Stephen Andrade

Name: Stephen Andrade

E-mail: stephen_andrade@brown.edu

Organization: Annenberg Institute for School Reform

City and State: Providence, RI

Area of Employment: education

How I heard about Network Democracy:

I don't recall specifically. I regularly check in with the FCC, and I am on their list of advisors. I have participated in a number of policy, program and grant review activities for the Federal Gov, and the White House, so I suspect I am on someone's list for this type of thing.

My experience in this area:

I have been involved in computer and communications technology projects for nearly 20 years. Most of those years as planner and practitioner. My role at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform is to try to leverage local, regional and national assets to the benefit of kids and better schools. What is often lacking in these discussions is the voice that is grounded in real experience as well as strategic thinking. I view technologies as comprehensive, I am not a digital zealot. If we are going to improve the technology environments of the schools, we need to look at all opportunities in voice, video and data.

What I hope to learn:

I hope to learn enough to leverage these new sets of laws into real opportunity for kids in classrooms. At the same time, I expect to advance the discussion of school reform. Too often, technology initiative to improve schools start with the school as it has been. Leveraging new technology opportunities starts with taking a very hard look at what we are doing in schools. It will challenge the traditional roles of teachers, the traditional roles of parents and communities, and the traditional roles of business and government. So, the voice of school reform - changing and improving our schools - is the critical link to any advantage technology might bring.

Additional comments:

I am eager to participate. I have used email for most of my life, but I have not participated in a focused, constructed conference like this. I look forward to learning the pro's and con's of this type of dialog. I believe it will be useful in my teaching and other public engagement work.