kids are connected, excited and engaged, but most importantly, learning more deeply — and their parents/teachers/administrators witness this firsthand — you’ll find more people will leave the Dark Side.
Run for school board and make changes that way. It’s not just getting the technology but getting the teachers trained to work it. Until they realize they are doing a disservice to their students they won’t change. Keep working and pushing, the students need you.
Thanks for the idea Mary Beth!