Back in Philly at Grad School

The title of this post is technically correct, but it is slightly misleading. Yes, I was back at the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, but this time it was as a teacher, not as a student. I must admit that it felt odd driving into West Philadelphia and onto campus. Did I owe any work? Were there any dissertation revisions to do? Alas, those fears were unfounded; my diploma was still valid! I was asked to present a case study to the third-year students in the program I completed in 2010--the Mid-Career Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the Penn Graduate School of Education (GSE). The class was called "Advanced Issues in Educational Leadership." I decided to discuss Calvert's one-to-one laptop program for Middle School students, which has been in place since 1999. Our technology committee has been reviewing the program for a year, and we are considering some alterations in the future. The class and I discussed successes, challenges, options, curriculum, vision, leadership, hardware, "apps," and communication. I found the 90 minutes to be very beneficial, as I gained valuable insights from over twenty sets of experienced and intelligent "fresh eyes." Yes, truth be told, on the way out of town, I did stop at Sarcone's Bakery in South Philly for a loaf of their incredibly delicious Italian bread. Without exaggeration, it is the best bread in the world!