from Doug Johnson's blog Change from the Radical Center While the Radical Center political movement has been around for thirty years, I suggest that leaders in educational technology and school library media programs adopt a similar view on hot button topics. While polarized views of reading methodologies, filtering, DRM, Open Source, copyright/copyleft, constructivism, e- books, computer labs, fixed schedules, Mac/PC/Linux, and the One Laptop Per Child project all make for entertaining reading and a raised blood pressure, radical stances rarely create educational change or impact educational institutions enough to change kids’ chances of success. This presentation suggests 10 principles to follow from the Radical Center of Education that will actually result in positive change in education.
As a radical centrist in education, I subscribe to the following principles: 1. Adopt an "and" not "or" mindset. 2. Look for truth and value in all beliefs and practices. 3. Respect the perspective of the individual. 4. Recognize one size does not fit all (kids or teachers). 5. Attend to attitudes. 6. Understand that the elephant can only be eaten one bite at a time. 7. Make sure everyone is moving forward, not just the early adopters. 8. Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know." 9. Believe measurement is good, but that not everything can be measured. 10. Know and keep your core values. -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
