Is It Time To Move Past Tech Integration?

What is your school's mindset surrounding technology use in the classroom? If you're like a lot of educators, you are probably working to integrate technology into instruction. You might even be discussing the merits of blended learning. But what does it mean to integrate technology? And what is blended learning?

I think those terms are used similarly and seem to indicate a desire for technology to be used more effectively in schools. A fairly common definition of blended learning is an education method in which a student learns at least in part through delivery of content and instruction via digital and online media with some element of student control over time, place path, or pace. The increased student agency is the most important part of the entire definition to me. 

And yet, I think many schools claim to have blended learning while maintaining a teacher-directed approach. The part about giving some element of student control gets lost in the shuffle as teachers use a variety of 'cool' tools in an effort to add pizzazz to the same old lessons they taught before.

Most teachers feel like they need to use technology in their classroom. They are aware of the "technology push" in schools. Everyone seems to be calling for more technology in schools. In fact, spending on K-12 education technology is nearly $10 billion a year. That's a significant push! But to what aim?

Most teachers (but not all) have come around to the idea that it's important to use technology in the classroom. However, far too many think using a PowerPoint and a projector equates to being a forward thinking teacher. If you ask teachers why technology is important, you will hear a variety of responses. But one common response I hear is that kids are interested in technology, so using technology will help make kids more interested in learning.

There is an element of truth to this. Some kids do seem to prefer learning that involves digital opportunities. Technology can support student engagement. But it can also support student empowerment. And there's a distinct different. A student who is engaged wants to learn something because it's exciting or interesting to them. But a student who is empowered wants to learn something because they find inherent value in the learning for themselves and others. They are choosing to learn because they find meaning in what they are doing. It is more than a fun activity, it's an important pursuit.

If we are using technology to shift agency to the learner it can truly be transformation. By the year 2020 there will be nearly 6 billion smartphones in the world. We all know smartphones continue to get more powerful each year. A connected device gives its owner access to the sum of human knowledge at his or her fingertips. If your students aren't empowered learners, how will they use this access to reach higher in a world that is rapidly changing?

Technology should not be an add-on to learning in the classroom. It shouldn't even be an extension of learning. It's just how we learn in a modern world. One way. Not the only way. But one very important way. I recently heard George Couros speak and he remarked that "if I told you the library in your school is just an extra, and I am going to remove it from your school, you would be outraged. Your community would be outraged. You would never allow that. Technology is just as essential to learning as your school library."

I enjoy gardening. This year I'm trying to raise my game and make my garden the best its ever been. So I worked extra hard to prepare my soil, select my plants, and find out what great gardeners do differently. I think that might be a great title for Todd Whitaker's next book! I talked to friends who are good gardeners, and I regularly conducted research online to answer questions that arose. 

And check this out, I am cutting-edge here...I am integrating a shovel, a hoe, and a water hose into my gardening. I went to a garden conference, learned about some cool tools, and have now decided to integrate these tools into my garden plans. What the heck, you say?!? You would never say that you're going to integrate essential tools like a shovel, a hoe, or a water hose into gardening. They're essential. You just use them.

As I used technology to research my garden, I watched YouTube videos and read various blogs and articles to learn more. And it's funny, never once did I think "I'm now going to integrate some technology into my garden project." I viewed the technology as a helpful tool, a very powerful tool, a potentially transformational tool, to help me be a better gardener. In the same way that my shovel, hoe, and water hose are essential tools to gardening, technology is an essential tool to almost every kind of learning.

At the typical edtech conference, there seem to be a lot of sessions on the what and how of using tech tools in the classroom. Someone will also be sharing the latest version of a cool app, game, or platform. But I contend that we must always start with why. I learned that from Simon Sinek. We must understand why we are using technology in the class and have a clear vision of empowering students as as adaptable learners. They will need these skills in a world where there will soon be 6 billion smartphone users.

Question: Are you integrating technology as an add-on, or is it just an essential part of learning in your school? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or share on or .

The 9 Innovation Killers in Your School

We are trying to develop a culture of innovation in our school. Here's why I think that's so important. In the past, we would always try to get better at areas we felt needed to improve. We would implement this strategy or that strategy in the hopes that it would result in a better learning experience for students. Most of the ideas were not "home grown." They were handed down from the state department or driven by standardized testing. Teachers, at times, didn't feel all that invested and sometimes even felt the programs were being pushed upon them. Instead of nurturing an innovation culture, we had an implementation culture—implementing someone else's ideas.

In an innovation culture, teachers are empowered to develop ideas that will create better learning opportunities for students. They are free to try new things, to make mistakes, to take risks, and to think out of the box. Since the ideas are developed by teachers in the classroom, they are invested in the process, and they understand the unique opportunities and challenges of their students and their content. They don't have to ask permission to do what they believe is best for students. In fact, they are encouraged to look at school and learning with new eyes. So much of what we do is based on tradition and habit, even though it might not work best for students or learning.

Schools have been trying to get better at mostly the same old stuff for 50+ years. Maybe it's time to try some new stuff. Instead of trying to repair the old things, I would suggest we consider building something new. It's important to recognize that innovation is not just thinking of new ideas. It is about trying them out in a reflective way. It's thinking of ideas and carrying them out.

As we have pursued a change culture in our school, we've thought about ways we can increase innovative thinking. But it's also important to think about the things that keep us from innovating. Here are nine things that absolutely kill innovative thinking. 

1. "Prove it."

More precisely, prove it with data. Schools are under intense pressure to prove results with data. But some promising innovations might not deliver results right away. The initial success does not always indicate what the long-term success might be. And moreover, some of the measures that schools are using may not be the best indicators of success in the first place. If we are relying exclusively on test scores to show success, are we really measuring the right thing?

Instead of being data-driven, we should be student-driven, and learning-driven. Look at a wide variety of indicators of success. When an idea isn't successful right away, don't feel that you must abandon it. If you feel it has the potential to make a positive impact, stick with it.

When an idea really takes off, we don't need to prove it. I've seen things that are so wildly successful, that no one would question that it was incredibly beneficial for students. If our ideas are big enough, we will know if they are successful or not. 

2. "We've never done it that way."

It's so easy to get stuck in our patterns of thinking. Often we do the things that are familiar without another thought as to how effective they might be or if there might be a better way. It's been said this is the most dangerous phrase in the language. That may be a slight exaggeration, but undoubtedly it is an innovation killer.

Instead of clinging to the way it's always been, we should always question, "Why have we done it this way for so long?" Is this really what's best, especially given how quickly the world is changing around us? If schools aren't changing to meet the challenges of today and even tomorrow, what will that mean for our students?

Without a doubt, I think we are struggling to keep up with the changes in our world. The question is how far behind are we going to be before we make some bigger shifts in how we do business.

3. "We can't afford it."

There are many innovative ideas that don't cost a thing. They just require a shift in thinking and courage to do things in a different way. I think too many schools think they can't be innovative because of limited resources. But sometimes innovation does need budgetary support. While there are only so many dollars available for a school to spend, how funds are allocated is to some extent a choice. Instead of thinking "we can't afford it," maybe schools should consider "how can we find a way to afford it?" Ultimately, we shouldn't allow the budget to kill innovation. Let's think of possibilities to support innovation with our budgets.

4. "Our scores are great!"

Great standardized test scores can be an innovation killer. Why? Because teachers feel the pressure to keep the scores high and trying something new might result in lower scores. In many schools, a drop in scores would be considered complete failure. When the scores are high, we are tempted to pat ourselves on the back and feel that we are doing exactly what we should be doing. But is our goal to develop students who are great test takers? Or, are we trying to help students be adaptable learners and creative problem solvers? Some of the most important skills students need to be life-ready aren't reflected in a standardized, content-driven test. 

5. "Our scores are terrible!"

Low standardized test scores can also be an innovation killer. Schools with low scores usually feel tremendous pressure to raise scores. Unfortunately, this often means a focus on remediation, with an increase in prescribed lessons, test-prep, and drill-and-practice. These methods may result in higher scores, but they can hardly be considered authentic or innovative. Moreover, these narrow-minded methods don't prepare students to be adaptable or lifelong learners. It's extremely difficult to think big and be bold when the focus is on fixing low test scores.

6. "That's not how I do it."

As George Couros has been quoted, "Isolation is the enemy of innovation." Teachers who want to do it their way, without considering other possibilities, are detrimental to an innovative culture. This type of thinking resists collaboration and sharing work. Instead of looking for ways to work together, this attitude builds walls to protect my turf. 

7. How would we ever do that?"

One of the quickest ways to kill a creative brainstorming session is to start trying to figure out "how" the idea would work. Many great ideas were shot down because they didn't seem possible at first. Until later, someone had the courage to give it a shot, to think in a different way, and then it became successful. Instead of focusing on "how" right from the start, think about "why" the idea might be important. Then, if the idea is important enough, you can figure out the "how" later. When something is important enough, you find a way to make it happen.

8. "We only use research-based practices."

We can learn much from education research. But to think that we are only going to adopt ideas that have been proven successful in the research literature seems very limiting to me. If we only do the things that have been proven to work, what is the opportunity cost? Are there ideas that might be incredibly beneficial in our school that aren't established in research? Most schools that focus exclusively on research-based practices are the ones that are trying to grow and get better at the same old stuff. They are not the ones trying to transform education so that schools are fundamentally different in ways that benefit today's students. Research-based practices is a focus on the past. Forward-thinking practices are ones that look to prepare students for a future that will require different skills than ever before.

9. "Just one more thing."

When educators have too many things on their plate, it becomes difficult to be innovative. There's not enough margin in our time to think, dream, create, and experiment. This results in any new idea feeling like it's just one more thing. And that is an innovation killer. Schools need to carve out time for teachers to collaborate, think, and develop ideas. I think it's great for teachers to have their own Genius Hour, a time to work on projects they are passionate about. It's one more way to encourage an innovation culture in your school.

Question: What are some other innovation killers? How can we overcome these challenges to create schools of the future? I want to hear from you. Respond by leaving a comment below or share on or .

5 Life-Changing Lessons from Being Stuck on an Elevator...in New York City...on Senior Trip

Elevator selfie while waiting for rescue!

Sunday we held our Commencement ceremony for 205 Bolivar Liberator graduates. It was a great day, and I'm so thankful for all the teamwork that makes an event like this a success. I am truly surrounded by rock stars!

It was an extra special graduation day for me. My son Cooper received his diploma. I had the great honor of presenting it to him. He plans to attend Southwest Baptist University next year to study computer science. I'm a proud dad!

You might notice in the picture I am wearing an abundance of beads and Hawaiian leis. The graduating class usually gets me a little gift that each person hands me as they make their way to receive the diploma. This year I was all decked out.

During this year's Senior Trip to NYC and Washington, DC, there was some unexpected excitement. A group of us were stuck in an elevator for 45 minutes. It was the inspiration for my message to this year's class:

It’s customary for graduation speakers to bestow some parting wisdom on the graduating class. I would like to do that today so I created a short list: 5 Life-Changing Lessons from Being Stuck on an Elevator...in New York City...on Senior Trip.

1. Keep Good Company

Surround yourself with people who lift you up and inspire you. You don’t want to be stuck on a hot, crowded elevator with negative people. You want people who believe rescue is possible and who can smile and face adversity with a good attitude, people who suggest things like ordering out a pizza or taking a selfie.

2. Be Problem Solvers

Work the problem. You start pushing various buttons on the panel, you bang on the door, you use the intercom to call for help. 

"We’re stuck in the elevator?" 

"Okay, we can help."

"How many are in there?" 

"14" 

"Seriously, how many?"

Sheepishly, "Really, there's 14 people in here." 

But you don’t give up. You collaborate with your team to suggest ideas, “Maybe we could crawl out the ceiling, like in Die Hard?” 

For the record, I vetoed that idea. Or if you can’t solve the problem, you bring along expert help, like the New York City Fire Department.

3. Be Careful of Shortcuts

When you’re on the tenth floor and you’re tired and hungry you might be tempted to try to squeeze into a crowded, creaky elevator. But sometimes the easy way is not the best way. Give that extra effort. Take the stairs. Show a little more patience. Wait for the next elevator. When 12 high school students tell you there’s plenty of room, don’t listen!!!

4. Have Courage

Don’t let fear take over. Your mind starts racing, “What if no one hears our call for help? What if the cable breaks? What if we suffocate? What if we miss dinner? What if I need to go to the bathroom?” 

I was recently reading that Jesus’s most repeated command was to not be afraid. It’s mentioned over and over in the New Testament. There is a way to live a life of hope and faith where fear is not in control.

5. Make Plans but Be Willing to Adjust 

We like to try to plan life and have it work out just the way we want. We want things to go as expected. But then you get stuck in an elevator. That can be scary. But you have to adjust and keep believing in your dreams. Many of you have big plans for after high school. Some of you aren’t sure what you want yet. 

But I hope as a result of your time at BHS, you know yourself a little better, you’re a better problem-solver, and you can adapt to the challenges life throws at you. You may get stuck in an elevator now and then, but you can handle just about anything because you won’t give up.

And one bonus piece of advice - very important - use a high quality deodorant. If you’re ever stuck in an elevator, everyone will thank you.

Good luck and blessings to the Class of 2016!!! #ProudPrincipal