DataBus - Vol 41 No. 2: February-March, 2001
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CEDPA SIGs Sail Off Into The Sunset???
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-- Of cabbages--and kings-- And why the sea is boiling hot-- And whether pigs have wings." Lewis Carroll, 1872 Lewis Carroll wasn't talking about CEDPA SIGs when he wrote "Through the looking glass….", but he does sort of capture the essence of the transformation of CEDPA SIGs. On the other side of the looking glass, Alice found a different world. Things looked and acted differently from her former frame of reference. So it is with the CEDPA Special Interest Groups. They have become a little used forum for K12 Technologists to share ideas, commiserate on common problems, and help one another gain a clearer vision of the future of California K12 technology. In fact, the SIG meeting at the conference managed to attract only one individual. As discussed in previous DataBus articles, your CEDPA Board has reviewed and discussed the SIGs, and their continued viability, at great length. And, after great soul searching and agonizing, the Board has come to the conclusion that the SIGs no longer provide a good vehicle for the type of information exchange needed in our rapid paced environment. Two current thoroughfares for this exchange are e-mail and the CEDPA EdTech listserv. Also, many County Offices of Education host regional meetings, which serve as forums for the exchange of information. The next step??? The proposal that has gained the greatest amount of support from CEDPA Board members, is the concept of a 1-day "mini-conference" to be held approximately in the middle of the CEDPA calendar-about 6 months prior to the annual 3-day conference. Such a "mini-conference" would have an abbreviated speaker program and would most likely be focused on one or two topics. As envisioned, this one-day event would include both morning and afternoon sessions and most likely, a "working" lunch where the attendees could participate in small or large group discussions on "the topic of the day". Just as Dorothy and Toto found themselves no longer in Kansas, so the CEDPA SIGs find themselves no longer in the real world. But, the CEDPA Board is not looking for Wizards to help SIGs find a way "home". I'm sure you've guessed what's next. What do you think? Would you be interested in attending such a 1-day function? Would you recommend some other type of CEDPA function to help the membership with their ongoing pursuit of K12 Technology excellence? Greg Lindner has been given the unenviable task of rebuilding the SIG program into one of vision and use for you, the members. Please contact Greg at and share your ideas with him. |
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