Technology and a Community-Based School District Vision

With the political chaos of Wisconsin forcing administrators to make tough decisions and engage in difficult and emotional conversations, I've had to reflect on our school district's vision more than I typically do (sometimes even on an hourly basis). A bit more than a year ago, I facilitated a "reculturing" of our school district's vision and purpose. I did so by harnessing what academics call the "collective intelligence" of our community, utilizing a conversational process called World Cafe. Below, you will find a "capzle," which is a Web 2.0 tool that captures all the artifacts and components to the process, from the presentations I used with my school board, to the community invitations I distributed to welcome stakeholders as partners in the revision of the school district's vision.

Because the concept of vision development and vision articulation holds a prominent place in both the ISLLC Standards and the Key Work of School Boards from the National School Boards Association, most district administrators are well aware of its place in day-to-day decisions, strategic planning, and fiscal resource allocation. To what extent, however, do most district administrators understand how school district vision development and articulation relate to a clear and multifaceted understanding of digital-age tools, such as Web 2.0? The smart and incisively executed use of social media and other internet-based communication tools can intensify an administrator's ability to communicate vision and assist others in vision alignment. In other words, to what degree can district administrators continue to work toward accomplishing a school district's vision without a meaningful understanding of technology?

You may view the a "capzle" of the process here.