So .... a rant on technology in schools.

I actually stopped posting to blogs a few years back since I transitioned to being a principal. I was concerned how much expressing my opinion might come back on me. I still worry about that as life in administration is much more political than as a teacher. That said, I have a keen interest in keeping technology valuable to education and I'm wondering what is new out there? Since journeying away from the classroom up north I have noticed that many schools and divisions are actually way behind in figuring out technology. Most teachers really do not have a clue how to use these tools effectively in class, nor do they have any interest in learning. Sure, they will comply when asked, but few are actually exploring and trying different tech ideas with SMART phones or tablets or Chromebooks or Web 2.0 stuff. I'm amazed at how having a website that is updated counts as innovative, and even how difficult it still is for teachers to accomplish even this. Websites were innovative a decade ago. Yet it is still next to impossible to move some people past their paper handouts and writing due dates on the corner of the chalkboard. Why? That is what I have not been able to figure out. If we all used "X" to keep students in the loop and support their learning when away from school, it would be better for all. I don't really care what "X" is, just that we get there. If a student wants to they should be able to check on their performance, look up due dates, try out some extra help or review, catch up if they have missed class, and most of all connect with other students to continue to work together. They should be able to do all of this on any platform and from any location. All of this is possible. Actually has been for a number of years. So ... why am I still helping teachers to understand how to add a link?