Last week, I experienced a morning of contradictions.

I was asked to present at an Apple iPad event that happened to be hosted by our school district. I presented about the work I’m doing with digital content.

The audience included all the administration folks I’ve been (unsuccessfully) talking to about allowing personal devices, integrating technology into the classroom, and strengthening 21st century skills.

The opening talk illustrated my contradiction. The Apple education rep gave a motivating presentation about exactly why devices should be part of the classroom. She focused on the learning, not on any devices.

She talked about the reasons for needing change. The learning style of millennials: immediate, random, social, collaborative, experiential, exploratory. She talked about gamification, and how it impacts education with its reward – not punishment – of failure. How do we learn games? By failing. We try again, and again.

She referenced the eSchoolNews from Sept 2011, about what kids want from school:
5. To work with interactive tech
4. Their teachers to be mentors
3. Learning to be interesting
2. To have choice
1. To do real and relevant work

I was so very happy to have all these administrators at the session. Hopefully, hearing this from “legit” people – not someone who is just a parent – will help. Keeping my fingers crossed.