Planning Good Change - Page 17 - Next Page

First Things First

It would make little sense to invest huge sums in these new technologies in order to win only occasional use, a special events type of implementation that involved students in doing searches and investigations a few times each year.

The goal should be to integrate the standards-based learning into every day's lessons.

The stretch from theory and model into daily practice is rarely addressed by those who bring new technologies and networks into schools, but the distance is vast. Moore (1991) writes about "Crossing the Chasm". And "chasm" may not be an exaggeration.

The challenge of moving past theory into routine practice has been described in great depth by Joyce and Showers. They call it the "challenge of transfer."


Deception Pass
in Washington State

It is one thing to sit in the comfort of a staff development session and listen to an expert describing a new technique.

It is quite something else to make that same technique a success on Monday morning with real students in a real classroom.

It is irresponsible to install networks without first equipping all teachers with the skills they need to overcome the obstacles and frustrations they will inevitably encounter when they try to use the network to deliver curriculum rich lessons.

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Credits: The photographs were shot by Jamie McKenzie.
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