Practicing Random Acts of Kindness

Doug Johnson, author of the Blue Skunk blog, is an education technologist with a heart--a BIG heart--not to mention plenty of wisdom we can all use as we work in our little corners of the world to transform education for digital learners. He is making available for FREE at lulu.com one of his inspiring books  Machines are the Easy Part; People are the Hard Part: Observations About Making Technology work in Schools.  Its description reads

"This little book takes a somewhat skewed approach to educational technology. Its focus is on the human elements to which attention must be paid before technology can have an impact on teaching and learning."

It is filled with humor, common sense, practical advice, and such profoundness.  It will hit you as soon as you read it and the thoughts linger.  Many times I needed to pause and reflect on his words and what they meant.  Don't be fooled by it's size or that he is giving it away.  He describes rules that are inherent in our education culture and provides great advice within his stories.  One of my favorites is the "Remember the Drill Bit Rule."

"An old maxim states: “People don't buy a drill bit because they want a drill bit; they buy them because they want a hole.”

You don't buy technology because you want technology; you buy it because you want a more effective school.
You don’t have a library for the sake of having a library; you have a library because you want better educated kids.

Too often we confuse the thing with the reason for the
thing, much to our own peril. Having a computer on
every desk is not a goal. Having x number of books in
the library is not a goal. These may be means to reach a goal, but they are not the goal itself."

You will laugh, you will see yourself as well as your colleagues, and you will learn some tips on how to deal with the "people" part of using technology in schools.  Thank you Doug Johnson!