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Bringing Web 2.0 |
Envisioning School 2.0
We bring tools, practices and people together in new ways to help schools become learning communities. Here's one idea: The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) is funding Learning Teams to connect students looking for meaningful contexts and opportunities with people outside school buildings - whether they be retired teachers, skilled professionals, or other community volunteers. NCTAF recognizes that every community is rich with people who can contribute to its schools. However, most school buildings discourage visitors, and teachers and volunteers can have a difficult time planning activities for the unpredictability of school days. Using web 2.0 activities and online planning tools, NCTAF's vision is within reach. |
 Our Model Schools become |
| UNDER CONSTRUCTION: This site is still in the R&D stage, though we are available for hire. Please view it in that light. |
Technology Values
The tools and materials schools choose convey values. Users (teachers and students) need to be part of that choice.
We collaborate on technology plans, but with a bias. With notable exceptions (e..g Inspiration, Filemaker Pro, and Adobe) we prefer non-commercial products. They cost less (or nothing) and change regularly based on user feedback.
- Open Source over commercial products.
- Web 2.0 over classroom-bound learning.
- Drupal, which plays a central role in our work.
We are also cagey about "made-for-schools" hardware, again with notable exceptions. Ask us about technology planning help and collaboration tools.
The Empowered Teacher provides technology planning and professional development to schools in the Northeastern United States.
In pariculary, we help secondary schools (grades 5-12) adopt low-cost, high-value tools (like Drupal) and practices (like Agile project management) to create 21st century environments.
Workplan Values
Open source developers have something to teach schools about collaboration. Like schooling, open source communities are loosely-coupled and non-commercial.
Open source developers create together -- across continents, time zones, and languages -- using tools and methods that didn't exist five years ago. They replace top-down planning with synchronized coordination, using Agile (not Waterfall) models.
Following their example, we nurture "Professional Learning Communities" (Hord, 1997) that marry Learning 2.0, professional development and technology planning.
Please pardon the unfamiliar (or familiar!) jargon and read about our model.
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