I just finished viewing a short video of Maine’s past Governor Angus King talking about the rationale in support of Maine’s 1:1 initiative. Whatever you think of spending for this particular tech initiative, the Governor’s grasp of educational issues and his arguments for technology were impressive.
Watching this video reactivated this uneasy feeling I have had for some time regarding technology innovation in my own region. At one point, I was convinced that North Dakota was a national leader at the K-12 level. We benefited from and hopefully encouraged developments in our neighbor to the east – Minnesota. The days of MECC represented a heady time and I remember making trips to regional conferences and returning with disks of new educational software. Working in higher education, I was convinced that K-12 folks were far ahead of us.
I do not feel this way anymore and I am not sure whom or what to blame. I think NCLB may have taken K-12 folks out of the game. While those of us in higher education are facing ever more frequent calls for demonstrations of accountability, at least we have yet to identify some standardized tests by which this accountability will be measured.
I also think the good times in ND may be a problem. Yes, I am willing to claim these are relatively very good times. We have a regional advantage that includes agriculture at record prices, oil, and Canadian shoppers. In a state with a small population, the amount of money involved from what many would consider unlikely sources can have a significant impact. Unfortunately, these benefits can be distracting. I was convinced when I regarded North Dakota as innovative that this leadership was a function of our rural setting. Distance education and software were an attempt to compensate for a lack of diversity and the limited offerings that are economically feasible in small schools. Perhaps, the innovation evident in Maine stems from similar challenges. Perhaps now there is less local pressure because the political and public pressure to look forward is less intense.
Big mistake!
