Having been fortunate to live a quality life by Allah’s (swt) grace, Bill Horniak has had many travels, both figuratively and literally. As a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, a father of two grown children, a high school athletic coach, a classroom educator, and currently, an educational administrator over the past 15 years, his experiences learned are part of his powerful insight and knowledge into both wisdom and virtue. As an accomplished lifelong learner. Bill has been fortunate to realize the power of education and schooling. Consequently, the efforts and persistence in striving for wisdom and virtue are innately self-rewarding.
The Marine Corps has had a motto for a long time. “Improvise, Overcome and Adapt.” This post is intended for the audience of educators and administrators who are both hesitant and reluctant to appreciate this ideology and practice.
It is not just a fleeting notion or idea yet practical and real. I am imploring that the future of the paperless classroom and school is upon us. It is already a reality in many schools and the current plan and goal of hundreds of others worldwide.
It is not a matter of I don’t think so or maybe anymore, but when? The implementation of mobile technology in any form referencing the movement of BYOD in schools at all levels has finally come to fruition in hundreds of school districts in America and thousands of schools, respectively. The question that I would like to pose to my colleagues and contemporaries is what we would do if our textbooks, hard copies of the curriculum, and copy machines disappeared.
If unannounced, one day at the school in which you work. What would you do as a classroom teacher and as a school community? Would your school close its doors and shut down? Would we tell the students to go home?
As lifelong educators, would we confess to our stakeholders that we can no longer teach children? We must acknowledge the state of our world and the plight which students now face regarding their future productivity and success in the world. As an adult, we must improvise and move expeditiously to accept and embrace the tools and resources provided to the learning environment by technology held in the hands of our students. Innovative and progressive professional educators who see the potential and proverbial light in maximizing student engagement and learning via the use of mobile technology possessed by students are forward-thinking in mindset.
The delivery of their instruction demonstrates and reflects the reality of their potential by implementing their daily usage as part of their planning and lessons. Remember that if we are not part of the solution, we are often part of the problem. Effective and successful educators plan and work with the maxim and goal to teach children to be problem solvers, no?
Amongst the other group of perhaps millions of educators around the globe are those who are indifferent either way. Arguably, is it not possible they are the group that is neither compassionate towards students’ wants and needs nor passionate about their chosen profession? To avoid being over-rhetorical and long-winded, as a Marine and now career educator, it is our moral imperative to not only defend and protect those who cannot do so themselves but to improvise, overcome and adapt to the world and resources around us.
We must figure out effective and efficient means to deliver content and instruction to students of the 21st century via all resources, technology, and otherwise, to maximize student engagement and success. I look forward to hearing from all my contemporaries and colleagues about this revolutionary movement. What will YOU do when you have no paper or textbook to deliver instruction and teach your class?
As always, you’re in a good fight!