I found Derek’s post to be a bit disconcerting:

My concern really is that it appears to me that the very people in our education system who should be experiencing these technologies in an ongoing and profound way aren’t. These are the various leaders, decision makers and policy developers who work at the school and national level. Their experience of what is happening in these communities must be based on more than reading about it in the media, or briefly visiting a site – they should be immersed in the experience and involved in reflecting critically (as a part of a community) on that experience and the value they see arising from it. Sadly I don’t see this happening. As a result, we have policy decisions made in ignorance.

Safety decisions made through fear. And decisions affecting learning dominated by concerns about risk mitigation. . .I fear we have a way to go yet before we see education systems as systems realise the benefits outlined in Wikinomics. Oh well, we can live in hope….

One of my favorite false memories of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet is that if I constantly stare at the ground, I will see only shadows. Should I focus on the shadows and not the source of light that banishes shadows? It seems that my focus has been on encouraging others to experience blogging, social networking for themselves. Yet, when I do presentations, I often find participants tired, despairing, ignorant of all except what they must do, running ragged, no time to breathe or think or write, only time to be tired and plod through what must be done, like oxen in their traces.

On the other hand, I also find participants who are eager to connect, collaborate, to create an online presence. I am tempted to exclaim, “Give me a team made up of people like these and I’ll turn the school around.” And, I’ve often asked the question Simon (Educating the Dragon) has asked below:

I really see the issue as being walking before we can run. . .perhaps up-skilling teachers by way of wikis and blogs has some mileage. Let’s face it we’re so busy if we aren’t MADE TO use these tools then the majority of us will not. It is only through their use can we be up-skilled to meet the challenge of educating our students for the 21st century. So what are the ideas and strategies involved to enable those ‘off-line’ to be encouraged to come over to our side of the conversation…. Or at least join the conversation…. At the VERY least know there is a conversation out there?

I wish I could say you could follow these 5 steps and everyone would “come over to our side of the conversation.” The truth is, I’ve seen more happen when ONE administrator–like an assistant superintendent or principal, depending on your perspective–says to the staff, “We need to be doing more of this than we are. Let’s make a concerted effort.”

In a real way, I find myself getting everything ready for WHEN the assistant superintendent or principal says, “Hey, tell me more about this.” I find myself writing about the changes, sharing them whenever I can, but I often find myself waiting…waiting…waiting…for someone to ask. The only answer to such waiting is to do it, whatever “it” is, as mightily as within your power to do. To remember that in spite of politics and powers, no one can stop me from letting the light shine, however feebly.

Ok, for fun, here are 5 steps with no guarantee of success and that I’m making up as I write…if they are stolen from somewhere else, my apologies:

1. Align what you want to accomplish to the reality of your situation. That doesn’t mean doing less than what you hope, advocating for less, but knowing what must be put in place and done to ensure success.
2. Find out who the stakeholders in the game are, what it will take for them to adopt points of view that you can build on, and develop a relationship with them.Know what you need to know to influence the right people in your organization, realizing that it’s ever-changing and that once you begin, you will be moving very fast to keep the log in the water spinning.
3. Stay fit. Make sure that you’re physically/emotionally/mentally prepared to keep yourself influencing people, keeping that log in the water spinning and know how far you are willing to go.
4. Publicize what the stakeholders are doing aligned to what you want, as well as what they are interested in.
5. Be transparent/open about what you want, what your fears are, to ensure no hidden agendas/fears and work to constantly be predictable in what you do and say.

Ok, am I way off? What would you do?

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