November 2003 — Editorial
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Focusing on the Future
- Alternatives. Futurists do not predict the future. Instead, they look at - and often attempt to create - alternative futures. We look at possible, probable and preferable futures, and try to create pathways to those futures.
- Holism. Everything is connected to everything else, so looking at connections is important. A useful image to me is a feather bed versus a water bed. When you press on a feather bed it leaves an impression, but nothing else on the bed is affected. When you press on a water bed, however, a wave travels through the entire bed.
- Stakeholders. Closely connected to holism is the idea of stakeholders. We try to consider the impact of decisions on all stakeholders, and in education, the students are the ultimate stakeholders.
- Long term. We consider the impact of decisions on the long-term future. While most eighth-graders have a time frame that seldom g'es beyond this coming Saturday night, we try to help them understand that decisions and actions have an impact far beyond Saturday night. Likewise, technology coordinators need to think beyond their one-year budget in making decisions about technology purchases and use. It also would be nice if companies could think beyond their next quarter's profit and loss statement as they decide their approach to upcoming products.
- Vision. Without a clear vision of a preferable future, we will be in the classic case of not knowing when or if we have been successful. While visions can be refined, they certainly need to be there in the first place.
So, what d'es all this mean for T.H.E. Journal?
Primarily, it means a continued commitment to education and technology in education. That's what T.H.E. Journal has always been about and what we will continue to be about. Technology is critical to the success of education, and its role will continue to grow. That is not a prediction, just a clear statement of a possible, probable and preferable future all rolled up into one. Thus, we will continue publishing feature articles written by educators describing their experiences using technology in education, with the hope that educators will learn from each other.
Second, while we can't ignore the past (it has, after all, shaped us) we must focus on the future, for the future is where we will spend the rest of our lives. We will look more and more at the implications and impact of various technologies and their use in education. We also will take a holistic look at technology and education. We in the field have come to understand that the successful use of technology in education is more than having computers in a classroom, good software, connections to the Internet, or good training and professional development for educators. It is all of these things connected in a relatively balanced approach. It is the recognition that there is no one correct way to use technology in education. Just as the simplistic question, "D'es technology improve student achievement?" is wrong, so is the question, "What works?" The answer to both is: It depends. It depends on the students, it depends on the community, it depends on the parents, and it depends on the economy.
Third, we at T.H.E. will try to make more and more connections internally. These connections will be among our current offerings in the magazine and the Web, as well as through our newsletters and other products. We also realize that there needs to be a positive connection between the education community and the vendor community that benefits each. Without high-quality products and services, we cannot be successful with technology in schools. So, we will build additional pathways for this connection.
