be the New Status Quo

was actually the dawn of a com 

Even in realizing the overwhelming

plete lifestyle change. Corporate

power that technology can (and 

leaders who failed to recognize 

will continue to) bring to bear on

and embrace the new way of living

education, one point emerges with

have been rendered irrelevant. 

crystalline clarity: 

Technology can

If education doesn't recognize the

never replace face to face human

lifestyle change that students have

interaction between teacher and

undergone at an amazing rate, 

student.

Nor should it. But it can

it, too, may become lost in a sea 

enhance the frequency, the nature

of other alternatives.

and the timing of human communi 

cation. Live video conferencing and

Tapping into technology's 

digital cameras in cell phones are

potential means tapping into the

but the very tip of the mountain of

unknown   and that's a good

possibilities.

thing.

The more data is gathered,

would like to be engaged in the

the more it becomes clear: schools

Even as a technology based 

learning process   and we include

must not do everything they can 

company, BellSouth has always

them in those discussions   just

to improve the way they're doing

based its strategies and processes

imagine what we might learn.

things; they must do everything 

for change on human strengths.

As BellSouth's own experience 

they can to do things differently. 

Technology is a medium for change

has shown, continuing to focus 

in our corporation, but it will never

Education is on the brink of radical

on simply improving the old 

provide the leadership, courage

transformation, and technology

way of doing business rather 

and compassion needed to achieve

is both a catalyst for this change

than reinventing the business 

change successfully. This is doubly

and a key to its success. However,

to incorporate the forces of new

true for education.

educational transformation requires

technologies will only weaken the

the insight to ask questions that

value of the organization. To fully

may reveal our initial ignorance 

capture the power of wireless 

so that we can learn with others

technology, BellSouth had to open

who hold additional pieces to the

itself to new ways of thinking and 

puzzle: What business are we really

an entirely new company (Cingular)

in today? How will the change

that was attuned to the demands 

process take place? Where are we

of a radically changed customer

going with all this change, anyway? 

base. In essence, BellSouth explored

with its customers the potential of

One unique voice to add to the 

wireless technology and how it

conversation is that of students

could change lifestyles. The same is

themselves. If we realize that there

true for the  business  of education

is much to discover about their 

and its ability to make an impact. 

individual potential for learning 

and their ideas about how they

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