Rants of Jeff: ITjab: Paradise Valley Education Foundation

ITjab

ITjab was founded on the belief that systemic change by exploting information technology in schools, classrooms, and districts, is not moving fast enough. We struggle in keeping up with, much less getting ahead of, the demands created by advances in neuroscience, information technology and globalization. We're stuck, we need to get unstuck, and we need to do it within the next ten years.

In our march to accelerate learning and cover all standards and all achievement, we simply must better utilize information technology. While we wrestle with professional development, data warehousing, organizational changes, funding, and the like, we must re-think how to not only instruct for academic content, but engage productivity using authentic, 21st century skills and environments. We must in fact become experts at not just teaching, but teaching with a 21st century purpose.

Towards that end, information technology not only enhances and catalyzes learning and educational processes, but it may well be the central focus of the next innovations and solutions in the K12 industry. A good/great IT Director, Coordinator, Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, whatever you want to call it, could be one of the most valuable assets in your organization. Creativity in information technology, coupled with strategic decisions and vision, such as Open Source for functionality and fiscal sustainabiltity will be some of the keys to our future.

Through successful K12 experience at state, district, school and classroom levels, I stand ready to serve. IT creativity, coupled with a passion to help students, educators, and learning organizations, drives the mission.

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