Scott McLeod tells a sad tale about technology getting in the way of communication. Actually, a tale of a person in charge of technology getting in the way others trying to communicate. It takes people, not technology, to really muck things up.
In other words, the principal cannot set up a blog to communicate with his school community because the district technology coordinator, who is in a
support position, won’t let him.
He offers his support and arguments
How are you going to expose students, teachers, parents, and
administrators to the technological transformations that are revolutionizing
American and global societies if you shut it all down? If things change (or if
there’s any way I can help you maybe persuade someone to think differently about
this), let me know.
but to no avail as the principal responds:
I agree. I tried to work it through and was not successful. I loved the
blogging idea, it was nice and easy for me, and I knew that I would be able to
get staff on board. Unfortunately, not everyone is as forward
thinking.
Finding someone in a position of authority who grasps the nature of blogging and open communication is still relatively rare. To have their efforts halted because of Luddite attitudes is depressing.
Technology coordinators who are more concerned
with disabling than enabling. Technology personnel that we would hope would be
progressive, forward thinkers regarding digital technologies but instead are
regressive gatekeepers. Teachers and administrators that try to move into the 21st century but run into the brick wall of supervisors or support personnel.
I find similar situation elsewhere, not just in education. In companies, the IT department is more often than not the last bastion of the industrial age attitude to innovation. Top down and locked down – unless it comes via approved channels and processes the system blocks any attempts to change. IT people often act like prison guards, keeping the parameters fixed and treating everyone as a potential transgressor. Fortunately, tools like blogs, RSS and wikis are simple and people can learn to use them without IT’s involvement. And as they start crossing the line to business, clashes are inevitable.
I remember a few years back, before blogging was widespread, a senior person in a large consultancy firm got excited about it. He played around with Movable Type and other blogging platforms to get familiar with the technology. When ready, he approached his IT department to implement them. The response was very definite and resounding – it’s simply not possible to build such things. He showed them what he’s done on his own and the reaction was a sheepish – ahh.
I wonder what it would take for the district technology coordinator to get out of the way?
via Ewan
Laureen
on May 2nd, 2007
@ 14:48 pm:
You know… I actually see blogging as the epitome of Luddite thinking. It’s the best way there is for going around, going through, wiping away the constraints of publishing media controlled by the infrastructure. If they tell you you can’t… you simply find another source. So his IT won’t let him set one up… good God, go around, get a TypePad account, and hand out cards.
If you want to communicate badly enough, the infrastructure cannot stop you. It can only get temporarily in your way, and then look foolish once you’ve done what they tell you you cannot.
It used to be that those who controlled the press controlled the world. It’s just that the self-appointed prison guards haven’t yet figured out that the walls have dissolved… if only the inmates have the wit to stop trying the door, and start using the window.
Clive Birnie
on May 2nd, 2007
@ 17:29 pm:
I suggest the “forgiveness not permission” route. It has served me well on a number of occasions. It works like this:
If I ask for permission they will say:
If I do it anyway will I get fired:
If the answer to both is NO. Do it anyway and ask for forgiveness if necessary when they spot what you have done. Helped me annoy the hell out of a CEO or two but never got me fired and I never had to apologies as the effects were usually positive. And so so easy now as emphasised above.
If the Principal in question starts posting useful information for parents and students via his personal blog… there is a fair liklihood that the IT police will not even notice.
Ewan McIntosh
on May 3rd, 2007
@ 9:03 am:
I agree with both comments so far. I think there is far too much of the attitude “If at first you don’t succeed then give up”. A Principle wouldn’t ask his boss if it would be OK to hold a meeting of parents within his own school, or to run an open day. What’s the difference with the blog? Very little. It might unearth some things that no-one knew about, and offers an opportunity to get those issues sorted out.
And if the senior managers don’t want to know then there is a more systemic problem with the management which the Principle needn’t worry about – it’ll be very much their problem if they are seen not to have been doing their jobs properly in the first place.