Section II - Technology in Action

The second section from Picciano (2011) provided a very broad overview of the current state of technology use in the United States with emphases on the nature of the changing environment and the resulting impact(s) on education. So in that sense, the section stayed true to its stated intent of assisting educational leaders in planning.

As an educator who is presently immersed in the delivery of education using technology (and in addition to be a bona-fide techno-geek), it was interesting to gain additional perspective from the viewpoint of leadership and management rather than one of the underlings who uses and deploys the technology.

In light of the 'information age' and 'information superhighway', the digital divide presents challenges to widespread use of all that modern technology offers. I was forced to wonder, while reading, how the author might have appproached the subject differently had the book been published electronically rather than in paper form. I have a Kindle, but the book is not available for download. It is interesting to note (along the same line) that the book is in its 5th edition. As technology evolves, the book likewise responds to the changes present.

Some of the content in the section alluded to how decisions are made in the present day, including how the accessibility of data relates to decision making. Some of the models presented (centralized decision-making vs. hierarchical structures) have been the subject of intense debate for years as far as which is best suited for education. From the discussions present within the course setting, it is evident that the instructors definitely feel the need for inclusion in decision-making while also experiencing exclusion from the same processes.

I am always struck by the reflexivity that I am experiencing yet which the book doesn't seem to be aware of; the fact that we are using the paperback text in an 'online' course. The availability of the text in electronic format would potentially move the entire educational experience from a bricks-and-mortar experience to a digital one...which was much the point of the large section on distance education and how planning could best be carried out. There is still significant debate over how distance education could best be delivered.

Complicating the situation is the rapidly evolving hardware and software scene. As fast as one set of technology is adopted and embraced, something 'new and better' emerges. This makes decision-making and program design especially challenging.

As a sort of summary, I did find the text a good resource pointing the reader to external sources for further investigation. The vast amount of material available electronically or throughout information technology systems is way too much to present in a small textbook; for this reason, readers are continually encouraged to seek out resources only alluded to in the text. One example alone would include the use of PDA or SMART devices - for which there are large sections of shelf space allocated in bookstores (remember those?) and online for ideas and strategies for implementation. One example is the following Amazon.com website link, which displays the results of a book search for the iTouch:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=itouch&x=11&y=10

So again, I point out the reflexivity as reading of the text points one to the internet which then points back to text and electronic references. Interesting.

John Scarbrough