New Mexico executives arrived to the Nativo Lodge in Albuquerque for a day of collaboration and exercises to develop digital curriculum transition strategy and tactics. At 8:00 a.m., the host of the day, Dr. David Kafitz of the Learning Counsel welcomed all with an overview of what he has seen and heard from district and school leaders across the U.S. He pointed out that virtually everyone he speaks with is confronting the same integration “growing pains.”
A summary of the findings from the 2015 Learning Counsel National Survey gave the entire audience new perspective. One key fact which rang true throughout the room were how districts are seeing a shift in the level of cross department collaboration. What were once very separate silos—curriculum and IT—are talking and coordinating. Many in the room agreed it was like a "perfect storm" in the administrative offices to resolve all the issues that come with the transition to digital curriculum and devices. But agreed by all was that getting through the "storm" is nothing but good for the students.
Photo Gallery from Albuquerque
Learning Counsel CEO, LeiLani Cauthen, then delivered a national level market briefing to bring everyone up to speed. This included details of what’s going on with the overall purchase of digital curriculum, what’s happening with technology purchase and what transformation actually means in the greater context of our economy, of our culture and the politics. “What I hope my leadership level briefing does,” stated LeiLani, “is help all involved say, ‘Okay, maybe I can’t necessarily do what HP or Apple are doing in the corporate side, but I can certainly be better organized, have a strategy and I can really look at how I’m doing this teacher by teacher, student by student and put my district brand out where I make sense.’ That’s what the Learning Counsel conversation is really about. We’re showing executives how they can compete in the modern world."
Throughout the rest of the day speakers from the education and vendor community discussed challenges and solutions to all that is changing in districts and private schools. The day ended with a lively panel discussion about digital curriculum and technology transformation: the effects on IT departments, student data privacy, collaboration between tech and curriculum and the involvement from parents. Attendees also weighed in about PD and how teachers are dealing with the shift to technology.
“How a classroom looks today is changing completely with technology,” said Karen Boulanger, Executive Director of Information Technology at Rio Rancho Public Schools. “The hardest battle I see that we all have right now is getting teachers the PD they need and also getting them to let go of having to be ‘the sage on the stage’ and the smartest person in the room. We need to make it okay for the kids to know more than the teacher and have ownership of their learning.”
The Learning Counsel looks forward to seeing our friends from all around Albuquerque again the next time we’re in New Mexico. Keep up your great work.
