Thanks, Anne, for your provocative post, and everyone for your fascinating comments!

As a result, at the core of the system we have School Board, Superintendent, Principal, Teacher, Student.

This structure protects itself in a very aggressive manner, no matter who says what about what.

Teachers are “given” a curriculum to teach. In many districts, steps have been taken to protect the student from teacher interference with the assigned curriculum. So called “teacher proofing” the classroom.

Texts guide the classroom, and principals are responsible for making certain that his or her teachers are teaching what the school board has approved and in the way the school board has approved.

We read often of teachers who have attempted something innovative. When that happens and a parent (just one) complains, the system has plenty of room to scapegoat, and the teacher is the most expendable and cheapest way to rid the district of the “problem.”

A student can be as inquisitive as he or she wants to be. However, the public system is not set up to address individuality. It is set up to “socialize.”

If it were otherwise, children would not be segregated by age as if they were apples on a tree maturing at the same time and in the same way, and presented a credentialed teacher who has promised to deliver the curriculum fairly and evenly to everyone irrespective of interests or ability.

Innovation is marginalized (There’s always some going on at the fringes to satisfy the progressives), but the system itself is preserved with hundreds of billions of dollars of power invested yearly to make certain all teachers are the same, teaching the same thing, in the same way to everyone, no exceptions.

If you were a teacher walking into a classroom of 25-30 students, handed a text book from which to teach, not knowing a thing about the individual interests or passions of the students you are about to address, what is the overriding message of such a structure. It’s certainly not, “Let me know who you are as a person, and I will try to excite you intellectually regarding this subject based on your individual interests.”

The classroom system of the 1950′s and the classroom system of 2010 are the same. It is only the rhetoric that has changed.

I am a public school teacher. I have taught in several districts in an attempt attempt to free myself to address the needs of my students.

I know now, as long as I remain in the public schools accepting tax payer money, I will always fail to reach the goal of putting the student first. Preserving the system comes first in the public schools. Everything and everyone else is expendable.

I have labored hard and long before accepting this harsh reality.

I work for a major midwestern land-grant university. Although our faculty have time to delve into professional development activities, it is limited by their constant requirement to ‘practice’ what they are teaching (medical setting). So, although there is time, it is not sufficient to allow faculty to learn about new technologies that can be incorporated into their classrooms to engage students in the learning process. My college has recently instituted an Educational Technology department to ‘try’ to determine the best-fit technologies and introduce them to our college.

I am also discouraged by the lack of professional development opportunities available on the web. I am actively participating in a research project (for publication) regarding professional development opportunities available on the internet for technology leaders in the educational environment. There seem to be very few sites that are a one-stop-shop where leaders/developers/technologists can go to find relative information on new and emerging technologies for use in the educational environment. Most sites I have found are simply links to other sites… not very useful to say the least.

From what I have found, however, is that sites that offer a ‘community’ forum (blogs and wikis) are the most helpful in that technology leaders/faculty/staff etc. can speak with others in similar situations who have either already introduced a particular technology, are looking to introduce a new technology, or have other information regarding technology, how it can be utilized, tricks-and-traps, etc. This type of community seems to be the most effective way for educators to receive professional development, even though what is being learned is not ‘professional development material’ per se.

You write “I think a big part of why educators are not out of their own networks is that their day is filled with other priorities that the teacher has to accomplish.”

This is exactly the same sentiment that I hear when I consult with businesses and nonprofits. The thing is these networks can enhance the work you do. It is a matter of learning how to use these tools, manage your time, and letting go of the habits that are no longer the most efficient or effective.

However I am all to aware that real success relies on the right culture shift, a shift to trust people more, being more transparent and collaborating more than controlling. That is a shift I think people struggle with much more than they do with the tools.

I too agree with you on spending 1 day each week in staff development. But do you really think it is possible to implement it?