What happens when you open a window in a bubble?
Working in Educational Technology for one of the biggest school districts in the country is somewhat like living in a bubble. Inside the bubble things are “safe”… mostly. Inside the bubble you are in control… somewhat. Our bubble has been provided by many people with “good intentions”, and is flexible … to a degree. However, it is a bubble with boundaries and weaknesses all the same. I understand fully that it is prone to attack from both within, and from outside, and that the approximately 12,500 teachers, and 168,000 students in here with us are better off because there is such a bubble.
I am not alone in this bubble, and for this I am grateful. There are many very talented and motivated people in here, and I’d like to think that I work very closely with some of the best. Being charged with helping lead our district forward into the future is a noble task in my opinion, and we work very hard to have the vision to do so. So I ask… How do you maintain vision inside a bubble? Is there such a thing as a window in a bubble? IT Security Policies, Web Filters, Firewalls… all good things. Every school district should have a bubble, but what if we opened windows in our bubbles for those of us working to see things clearly? Will the air rush out crushing us inside, or will the fresh air bring new ideas, and a shared vision for all?
I will continue to explore safely from inside our bubble, but I will also embrace the breeze that is blowing just outside the window!
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Well, bubbles do tend to distort reality, don’t they, which is one of the arguments *against* a heavy reliance on filters and firewalls. How can we teach students and teachers to be prepared for a technology driven workforce when their primary exposure to these kinds of tools is only on MySpace and Facebook? How do they learn about managing and protecting their online identity and reputation when we prevent them from exploring?
Sometimes it makes me think of all the great playground equipment that had to be removed from our schools for fear of lawsuits and liability claims. Sure, kids are in a “safer” bubble, but at what cost?
Congrats on the first posting JD!
April 28th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I am like almost everyone I know…..we all think what we think is what everyone else should think. Don’t you think? This is a serious issue in a world that is not either-or, but is maybe, sometimes, and just a little.