Section I: Education and Reform
If you could create the perfect school, what would it be like? What would its students be
like?
The perfect school would be heterogeneous in race, class, and abilities. My vision of
the perfect school isn't the traditional one. Whereas many districts are busy with building
structures to house children, I'd tear them down or restructure them. I'd eliminate the box
classroom. I'd eliminate the prescribed blocks of time for instruction. I'd eliminate the cold
objective form of assessment currently in practice. Students would come to my school and
have their own cubicle which would of course have computer connected to the Internet, the
appropriate books, and the other tools needed to function as students. Teachers would come
to them and provide instruction. Formal classes as we know them would not exist.
Instruction would be more in the form of conference and guidance through projects. The
Internet would be the delivery system. Socialization would be more fruitful in the sports
activities and other interactive activities. Large social gatherings would be used to share
intellectual pursuits. I would like to see more of the Socratic method employed while using
the fiber optic as a means of accessing information. The perfect school has yet to be
constructed, yet it would be constructivist in nature. A model can be found as I practice it in
my Cyber English class.
Describe your involvement, knowledge level, and experience with current issues and
strategies. (These might include performance-based assessment, curriculum standards,
cooperative learning, moral education, block scheduling, urban education, and so forth.)
I am heavily involved in the business of education. I am a student of education. I am a
day school teacher who has administrative responsibilities. I am repsonsible for the 500
computers and the Internet integration in our school of 3400 students. I maintain the teacher
training program in our school. I am in my school from 7 am until 5 pm every day, unless I
have Adult Education. I am a teacher and a general assistant in the Bergtraum Adult Center.
I teach Internet and other computer courses as well as a general assistant who helps run this
school. My knowledge level is primarily fueled in my doctoral program at Teachers College.
My resume outlines this and more.
From your first meeting with a teacher, describe how you might establish yourself as a
partner with that teacher in the reform process and how you might help that teacher welcome
changes into his or her classroom.
When I work with any teacher, it has been because that teacher has sought me out. I do
not impose upon anyone. If I were to impose, nothing would be learned by either side.
When I do work with other teachers who wish to employ new and/or different methods of
instruction, I ask them why they wish to change their teaching practices. I seek from them
what they expect to happen, how much time they have to invest, and are they willing to
forget everything they know and do and accept a new paradigm. I explain this new paradigm
absorbs some of what we know but in a different form. Until the teacher is ready to accept
this new paradigm, we will not be partners. Clinging to a sinking ship is not showing a
willingness to change. I assure these teachers that they can trust me. And once they make
that leap into the waters of change, they realize they really can swim without the life
preserver of the sinking educational institutions as we know them today.
Describe one or more situations in which you were successful at helping someone
embrace new ideas and or habits (these examples do not have to be related to technology or
schools.)
Since I have had my class syllaweb on
line I have received mail from people around the world who want to know more or who want
to adopt what I am doing. I, of course, allowed them to use it. That was one of my goals, to
spread my idea around. One such teacher was Victor from Spain. He developed his own
version of Cyber English in Barcelona,
Spain. I advised him from afar how he could get his school online, work through the
bureaucracies, and get the kids online. I was serving as a consultant online. Other such
situations have arisen from online correspondence. I am working with teachers around the
world whom I have never met, but they are using my ideas. These teachers are in New
Zealand; Buffalo, NY; Florida; Louisiana; California; Texas; and elsewhere. I am constantly
getting mail from teachers who thank me for having my stuff online since it is inspirational to
them. My involvement on many lists has helped others embrace new ideas as I receive mail
to this effect.
Section II: Education and Technology
What are some of the most compelling transformational uses of technology that you have
seen in schools?
John Dewey suggested the idea of " learning by doing" in the late 1890's. Now with
computers we are able to fulfill his ideas as we now call it "constructivism." Another idea
begun in the 1800's was the idea of "monitoring" as brought to America by Lancaster. Today
with computers I'm able to use older or experienced students as interns to help younger or
newer users or even teachers in the true Lancasterian mode and I'm able to play out Dewey's
idea of "learning by doing."
Another neat idea is "hypertext." Although Ted Nelson may say we haven't realized his
idea yet, I think the idea reflects how we really think. We are not linear, we are hypertext
thinkers. Consider how we go off on tangents or get sidetracked as we speak or think. How
often have you heard someone who is speaking and gotten off topic say, "What was I
saying?"
Technology has allowed us to realize many of the dreams of great thinkers and
educators. The students of today are profiting by this transformation.
What ideas do you have for using technology in more transformational ways?
The first thing I do is have the students make a web page. Once that is done, I have
them. They have a place on the web and have pride in their "home" page. Giving them
access through email and a web page empowers them. They rise to the challenge. They
construct all of their work on the web and interact with others in class, outside class, and
became resources on the web for others. We have established an extensive peer review program, a mentoring program, and a library of student resources online. One of the
most important aspects of the web is the teacher's ability to transform the traditional class into
a project based class and webfolio
production. These are just some of the beginning ideas of employing technology to transform
education.
How would you describe your current proficiency level with technology? Include
platforms, software, operating systems, networking, and use of technology other than
computers.
I am highly proficient. I have been computing since 1983. I am the sysop in our school
which has over 500 computers and various software platforms. I know DOS, WIN31,
Windows 95, 97, and NT. My current classroom is using UNIX. In our school we have
ICLASS, School View, School Vista, and School Mate. I repair software and hardware
problems in our school. Our networks run on Novell 2.15 to 4.11 and I am comfortable on
all. Whenever I do a confence I seem to be on the user friendly Macintosh systems. Yes,
they are user friendly. My four year old has my old 386, my twelve year old has a 100P, and
I have a 486 and 200MMX in my office at home. My main platform is now the Internet. I
use Office 95 & 97 and all versions of WordPerfect in my school. I am comfortable with
and not intimidated in using new software and hardware. Some people think I am a computer
teacher and seemed surprise when I tell them I'm an English teacher who uses computers.
Share with us some of your most interesting stories as to how you have acquired your
knowledge.
I am self taught. When I got my first computer I purchased books on DOS and BASIC.
Then I taught myself WordPerfect as I taught it to my English classes and Adult Education
classes. Another way I have acquired my knowledge is by hobnobbing with colleagues in my
school and online. I have spent many hours teaching and learning the software and hardware
I work with. No interesting stories, just long hard hours working at it.
What advances in technology do you foresee in the near future?
I'm not a visionary on this. I've oftentimes made suggestions on this matter only to be
told that it exists, but is prohibitive in cost or not developed for consumer use. I'd rather
consider what is it I want to do in the classroom and have the technology developed for that
function. That was the realtionship I had between the Shareware creators in the old days. I
liked to think that education was driving the technology. Today I fear technology drives the
education since the technology makers aren't really paying attention to education as much as
they are to the business world. What I'd like to see, probably isn't profitable.
Section III: Education and Consulting
What in your character and/or background makes you well suited for this aspect of the
consultant s life?
I am a team player and appreciate the horizontal discussion and honor the vertical
decision making necesary to carry the plan out. I certainly learned this as an athlete on a
team in high school. The coach and the players would practice and then come game day
execute. Most definitely this was practiced in Vietnam as you would plan and then execute.
As a mentor to other teachers, I have found conversing with others easy and rewarding as we
share ideas and as I guide another to self realization. Currently I am being used by the Board
of Education in schools to prepare to embrace technology. I have done workshops for the 34
Principlas of Manhattan a number of times and for the NYC Supervisors of English. I have
been invited to many conferences to share with others my classroom practices. Perhaps
because I go out on my own to figure things out and then bring it back to share has made me
sought after and successful at teaching and ultimately at consulting.
Describe one or more situations in which you have gained from a collaborative
partnership.
I have gained from all of my collaborative projects. Working with others always
provides one with another perspective. Collaborating on an international level has been truly
awesome and powerful. One of the things that I have always been stunned by is how my
students fall into the collaborative projects so easily and smoothly. They never cease to
amaze me, especially in these collaborations.
What in your character and/or background makes you well suited to be part of a
collaborative team?
I have had successful collaborative projects, because I can both lead and follow. I can
inspire and be inspired. Collaboration requires dual skills of speaking and listening. I think
this is one of the reasons why I have been successful in collaborative projects. This is a
current list of my collaborative projects I'm
working on this year at school.
What do you expect to gain from a career at IDE?
One of my goals as a Cybrarian is to bring this vision to other schools who wish to
share this vision. I believe IDE will provide me with schools with which I can work and
pass on my vision and realize my Cybrarian goals.
What do you expect to be doing five years from now?
A professor at Teachers College asked this very question of me and I responded with
"My Personal Vision" as a Cybrarian. This piece has already
been inspirational to another in Florida and will be used by the Milken Foundation in their
new work.
Which periodicals do you read regularly?
I have subscriptions to The English Journal, Atlantic Monthly, New
Yorker, WIRED, and The New York Times. I try to read these from
cover to cover, but find that difficult at times. I have off and on subscriptions to other
publications, but find accessing them in the school library cheaper and more efficient. I only
wish I had more time to read them all from cover to cover, instead of reading those relevant
at the time and glossing over the other articles.
Most of my reading is now done online. I read from my list of zines. I tap them as I need
information on certain matters.
What was one book that had a profound effect on the way you think about the world and
your place in it? Briefly describe what happened (again, your response does not necessarily
need to be related to education or technology).
This question is easy: William Shakespeare's The History of Troilus and
Cressida. I was eighteen years old and serving in Vietnam. I enlisted in the Army after
high school because I wasn't ready for college. I had some time to kill one day in Vietnam
and so I strolled into the USO and went to the book shelves. I immediately grabbed a copy
of this play. What continues to amaze me to this day about this event is how clearly I
remember it and how deliberate it all was, as if I were being directed to this book by outside
forces. I read the play in one sitting and then read it again. I know I must have read
Shakespeare in high school, but do not recall any of the plays. The subject matter of this
play was so appropriate for me at this time in my life. The Trojan War, matters of
leadership, honor, faith, emotion all filled me with glorious thoughts of myself. This play
also introduced me to Shakespeare and literature. I believe it was this play which caused me
to become an Englich teacher, because when I entered college upon returning from Vietnam, I
immediately took Chaucer and Shakespeare courses to satiate my newly found appetite. I
find this play and many other Shakespeare plays inspirational as a teacher and as person.
If you were asked to recommend some authors and/or works to read on school reform
issues, who would you recommend and why?
I have a library of books on this topic and could speak for hours and write pages, which
I have on what to read to foster reform. For me it began when I read Allan Bloom's The
Closing of the American Mind which fired me up and forced me to face these issues as a
teacher of English in an urban public high school. Next came Jonathan Kozol's Amazing
Grace because this book spoke of the children I teach and the city in which I teach.
These two books set the table for me and I always recommend them to others to start the
thought processes.
Further readings for the converts would include:
- The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge provides the definitive book on systems
thinking. Schools are systems and it is this kind of thinking which will foster change and
help the practitioners through the process.
- The Logic of Failure by Dietrich Dörner provides some practical accounts
of how students of change can't do it right even in simulated situations. The author discusses
a triad of human disasters and diagnoses why they were failures. This is a bittersweet book
in that he points out these disasters should never have happened.
- Complexity by M Mitchel Waldrop is a wonderful book which provides and
entertaining narrative of the Santa Fe folks who were the pioneers in systems reform. It is
mythical in nature and historical in perspective.
- The Meaning of Educational Change by Michael Fullan provides a blueprint of
how to diagnose problems and then how to set solutions into motion. It is a cookbook format
for reform.
- Revisiting The Culture of the School and the Problem of Change by Seymour
Sarason provides proof that change takes time. This volume is written 25 years after his
original volume on the subject. His insight on reflection of the change process is troubling in
its slowness and necessary knowledge for change agents.
- Reframing Organizations by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal provides a systematic
checklist which is easy to follow and use as one diagnoses an environment. These authors
provide a practical guide to do an autopsy of a system so that it can be rebuilt. It is an easy
read and truly insightful.
- Organizational Culture and Leadership by Edgar Schein provides insight into
cultural diagnosis and understanding which is essential before one can help another. His
examples are wonderful insights into the ease with which we can barge in on someone else's
space and do more harm to it the the residents could.
- Organization Development by W Warner Burke provides a solid foundation in
affecting change because it takes a systems approach to cultural change which is what all
effective school reformers need to understand before real change will happen.
What in your character and/or background makes you well suited for this aspect of the
life of a consultant?
- I am well read and constantly staying current. I am an member of many listservs, which
I find crucial in staying in touch with the doings of various educational communities. As a
grad student, I relish the opportunity of sitting in class sharing ideas with other like-minded
people and in being introduced to current academic writings. The current theories are being
talked about in the hallowed halls of graduate school and I enjoy partaking in these
discourses. Writing and reading policy and opinion pieces on and about the Internet is an
important part of my day. Being aware of what my colleagues in cyberspace are doing is
very important. In addition I present at and attend many professional conferences to share in
this information exchange.
What starting salary would you expect to earn?
- If I were to be doing this full-time, I'd expect to be starting at double my current salary.
If part-time, then a percentage of current salary.
What salary would you expect to be making in five years?
- I could only believe it would be fair to my performance and would be a fair percentage
of what I pull in. These matters were discussed in my Cybrarian piece.
What questions do you have for us?
What schools do you service?
Grade level?
Is your work primarily computer and
Internet related?
How many accounts do you currently have?
What is the area you
service?
What rates do you charge for your services?
How many employees do you
currently employ?
Who are they ?
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