PD, Trends of the Future and Breakfast

Both chapter 9 and 10 were very interesting. I always like some of the tools that are presented in this book. Some of the tools are ones that we have discussed recently at district technology meetings, so it's nice to know that our school district is talking about and considering these new resources. This chapter presents the goal of PD as being one of not just improvement but rather transformation. What I like about this book is not only does it provide a message of what we should strive for but it also gives some specific examples of ideas and resources we can use. I also like how standards drive the content of the book because our instructional goals should always match up with those standards.

On page 266 of chapter to Egbert mentions the fact that in the future (and this is already happening) that technologies will become even more combined, mobile and wearable. There is no doubt that this is true. It's hard to really predict what the future will look like in terms of technology ("always in motion is the future", as Yoda says) but the various tools will certainly be smaller, faster, and even more mobile.

We had a good discussion in our small group this week about various issues related to technology on a school district and societal level. It seems to me that funding is always at the core of these issues. I do like the messages presented in Egbert's book about searching for alternative funding sources (p.247). Our schools have applied for and received grants from Target and the parent groups also help to purchase equipment and resources. Basically, the message in the book is one of self-empowerment. It would certainly be nice if there were larger budgets in the various school systems throughout the country but there are things we can do to help students right away.