Here is a 10-minute video of an interview that I held with Shannon Miller, their teacher librarian and technology director for the semester. Shannon is an avid Twitterer who is constantly sharing ideas and resources about education. I have a couple of more interviews that I will be sharing in the near future.
Shannon Miller - The Technology-Rich Learning Environment at Van Meter Community Schools Makes a Difference from Leigh Zeitz on Vimeo.
Shannon articulated thoughts that many 21st century educators share. First, she acknowledged that her library (classroom) was expanding past its walls, that is, becoming a flat world. Additionally, the one-to-one program brought "creation" to the students. No longer could they sit passively in the classroom, the had to be accountable for their learning, and often the learning of their peers. This also "leveled the field" between teachers and students. But it also leveled the field on a socioeconomic level. As an instructor at a community college that draws upon a less-affluent urban and rural community, many of my students do not have access to the programs that I use to develop documents or even an internet connection at home. Again, the key to this success is support: support from the adminstration through planning, training, and most certainly through funding.
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