Let's start "Thinking Differently"

I recently returned from a Technology Institute where leaders from 50 different school systems gathered to reflect and provide insights, thoughts, comments, and perspectives to these four questions:

1. What strategies will enable the creation of 21st century competencies while sustaining the need to acquire core academic skills? 
2. What are the best practices that will prepare students for success in a dynamic global workforce? 
3. What are the District-level strategies and best practices that will create a learner-driven school culture? 
4. What are the Classroom-level strategies and best practices that will empower a generation of learner-driven students? 

Though far from provocative, these four questions however are critical to understanding the thinking of school leadership especially within the framework and context of decision making related to technology.

To that end, I am pushing these four questions out to our leadership to consider where we are with respect to our own thinking related to technology integration to conversion of teaching and learning.  Our worst fears are that we will not realize the transformation of teaching and learning caused by the tools of this century.

We know with little hesitation that devices irrespective of manufacturer, label, or brand provide unprecedented opportunity for engagement.  We know engagement is also from and for both the teacher and learner alike.  However, engagement is a first step. 

A second step will be the creation, demonstration, application, and connection of learning on unprecedented levels.  This is where the unknown becomes daunting to some, irresistible to others.  We know connectivity and access know no bounds.  A world-wide faculty of experts, doers, dreamers, entrepreneurs, designers, and etc. are at the touch of screen (or a key).  Incredible that the world, the universe for that matter is close to becoming the norm for information and knowledge access and creation not a textbook.

This is completely radical to many inside education and to policy makers alike.  The thought of textbooks being replaced is only a matter of time.  Yet, hear the voices crying in the wilderness, textbooks must be interactive incorporating all methods, modes, and mediums of video, audio, virtual, real-time, and of course text.  The idea of simply substituting print for a digital text is not what I am talking about -

Yes the calculus of where to find, interact, and interface with information and knowledge is about to change in a big way- are we ready?  Probably not!

The answers or at least the conversation that emerges from the four aforementioned questions will lead educators and education leaders to "different".  The best hopes are that we change the way we think to change the way we behave.  A great place to start is with textbooks.