In the last podcast, I talked about our strategic plan. As you’ve probably heard, we’re looking ahead five years and refreshing Design II. Three critical steps in the process were very successful: a District Leadership Team workshop in August, a student symposium in September, and a community symposium in October.

I want to talk more about the community symposium in this podcast. Truly it was a great day for everyone involved—community and business leaders, students, district staff, and board members.

Our keynote speaker was Hall Davidson, a former teacher and respected expert on the intersections between technology and education. Hall talked about fully empowering our 21st-century flexible learning environments and shared his four commands for using educational technology. I think these are important to keep in mind as our digital transformation unfolds. First, allow yourself to feel wonder. Second, allow yourself to feel dumb. Third, never hesitate to use the web for support. And lastly, never hesitate to ask a kid—something we digital immigrants can all relate to.

Of course, technology is just one piece of Design II. Most district staff members are well-versed in the plan, but it’s often less familiar to community members. At the symposium, the community not only learned about Design II, but also saw how it has evolved and shaped everything we do.

More importantly, the symposium gave us a chance to listen to the community's ideas—ideas that in the past have helped transform our district. When Design II was first created, the community had a hand in creating the vision, goals, and initiatives.

This time, the community again displayed powerful insight. Here are a few highlights,…