Why Beyond Tools

The purpose of this blog is to think about the important human elements that lead to learning and growth. Since I work as a K-12 technology integration coach (my real title is specialist, but I detest that word), many of my musings will center around the field of education.

The title of this blog alludes to my skepticism of educational technology tools. As a teacher, I tend toward minimalism. What is the bare minimum of resources necessary to achieve the objective. Why would every student need a large packet of specific materials when they could effectively guide their own learn using Thinking Maps?  Why would every student need a large number of web accounts or apps when they could effectively learn using one powerful digital tool applied to a variety of materials?

Of course my minimalist philosophy can be taken to the extreme and must be tempered by a broader perspective. And that brings me back the to the title of the blog, Beyond Tools. What really captures my imagination are the aspects of learning and development that allow us to move from where we are at to where we want to be, or better yet, where we never imagined we could go.

Of course, a blog is really pointless unless others follow it, engage with it, disagree with it, and share it with others. I encourage you to follow this blog and tweet it or share it with others.

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Evocative Coaching

The book Evocative Coaching, by Bob and Megan Tschannen-Moran, really provided a foundation for my work coaching adult learners. These posts were created from April, 2013 to June, 2014. I continue to return to them and am amazed at the wisdom the Tschannen-Moran’s have regarding growing the professional learning of adults