This paper describes the many pitfalls that school technology planning processes can engender, and presents an improved model for planning for the use of technology in K-12 schools. There is a need for such a model because current school technology planning efforts are often devoid of context, and lead to poorly conceived arrangements of technology that are not supportive of learning goals. The new model is called "Planning for Technology" as opposed to the more common "technology planning" in order to emphasize the secondary nature of technology in relation to other considerations, such as curriculum and pedagogy. The model we present is described in the context of a case study conducted in an urban K-8 school that was attempting to make more productive use of their existing technology, and to more effectively plan for future technology.Research on the use of computers in schools is commonly geared toward the reform and improvement of classroom learning and teaching. These reforms are sometimes fostered through technology [e.g., 1], curricula [e.g., 2], pedagogy [e.g., 3], or most often a combination of all three. Before conceptual issues can be properly addressed, however, there are many practical issues that demand the
Advances in technology and the rise of interconnected devices have ushered in new ways of accessing, communicating, and showcasing that have the potential to help us reimagine education as a networked ecosystem, supporting learners and information to move freely across connected nodes including and beyond school. In this paper, I explore the idea of recognizing and designing for a healthy learning ecosystem that supports freedom of movement, supporting crossing physical boundaries of location, domain-specific boundaries of different topical areas, and conceptual boundaries of value and goodness of fit. The paper begins with a look of my own childhood, serving as both an example and metaphor for the idea of freedom of movement. I then share three design-based implementation initiatives from the Digital Youth Network to support freedom of movement. I close with a suggested framework for defining a healthy learning ecosystem, one that utilized existing infrastructure and sociotechnical systems to leverage movement within communities towards the goal of optimizing youth development.
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