P-12 Educational Change & Google Maps (EDT-5410, Wk. 9)

P-12 Educational Change

This chapter hit home with me on several points. As an integral member of our district’s planning committee, I see changes implemented at the building level (and some at the district level) that end in failure because there is not system-wide buy-in or available funding to sustain the initiative.

Specifically, “if a significant change is made in one part of a system that part will usually become incompatible with other parts of the system and the system will work to change that part back to what it was before”. (Reiser, Dempsey, 2007 p210). We have 20+ school buildings in our district and over the years several have been awarded Federal Magnet School grants which have funded themed initiatives at the building level. At one point, one of our elementary schools (as a result of a Magnet grant) had six student-use computers in each classroom. Alas, the grant ran out along with the funding and when the district recently deployed elementary classroom student-use computers, each K-6 classroom got one xTenda workgroup that accommodates four students. As you can see, the “system” worked “to change that part back to what it was before”. I have seen the expiration of Magnet funding result in reduction in staff positions as well. While the Magnet programs themselves have been beneficial overall, the lack of commitment by the district to sustain these programs through needed funds has been a disappointment. We also have a paradigm of site-based decision making which has resulted in notable inequity in many areas.

The concept of ecological systemic change is one that I wholeheartedly agree with! We have administrators that have been in their positions for years and they continue to do the same old thing the same old way; obviously, we are not making much forward progress. New programs are imposed on the individual buildings (AYP, Reading First, Read 180, etc.), with no accountability for success at the administration level. I sincerely hope that our new Superintendent is well read and experienced in the ecological systemic change process…we need it! The enormity of the ecological systemic change process is quite daunting, especially considering the level of buy-in required for success. But, I think that buy-in could be achieved if administration would put all new “adaptations” on hold during the formative and planning stages, so that staff would be able to make the necessary commitment of time and resources.

Google Maps

A couple ideas I had for integrating Google Maps into a lesson are: 1) a scavenger hunt; students would locate and pinpoint/notate specific locations like Civil War battle locations; 2) students could map the migratory patterns of animals, or birds; or, 3) students could identify places where they’ve been on vacation (or want to go).


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