Friday, November 29, 2013

Thoughts on LEC

This week I had the opportunity to join Lutheran school educators at the Pacific Southwest District Lutheran Educators Conference (LEC) in Palm Springs, CA. It is always interesting to take part in a conference such as this since it is outside my own geographic district and it provides me the chance to meet a host of new people. I attended the conference on behalf of Ministry Technology Mentors (MTM), speaking with folks in the exhibit hall, and then sharing a couple sessions with administrators in the district. It was a blessing for me to be a part of this event.

As I reflect on some of what I saw and learned, here are some of the highlights:
  • MTM is still a relatively unknown and underutilized resource for Lutheran schools and teachers. When instructional design and technology training in the form of graduate classes may be accessed at a fraction of the normal cost, I am hopeful that more schools and teachers will take advantage of this, and the many other services MTM has to offer.
  • There is a distinct feeling among a number of participants that schools can be divided into "haves" and "have nots", and those that identify themselves with the "have nots" are worried about falling further behind in their technology and instructional design offerings, with many almost pleading for new models for help and support. In particular, a number of Los Angeles County schools see them as needing more support in continuing to progress, something I would love to help provide, but which, frankly, I am not sure how to approach at this time.
  • I appreciated how teachers in this district seem to support the total ministry of their schools> For instance, I had a number of preschool teachers talk with me to learn more about MTM to share with their faculty, expressing a love for their entire school, not only their particular department.
I am particularly interested in ideas for better meeting the needs of some of the schools that consider themselves to be "have nots" in the district -- not having the large enrollment or funding model that really helps them be aggressive in embracing educational change and advancement. I am guessing that I need to pursue more detail from some of these teachers and schools as to what they feel they need or are missing to be successful. 

Perhaps you have that perception of "haves" and "have nots" in your region as well. What support do these schools need? How can we better support their work? I am definitely open to your ideas on this topic.

I am thankful for the opportunity to share time with our Lutheran education brothers and sisters in California, Arizona, and Nevada, and I look forward to working with them in the future.

No comments:

Post a Comment