It Takes A Village..

I watched the video, Big Ideas for Better Schools, by the Edutopia staff at Edutopia.org. I assumed it was another educational organization promoting a new “thing” in the world of education. While I am not against creating and exploring new ways to teach, I am weary and worn by our current educational climate. To my surprise, this video shared several components that make a good school great! The components were categorized into four categories, students, teachers, parents and community. Although the components evolve and change over time, the four categories, students, teachers, parents and community, remain the same. 

In my career as a professional educational volunteer, I spent over a decade assisting in the implementation of new educational components. I recall the first computers crossing the school’s threshold and the mixed responses. I had no experience with computers but was curious, similar to getting new PE equipment, let’s check it out. Many teachers viewed having computers as an addition to their already busy schedules. One must remember that the main pieces of technology used at that time were photocopiers and laminators. As volunteers, a parent and I began setting up computers in classrooms for teachers. Before I knew it, I was installing and setting up educational software for both teachers and students to use. I began sharing the latest techno trick or ability I had discovered and how it could make life easier for a teacher and exiting for a student. Students began having regular computer times and newsletters now had clipart. As computers became a bigger part of the classroom environment, the community contributed by donating paper, ink, and computer accessories. This was the dawning of the computer age at our school! However, the most important elements that made transitioning into the computer age were the four categories mentioned by the Edutopia staff, students, teachers, parents and community. These elements created the relationship needed to allow our school to move into the computer age. The need for this relationship and support will never change regardless of the new “things” that appear on our educational horizons. This is what makes a good school great.