Technology Comittee and Google Apps

We had a Technology Committee meeting this week. While I sort of knew this…. I quickly learned again how passionate we are about how we utilize technology. I was also reminded that with technology, personal preference and bias (For example, I’m a Mac guy) tend to influence our opinions regarding what is the best course of action for future implementation.

The meeting allowed us to gather a great deal of feedback regarding procedural steps for the 2008-2009 school year. Clearly, this committee will be a vital part of our plan to gather input.

One of the discussions at the meeting was related to using ”Google Applications” as a district standard for everything from email to word processing to presentations. The big pluses are it’s free, doesn’t require upgrades, and can allow for collaboration with multiple students or co-workers.

Note to Staff & Students: I promise – Microsoft Office will be available next year.

Well, that touched off a conversation that continued via email about whether or not the direction was prudent. I enjoyed the discussion – I noticed how we tended to debate what the move would mean to our own area. The larger conversation about philosophy was initially lost , however, it ended up as part of the dialogue.

In the end, I was very heartened by the honest debate over the direction of our technology efforts. This is a very positive sign for the future.