WOW! Dr. Zhao

This was my favorite session! Dr. Zhao is a realist. He knows we are not doing what needs to be done, but he isn't jumping on any new "initiatives". He is just saying we need to bring common sense and vision to the problem.
I loved that he was not afraid to challenge teachers and administrators to move forward. He hooked me at the very beginning when he said that the use of technology in schools is controlled by what adults know and think is appropriate around technology and not by the limitless possibilities of technology that our students live with. He is right on the money when he talks about fear driving policy and practice. Look at our own level of "blocking"... when we first moved into the computer age our policy was "police yourself". Even students had full access unless their parents specifically chose to opt out. Now, I can't even use many of today's best sites because they are blocked for student and staff use. Our fear controls our possibilities.
Dr. Zhao also admits that throwing money at the problem is not the answer. His realistic assessment of the one computer per student drive rang true with me. It's not the most important thing that we give students the hardware, it's what we as adults allow them to do with it. His ability to let go and follow the students - letting them be active contributors- is something I would like to emulate.
Dr. Zhao is definitely someone who I will be following as he writes and talks around the world. We need more people like him in education.