Vision Statment

I have been throwing around ideas for a vision statement assignment for my final masters course and I am looking for a little advice. The task in this assignment is to look ahead at what your new knowledge suggests about teaching and learning in the future.  Let me know what you think, please be honest even if that means being a little harsh ;) This is the second time I have started this post only to change my idea.

This is a potential starting point... 

“Schools that ignore the trends shaping tomorrow will cease to be relevant in the lives of their students, and will quickly disappear.” (link) This quote from Dr. David Thornburg’s 1997 vision of education still holds true more than ten years later.  The difficulty for educators is seeing the trends shaping our world and more importantly how they will effect students.  At today’s rate of change, technology will experience the equivalent of  20,000 years of growth, this century.  (link) Students need a school experience that reflects the realities of our world.  Our students “literally take in the world via the filter of computing devices:  the cellular phones, handheld gaming devices, PDAs, and laptops they take everywhere, plus the computers, TVs, and game consoles at home.” (21st Century Schools Project)


Where I go from here I am not totally sure, I was thinking of creating a vision based on the google philosophy.  The problem with that is I think it will end up to vast for this assignment.  I am also considering writing this vision as though I am the Director of a school boards technology service department.  These core principles would guide my actions and decisions for technology in the school district.

1. Focus on the learner
• learner centered
2. Do one thing really really well
• Provide reliable access to students and teachers
3. Your time is valuable.
• The restructuring of the classroom
• Blended learning environments
4. Right Time, Right Place
• Digitization
5. Great isn’t good enough.