Geneva School Board Candidate — Dan Garrett on Technology

I have posted a few blogs about the budget and debt, so here's some focus on the classroom.

I have taught at university and community college levels, and coached 3rd- and 4th-grade math students in talented and gifted programs who were working on high school level math topics.

I also see my 6-year-old running circles around my 50-year-old friends when it comes to installing and running apps on ipads and iphones. He has no problem instantly figuring out not only games and swiping birds across the screen, but configuring screen resolutions, formats and settings without needing my help.  I've watched him figure out complex puzzles and finger moves with no coaching —he's been doing it since he was 3 — it's a new world of kids we are educating now!

I would like to see more communication by the board with the kids themselves.  Skip past the admin and teachers for a minute, and talk to the kids directly about technology use. E-start is a good direction, but let's ramp it up. I've seen 14- and 15-year-old boys on morning talk shows saying how they created a commercially viable app for staying on task for studying and getting things done — built by kids, for kids' mindset — and the app is successful, per both review ratings and sales.

Point being — they didn't do this for a class, but despite what that lacked if they just relied on the classroom instruction on the topic. We need to break out of our thinking trap of limited school use of technology — just automating ways to get on the web for research or drawing/note taking efficiencies using tablets instead of computer labs bores kids — really, you think that's all we can handle? I think our students get a little frustrated by our (teachers, adults in general) limited expectations on how/if they can employ these new tools.

Kids don't need our help running apps (ask my 6-year-old, when you need help), but kids do need direction on making good use decisions and setting priorities on what apps to use — think wordworking with a chisel vs. a router or lathe.  We need to teach thinking "new", not automate old. Many teachers "get it", but sometimes have trouble getting support and buy-in from admin and boards alike.  I see it all the time in my software selling job — it takes some faith in the younger generations to spend your tech dollars, but usually the money is well spent.

My point is that technology means many different things, depending on how you ask (and more importantly who you watch while they use technology). I think we could have forums with the kids, as a board, to have them teach us what would be the best thing for us, as a board, to support. How about having kids revamp the communication and board website for us? Let them show us how it should be done, and I'd think we, as a board, would have a much better understanding of where our goals and sights should be set — I think we are aiming too low.

Our kids are sharper and more knowledgable on what future education and jobs they need to prepare for. We should ask them to share that with us.

Vote for me April 9, and I'll carry that thought forward.

Dan Garrett

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