Technology integration?

I love getting linked. It's a small reward for putting this blog out there—a bloggy form of flattery—and I dig it. It also connects subtly related corners of the blogosphere. Take G-Town for instance. A HS principal, new to blogging, using the media to share her thoughts, inspiration, her vision in a way that surly augments and amplifies here leadership within her school. Cool. For us it provides first-person window into a variety of relevant experiences. Blogging at its best. Personal. Direct. Relevant.

For instance, Who’s going to own the responsibility of technology integration? asks a very relevant question. On the list we've bemoaned the scandalous state of IT in the district. The truly odious scandals have faded into the past now. But there is no visible leadership. Schools are wired, but technology is haphazard at best. Simple things like teacher email remain elusive. For a district sitting in the cradle of high tech shangri-la you would expect more. We should expect more. Yet our G-Town girl sets us straight:

Teachers need to step up and take the initiative and own the responsibility of technology integration.

No excuses. Just do it. Principals and administrators need to get on the bus and support teacher initiatives and innovations. In another post she does just that, praising her teachers foray into blogging.

Which begs the question, do we have any SF teachers (or principals) using blogs in their classrooms? I know of one teacher hired by SFUSD this year whose blog I dig, but I'm not sure she want to be "out". If you know of any, add a comment here please.

Meanwhile, it sure would be nice if the district IT could do better than merely avoiding DA investigations. Teacher emails? SIS that doesn't suck? (Did they ever sign that contract?) On-line grade books? A useful home page? Teachers will be the ones to innovate, but it would help if the district weren't actively getting in the way.