I like the way the author(s) presented the material in chapter one because it gives readers a good background into our educational system and government programs. The most relevant information to this course is the last part of the chapter in the section “Access and Educational Opportunities.” In this section, there are four precepts:

1. Access to up-to-date hardware, software, and connectivity.
2. Access to culturally relevant content and the opportunity to contribute to that content.
3. Access to educators who know how to use digital technology and resources.
4. Access to systems where leaders have vision and are supportive of change via technology.

In our TappedIn chat from Wednesday night, it seems that many of our schools are still struggling to even meet the first access precept, let alone make progress towards reaching the other three goals. I also heard a lack of confidence in many of the class members in their own technology skills. Not only does it take time to learn new technologies, you also have to know where to look. I consider myself very tech savvy when it comes to hardware and software applications, but I did not know about the extensive use of blogs for finding new information and meaningful discussions on relevant educational issues, gator feeds for ease of access (I had my old, reliable favorites that I navigated to), or other communication sites besides Blackboard (like the TappedIn we use for chats). Even though we have a technology person in the district, they mostly deal with getting teachers hardware support (like document cameras and multimedia projectors). There is little guidance in how to maximize the use of this equipment, and it may be the hope of the technology person that teachers will be the innovative ones, but as many people mentioned the other night, there is just not enough time to do it all. At the beginning of each school year, there are sessions on Microsoft Office products, using email and calendars, and MarcoPolo. It has been the same sessions for the past four years.

In my opinion, there needs to exist a system of connectivity between technological corporations, departments of education at the federal and state levels, universities, and teachers. As I was reading the entries to Stephen Downes’ blog this week, I found an entry from Forbes that has commentary from influential individuals (entrepreneurs, politicians, educators, and a nobel prize winner) on access issues. Of course the first one I read was from Bill Gates. In summary, he says that even though we are educating more people than every in the history of the world, there are still great strides to be made.  One way to help with teacher shortages is to use technology to reach more students.  He also makes the point that it requires the effort of many, governments, business, and educators.  One other opinion that I felt was worth discussing is that of Muhammed Yunus, a Noble Peace Prize recipient.  He points out that we prepare students for future careers, but we don’t challenge them to dream about their future world and what they can do to make it happen.  He proposes that educators help students begin social action forums, where they examine the world around them, seek out problems, and propose solutions.  He is willing to host a web site where these forums can be collected and shared.  There are many other good opinions on this site to read.  I did want to touch on those two.

But how important are the precepts mentioned in the chapter?  Is it absolutely imperative that they are addressed on a grand scale?  It depends on who you ask.  Individuals like Bill Gates and Muhammad Yunus would say it is critical that our society prepare our young people to compete in a global economy.  They are looking at the big picture.  But individuals at the local school level may not feel this way because they know that many students who graduate don’t need any sophisticated skills to do their future jobs.  They just need the basics.  I would say that most of us fall somewhere in between.  We are not in a position of power that can make revolutionary educational trends happen, but we can work hard to make the world around us a better place for our students.  We make do with the resources we have.