Keys to the car

Kathy Daulton, the Curriculum Coordinator at Instituto Educacional Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The American School of Lima, sends this reflection about the need for collaborative technology planning...

I have a new analogy for all this (for some reason my analogies here always have to do with transportation).

In the beginning, techies drove their tech cars around the school neighborhood inviting teachers to take a ride and see what great opportunities were out there for teaching students.

Slowly but surely, teachers did take the tour and wanted (or were required) to learn to drive themselves, so techies sat in the front seat and directed them, giving important information about safe driving, proper turns, speed and care of their automobiles.

Now more and more teachers at [our school] are asking for the keys to the car. Techies still have to worry about the condition of the car and insurance, and they'll also bite their nails because there will be fender benders and perhaps crashes, but the goal is for teachers to be able to drive independently, care for their automobiles and become a truly collaborative partner in the implementation of the ITL curriculum.

Some teachers may even be ready in a short time for big trucks and motorcycles.

Kathy's comparison sounds a lot like Miguel Guhlin's "strict parent" description of technologists and administrators.

I would say that so long as administrators DO hold just the tech staff responsible for "fender benders" and "crashes," and not the teachers themselves, we will keep a tight grip on the wheel. Will basic technology safety and security ever be considered a professional responsibility?

Handing over the keys to the car? Are we capable? I hope so - and soon.