Looking for Balance

I came across an interesting blog post in my Twitter feed today. With a title of "17 Signs Your Classroom is Behind the Times," if definately caught my eye. I took a few moments and read through it earlier today. I had a hearty chuckle at some of the signs because, well, they were funny.

3.) You still have chalk. Or a Dry Eraser.

4.) You try to pull up a web resource on your computer to show the class and you receive a "This website has been blocked" message.

5.) You cross your fingers every time you try to connect to the network to access the internet.

I admit, after I had my hearty laugh, this list got me to thinking. When I checked the blog post later this evening, there were 36 comments responding to the list. Several were positive and supportive of the list components. Others, were stark raving mad.

A great deal of teachers were offended by this list. And honestly, I think some of mine would be too. What does this mean for me as an administrator?

Balance.

I must strive to find balance between the technologies we have and how we use them. I must never lose sight of what's best for kids. Ever.
I must gently nudge my teachers towards collaborative technologies, not push them over the edge. Nothing good will come of that.
And most of all, I must listen. I must listen to their hopes, their fears and their frustrations while creating an evironment of support and encouragement.

Only when balance is achieved will we truly move our classrooms forward and not fall behind.