Drawing upon his 40 years of experience studying Eastern philosophy, Vidal’s focus in “Confucius in the Technology Realm” is in applying ancient philosophical wisdom to influence what actually happens in the classroom from an ed-tech perspective.
San Diego, Calif. (PRWEB) October 06, 2015
Seeking to transform the way technology is perceived, deployed and used in K-12 classrooms, Networld Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of value-added information technology solutions, today announced the release of “Confucius in the Technology Realm,” a new book authored by VP and Principal Education Technology Consultant Darryl Vidal.
Now available on Amazon, the book offers a new and controversial way of thinking about the dynamic world of education technology (ed tech). It comes on the heels of Vidal’s previous two books, co-authored with school technology expert Michael Casey, which have earned critical acclaim in ed-tech circles.
To commemorate the release, Vidal will be on hand for a book signing at the annual meeting and expo for the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International in Grapevine, Texas. The book signing will take place in the ASBO book store Saturday, October 24 from 2:30 -5:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 25 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Eastern Philosophy Meets Western Education
Drawing upon his 40 years of experience studying Eastern philosophy, Vidal’s focus in “Confucius in the Technology Realm” is in applying ancient philosophical wisdom to influence what actually happens in the classroom from an ed-tech perspective. In the book, he offers a Confucius-like viewpoint, helping school administrators identify the path to transcending their organizations’ people, policies, and processes to attain a state where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts – where the ed-tech infrastructure and operational support structure are ingrained and embodied within the organization as a whole.
“Darryl takes us through the transcendence of novice, apprentice and master as they relate to the integration of technology in support of instruction,” says Casey, who serves on the Google Education Task Force and provides the book’s foreword. “He is masterful in his analogy of Eastern philosophy as it relates to the roles in education of the student, teacher and administrator. Darryl moves us through the yin and yang to the future state, where the myriad of things melts into the ultimate embodiment of education.”
Adds Vidal, “We’ve had it drilled into our heads since the early days of computing in education – it’s not about the technology. However, after endless discussions and debate surrounding 1-to-1 computing and BYOD (bring your own device), one would think that every school and teacher is concerned about what type of device will be used in the classroom. This is like asking what is the best pen to write with. What series of inquiry could be more flawed? How could one technology tool be the right one for every student, in every school, and every curriculum? Answer, it can’t and won’t.”
The example of the pencil and paper offers a different and nobler entreaty, Vidal adds. “In essence, the pencil and paper have achieved something that the tablet and laptop have failed to do in the classroom: be all things to all people. And this is strictly due to the complexity of the technology tool, in and of itself. This failure doesn’t even take into account the curriculum and the classroom management questions,” he said.
Book Stirs Controversy
Although early reviews on Amazon have been positive, the book has stirred some controversy, with comments – which are posted online – that call Vidal’s ideas into question, stating they are “out there” and unrealistic. At the same time, Vidal has been careful to offset his philosophical ideas with practical advice, embracing the concepts behind TIME (Technology Independent Model for Education™), a new model for K-12 technology he introduced in 2014. TIME seeks to optimize education outcomes by moving school technologists beyond the limits of BYOD and one-to-one computing, placing the focus instead on the application of technology for the purpose of advancing curriculum objectives.
Published by Rowman & Littlefield, “Confucius” follows Vidal’s second ed-tech book, “Vision: The First Critical Step in Developing a Strategy for Educational Technology,” co-authored with Casey. Released in late 2014, “Vision” is also available on Amazon. In February 2014, the co-authors released “N3xt Practices: An Executive Guide for Education Decision Makers,” All three books are based on the authors’ decades of experience working with school districts across California, including San Diego Unified and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified.
For more information on “Confucius in the Technology Realm,” visit Vidal’s blog at http://www.vidalcasey.com. The book can be ordered on Amazon here. For more information about Networld Solutions’ K-12 Technology Solutions, visit http://www.networldsolutions.com/service.html.
About Networld Solutions
Serving businesses throughout California and the West Coast, Networld Solutions, Inc. offers a team of value-add IT consultants for customers in K-12 education, healthcare and the enterprise and small to medium business markets. Networld Solutions, Inc. is in business to help organizations grow through the strategic use of IT, and takes pride in its customization expertise and can design and implement any solution to fit a business’ needs. For more information, visit http://www.networldsolutions.com.
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The company, brand and product names are used herein for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Technology Independent Model for Education is a trademark of Networld Solutions, Inc.