September 1997 — Features

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The Boulder Valley Internet Project: Lessons Learned

Compatibility Issues

In this case study, we examined the recent changes in the school district that appeared to influence the outcomes of the project. The effectiveness of the adoption of the Internet was impacted by its alignment with the districtís direction and its relationship to major changes that occurred during the projectís implementation.

In the ecological formulation of the classroom as a concentric arrangement of four nested, interacting systems, i.e., classroom, school, community, and policy making institutions, these systems "are interrelated by ëa common cultural blueprintí that sets the pattern for the structures and processes that occur within and across the systems."[4] Cultural/ecological change processes result from combinations of acting and interacting factors within and across these connected systems. In the Peled at al. model, information technology interventions must aim at not only the individual participants such as teachers and technology resource people, but also at the school as a whole, the administration, the school board and associated policy-making institutions, and the entire expanded ecological environment that characterizes the district as a whole.

The lack of compatibility between the beliefs, needs and values of the potential adopters and the school board may possibly become a major inhibiting factor to the future use of telecommunications in Boulder Valley classrooms.

Recently, the political atmosphere within the district has become more conservative, and there is now a general movement away from innovative teaching methods toward a "back to the basics" emphasis on content. This new trend has caused a difference of opinion among members of the school board, resulting in a recall petition for the board's president. A number of central administrators have resigned within the past few months (from January 1997 back), including the superintendent. This turmoil within the district, and especially within the leadership, continues to have important implications for the success of the project. Although both sides of the political constituency currently express support for technology, each sees the role of technology in a different light. The role of the Internet within the district will be affected by their decisions in many ways including usage, financing, staff development, and allocation of equipment.

Teachers are concerned.

As less money is available for supporting the staff development so essential for introducing telecommunications tools and resources to the adopting teachers, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain the current level of expertise during the current, rapid evolution of the technology. The cuts will also affect curriculum development, the very area that the project leaders plan to address in the near future.