On The Open Road Like Jack, Willie and Matt

One of the most rewarding aspects of working in the Ed-Tech world is having the opportunity to hear from real educators who are teaching in a new age and have a lot of factors to evaluate when bringing technology into the classroom. Inspired by three of my favorites, Willie Nelson, Jack Kerouac and Matt Asay, I am hitting the road to share ed-tech stories from practitioners around the country.

Prompted by many different reasons, Willie, Jack and Matt have all hit the road at one point in time. Their stories have captivated and motivated many, and while all three have the spirit of discovery in common, they have chosen different mediums to capture the thrill of what comes next.



Beatnik writer Jack Kerouac penned The Open Road, which is often hailed and reviled as one of the greatest American novels of all time. The book is an open narrative that tackled the controversial themes and characters of an era while chronicling many spontaneous road trips that spanned the continental US.











Nicknamed "The Red-Headed Stranger," singer-songwriter Willie Nelson was compelled to write the hit song "On The Road Again" for the movie Honeysuckle Rose. This song is as much a part of American Music as any other and has made Willie famous for writing it.









Matt Asay, COO of Canonical and writer of “The Open Road” blog, has made the business and politics of open source a daily discussion. His blog is a poke in the eye to zealots and a wakeup call to entrenched proprietary software vendors. Through his work and writing, he has helped to raise the awareness of open-source software.

Over the past two and a half years I have been behind the marketing desk at Moodlerooms. Now, I have stepped into the K-12 Ed-Tech world. Earlier this June, I traveled to Harrodsburg, KY, to present on the many ways that managed open-source Moodle can help teachers and engage students in the Mercer County School District.

At the end of June, I'll be hitting the road again and heading to Denver, CO, for the ISTE Annual Conference and Exhibition. ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) provides a forum to demonstrate how education leaders can achieve their goal of enhancing student learning through technology.

Since it's my first post, I wanted pose the following question:

If you could do anything with learning management what would it be?

This blog will provide responses to that question and deliver some insight that I hope to gain as I'm out on the open road.

Until next time, here is a tune you won't stop humming:
On The Road Again - Willie Nelson