Fundraising Companies are NOT the Enemy When it Comes to Educational Innovation

In my last post, I provided my take on the various companies in support of education.  In the end, there are companies and foundations that will be responsible for improving education and contributing in a positive way to the educational reform on the horizon.

Now, it's time to take things a bit further.  I take on the question, how will fundraising be a catalyst for innovation and change in schools in the future.

In order to explain this, we have to look at where schools are today.

Schools are by and large still using old technology to connect with children and at the same time, the digital front is already embraced at home.  Without going into much detail I think we can all agree that schools are still lagging behind the technology curve.

On a slightly different front, schools are still using paper in a large way.  Paper is used in the classroom and textbooks are in paper form.  This will eventually be replaced by all things digital.

But who will fund this technological revolution?  This switch from paper to devices?  How will schools afford to keep up with technology?

Yesterday I ran across this article: Obama Boston-bound; education, fundraising on tap

It's very interesting to me for a few reasons.  A group of corporations working together to consider educational innovation fills a huge and desperate need.  Unfortunately, one main point in the article is that schools need to do more with less.

So, how do companies create devices, textbooks and digital learning tools without schools being able to pay for this technology when it's relevant.  I think we all realize that if schools adopt new technology too late, there is a challenge relating to students who have a different technological reality at home.

I believe fundraising will be around for a very long time and will be a logical partner with foundations and corporations to complete the funding cycle.

I can envision corporations stepping up to do their part to get the newest technology into production. I believe schools will take a chance and go paperless.  I see schools making up a shortfall in technology spending with fundraising dollars and support from foundations. 

Once the need to save our schools is great enough, the community will support what is best for children.

I leave you with this...

Students will never express the need for better schools, new technology or collaborative learning.  They won't ask to go paperless, or for new playground equipment.  They will step over cracked concrete steps that need to be replaced.  They won't ask for unprocessed lunches.

Students don't know about the educational reform on the horizon nor is improving schools even something they are aware of.  They don't have a voice and won't be heard on their own.

We have to step up and represent the children if improving schools is to be a reality.

Schools and Technology... Changing Perceptions in the Mind of the Community.

Ask a random member of your community if they think the local elementary school is on the cutting edge of technology and most likely, they'll be thinking overhead projectors and VHS tapes.

I applaud educators today for pushing to improve the reputation of teachers when it comes to technology.  I no longer picture a teacher as purely a red pen, loose paper, dusty book person.  I picture educators as Macbook toting, Smartboard using folks planning their classes on an iPad.

So, here's the trouble.  When your average person pictures a school, they do not imagine a well-designed modern layout with comfortable furniture and quiet voices. They do not see subdued indirect lighting.  They do not envision students on the newest technology available.  They do not imagine students truly engaged.

They hear the clicks and squeaks of shoes in long echo filled hallways, the grinding of pencils being sharpened and outdated textbooks hitting the desks.  In the mind, the school is exactly as it has always been.  Loud, sterile and behind-the-times. They picture a lot of horseplay and talking back.

Change takes time and that's why I have so much respect for the educators in my PLN (my Personal Learning Network).  I see first-hand what technology and communication can do to improve learning.  The development of the educators that have embraced sites like twitter and express themselves with blogs such as this one is mind-boggling.  The desire to integrate apps and devices and create an environment where collaborative learning replaces memorization.

There is no doubt in my mind that our current educators can bring a new level of awareness and reform education.  Here's proof that our educators are on the cutting edge:

2010 Edublog Award Winners

If you take a look at some of the winners listed here, you'll get the idea that blogging, social media, technology and new strategies are being widely distributed TODAY.

And the kids are ready for it!  Right now, our toddlers are fully capable of operating computers and apps of all types.

My son just turned 4 years old and can surf YouTube, find age appropriate Netflix content to watch without help, take photos and videos and play them back and he can easily operate a number of educational apps without supervision. I know that sounds like he must be online all the time but it's not that he's always using technology.  He's a regular boy and plays and we do a lot of fun things together - He's just pretty darn good at it now that the devices are as intuitive as they are today.

This phenomenon is not just happening to just a few kids.  Take a look at this:

Learning to Play ‘Angry Birds’ Before You Can Tie Your Shoes

The technology gap between home and school could just as easily widen if school budgets don't allow for integrating technology into the classroom creating a dynamic where students don't relate to school as well. Although I'm no expert here, what I do know is that children like to be challenged.  Not being up-to-date is just not all that interesting.

This is why I respect schools that pay attention to design, lighting, comfort, computers & devices, video, sound reinforcement and simplicity.  I also applaud educators that push the boundaries discovering new and exciting ways to engage students and inspire others.

In the end, changing schools is going to be a long haul but I believe it can be done.

People will have to see for themselves this 'new school' is dedicated to the integration of technology and new principles of learning in order to believe it.  It will have to shatter the expectation that the school was created from the 'hand-me-downs' of the business sector and let it be known that the educators actually know how to use the technology.

We can get there and it will happen when thousands upon thousands of little actions improve the way schools work.  I see these improvements daily from the educators in my PLN and I am impressed.  It's perhaps not yet a movement, but it is something powerful.

I, for one, look forward to following these small innovations all along the way.  Things will soon look very different as a result.

______________________________

Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising and blogs here at BelieveJay.Blogspot.com as well as TheFundraisingPln.com


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Here's the article that inspired this post: Tightrope Teaching

Building Momentum - Social Media and building a PLN

Eric Sheninger - esheninger.blogspot.com

Principal Eric Sheninger's post Building Momentum outlined several points about how and why Social Media and building a PLN has changed his point of view.

To sum up his take on it, the four areas of improvement are:
1. Communication
2. Branding
3. Professional Development/Growth
4. Opportunity

There are a few added benefits that Social Media and creating a PLN (personal learning network) that were not explored in his post.  Because I am very passionate about technology, social media and my PLN I thought we could explore these ideas together and see what revelations can be found.

Here are my additions:

1) Cohesiveness
Social media and PLN's seem to be creating groups of individuals that share the same passions.  Education reform, edtech, collaborative learning, paperless classrooms all represent ideas that, when searched out, become apparent.

Finding a group with similar needs has always and continues to develop excellence in certain areas.  For just about anything a person is interested in, there are groups out there of people that are already connected and moving their cause or idea forward.

2) Friendship
Having real flesh and blood friends is pretty cool.  There was a time recently where folks were anonymous on the web.  Now that everything's changed, you stand the chance of actually taking online friends from largely anonymous interactions to flesh and blood friendships.

Today, meetups, tweetups, conventions and events allow people from various parts of the world to mingle and meet - in person.  It's new and different, and real.  People from across the country who would only write letters to each other are now meeting face to face knowing what they are really about.

3) Education
For every person that encounters a circle of friends on social media or runs into an established set of like-minded individuals, it's hard not to learn something.  Generally, the discussions are poinient and powerful and really, not basic.  Running into a group of experts is a great learning experience.

I believe people exposed to a group that is at a higher level learns fast.  I am a proponent for the paperless classroom not because I don't like printing.  It's because I ran into the TeachPaperless blog through a number of conversations on twitter.  I nearly consider myself an expert in the area because of the wealth of knowledge I received in short order - no joke.

4) Inspiration
There is inspiration found in the sweaty brow of an athlete at game time.  I'm not much of a sports fan but there just is.  Similarly, an educator who is 'in the zone' so to speak has an energy and enthusiasm for what they believe in as well.

I am inspired by the educators and suppliers that provide energy and insight.  When I was in school, only a hand-full of teachers were requested by students wanting to get in their classrooms.

Online, I feel like everyone I run into is that teacher you go out of your way to get into their class - that's inspiration!