Either Way You Lose
The Case of the Incredible Vanishing Software
Who Are You?
Middle School Curriculum Coordinator
The Scenario:
Teachers in your middle school are constantly coming up to you asking for money to "buy software." They tell you that they can't be expected to actually use these classroom computers if someone (i.e., you) doesn't buy them software. Further, more teachers each year (at your suggestion!) go to your state technology conference and come back with all sorts of requests to buy the various cool software packages, manipulatives, etc. that they see at the conference. BUT, you know that middle school teachers have at least 5 or 6 different subject-specific applications that have been purchased over the past several years. And to the best of your knowledge, virtually no one is using this software. This being the case, you have a hard time rationalizing the expenditure of even more funds to buy more software...which probably won't be used any more so than that which they already have.
Your Challenges:
What are you going to do? If you simply say "no" then you are perceived of as being non-cooperative and "bureaucratic" But if you just say "yes" then you feel irresponsible with regard to your budget. How can you address this teacher request and break out of the "buy it and put it on the shelf" cycle?
Think About:
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Last updated, December 29, 1998