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NAIS Schools of the Future conferencing space

Schools of the Future/the Future of Schools was envisioned as a think tank for NAIS. While it may not have the same type of agenda and "to do" list that other committees and work groups operate by, it will drive thinking in terms of our obligations to continue convening and exerting leadership in global sustainability and the future of education environments.

Second, as a group of leaders envisioning the future--I think it prudent we acknowledge and embrace the present reality. Our teachers in their 20's and 30's as well as our students are interacting with one another and with the world through social networking sites, such as Twitter, FaceBook, etc., The second life exhibit at NAIS in Chicago drove home the point that our students will quickly adapt to several levels of "reality". The fact that a person can attend college, an AA meeting or win/lose at poker using their keyboard and a computer is natural to our students but will somehow change the way many of us running schools will do business. To that end we ought to "play "with the formats--and find out how robust they are. We could start with a Wiki or Ning site and at least change the way we do our business using the "current" technology platforms.

Third I would offer an "edit" to the current widly held belief extant in virtual communities that we ought to share "what we are doing" and instead share " what we are thinking" While the exchange might be a bit dull on some social networks, at NAIS it would be a high voltage connection! As for our almost a majority committee: How will we know "what we think" in the tank until we "see what we say" n a network? Or something like that. So here's what I am thinking: One of the ways that Schools of the Future could serve NAIS might be to move into an exploration of these new ways of conducting our business.