Writing in the community section for the first time this school year, Principal 2.0 Jason Levy has just posted a speech he gave yesterday at a Google-hosted conference about digital-age schooling. As principal of IS 339 in the Bronx, Levy has long tried to integrate new technologies into teaching and learning; last spring, IS 339 hosted an online conference to showcase student work.
The Internet is a language students know and teachers have to learn, Levy writes:
I realized that our students were hardwired for modern technology. Social networking spots like MySpace met a felt need for connecting, and sharing and collaborating. Yet our school ran as it had in the 90s, the 80s and the 70s. We’d rearranged some of the deck chairs, yet our 1.0 band was indeed playing many different tunes, and none that our students wanted to hear. Despite all of our fears, I was determined to get technology into the hands of staff and students. Students were fluent in the language of the 21st century Internet. We adults needed to quickly catch up.
Read Levy’s entire post to find out how he and his staff have brought IS 339 into the 21st century.