Same old, same old vs. High Tech High

Our explorations this week unfortunately brought me surprisingly few insights with one notable exception – High Tech High, which I will discuss last.  Perhaps I have become jaded by too many corporate sponsored workshops to find Fullan’s change model particularly inspiring.  What I found most useful in his model, was his discussion of developing leaders internally.  So often this seems to be overlooked in the authoritarian school environment.  Without this critical aspect, many change efforts fail.

Findings in two studies conducted by Mathmatica Policy Research about the efficacy of reading and math software products were also not surprising to me.  The study focused on test scores, classroom activities and the roles of teachers and students. Not specifically studied was how the software targeted the desired skills.  In my opinion, if the software utilized did nothing differently from how content was previously taught directly by the teacher, very little difference in test scores should have been anticipated.  Technology for technology’s sake doesn’t make a difference.  If I can turn a screw with a coin from my pocket or a screwdriver, why would I use the screwdriver?  Value needs to be added and that doesn’t necessarily happen with a fancy new way to do the same old thing.

This is not the case at High Tech High School.   I thoroughly enjoy investigating the videos produced by students.  It is clear from the work present on the school website, that exciting things are happening there.  Even the atmosphere in the school mirrors a high tech firm rather than a traditional high school.  My exploration of the students’ video work clearly showed that a lot of learning through investigation is being done.  I watched videos on topics of homelessness, the importance of bees, a theater project where students froze for 3 minutes on the school grounds, amoebas and a variety of other topics.  Obviously, the students in this school are plugged in to what they are learning.  Whenever that happens, learning is sure to happen and the nature of that is all about HOW it’s being accomplished and not simply using a fancy new screwdriver.