Journal entry 2 - SarahM

Sarah Morgan
Scholastic Administrator, Feb 2006
Is this the School of the Future? by Kevin Hogan
pgs. 29-35

Check out the Microsoft Website for more information and the blog that goes along with the process
http://www.microsoft.com/education/schooloffuture.mspx

Philadelphia is building a new school. It's builders are thinking outside the box, as we say, and building a truly new school in a quickly aging public educational system. This school will be "Above and beyond all the high-tech wizardry... the school's mission is to create a next-generation learning laboratory, where new curricula and learning methosd will be devised and tested in conjunction with all the gadgetry. It will also be a research and development complex..."
The biggest assistance the school district is from Microsoft Corporation. The Corp. has been providing personnel and their vast knowledge base: research in the areas of data integration and management, collaboration and communication techniques, organizational efficiency, and professional leadership development. This school is being build the "Microsoft Way" which will be successful because everyone involved in the school has buy-in including the community.
This makes me want to write a grant a restructure our whole technology department. I could never make it perfect though because my school is 5o years old, I don't have 100% buy in from everyone and most people who are at my school are stuck in their own paradigm. To make this a successful process you'd have to assemble a special team with special knowledge and energy to engage our students by using a new-futuristic paradigm.