🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi, Jackie (AKA Godmamma) and other readers of this list.

Kyle Peck here, to respond to Jackie's questions and provide another update
on AECT progress.

Let's start with Jackie's questions...

Jackie said...
>"Am I the only AECT member who is bothered by the Change Division request t=
o
>remain intact to avoid being "splintered"?
>
>While in Houston, I participated in the Division Council and the DISC Board
>meeting.  There was much angst apparent in both groups, but the final
>decision was to cooperate and uphold the recommendations of the Task Force,
>even though everyone was feeling "splintered".
>
>My feeling now is that either ALL of the divisions cooperate in the changes
>and realignment or NONE of them should.  I have a real problem with CHANGE
>considering itself so different that special concessions be made for it.

It is a good point, and understand your concern.  The AECT Board does not
appear to be ready to simply "reinstate" the Change Division.  We will have
a board meeting via conference call on Monday, during which we will discuss
the issue.  Here's a l;ittle background o n the decision and the
discussions to come...

The AECT Board saw the "divisions" primarily as "contexts" in which our
members operate.  We saw the Change, International, and MIM (minorities in
Media) as very different -- as interests that cross the division structure.
We still do.  In our meeting on Monday, we will be investigating ways to
allow people with these "special interests" to use AECT to "gather" and
benefit from their common interest, but it doesn't appear that we'll
recreate them as divisions.  I'll be sending an update to the list after
that meeting.

Jackie also asked...

>1) Given that we are probably going to have all new headquarters office sta=
ff
>with the move to Bloomington, how can we expect the members of the division=
s
>to be moved to the new cluster/division within the proposed timeframe for t=
he
>new structure -- July to November?  Who is going to be responsible for the
>massive data review?  How do they intend to verify that members addresses,
>email address, phone number, etc. is up-to-date and correct?
>
>My recent experience with the AECT database of members (recent being the la=
st
>four years) is that it is woefully out-of-date.  We have had no updates sin=
ce
>the original CD was issued two years ago.

The AECT database is not in great shape, but it HAS been maintained.
Although the members have not received updated versions, the staff have
been making changes to the database.  I have been working with Stan to
transport the database to a form that will allow access via the web (with
appropriate security measures, of course.)  This will allow each member to
maintain his or her record, making the best information available with
little administrative effort.  It will also allow the leaders of the AECT
Divisions, Committees, task forces, and other groups to access the most
current, up-to-date data directly, iwthout having to ask the staff to do it
for them.  We will have this in place in time to allow divisions to
transfer their members to the appropriate new division, and we will then
allow individuals to adjust their division memberships, on an ongoing
basis.  Remember that members will also be able to add division memberships
at no cost, since the communications they will receive will be electronic.

Jackie also asked...
>2) Where is the time necessary to identify people willing to run for the ne=
w
>offices?  Clumping members from several former divisions into a new "cluste=
r"
>seems to me to be counter-productive in finding a "president, web master, a=
nd
>AECT Board member".

The amount of time needed to accomplish this will be different for each
division.  Some are experiencing only minor changes in membershhip, and may
choose to keep their entire slate of officers intact.  Other divisions will
want to request more time to identify candidates, allow them to express
themselves to the membership, and conduct the election (online, through
forms we set up for that purpose.)

It's true that we have a huge job ahead of us, but we are working on it,
and at this moment, it still seems "doable."

Later!
Kyle {(}-;

***************  Jackie's Original Note Begins here...
****************************

>Below is a copy of one paragraph from Kyle's response to the "sound of
>silence".
>
>Am I the only AECT member who is bothered by the Change Division request to
>remain intact to avoid being "splintered"?
>
>While in Houston, I participated in the Division Council and the DISC Board
>meeting.  There was much angst apparent in both groups, but the final
>decision was to cooperate and uphold the recommendations of the Task Force,
>even though everyone was feeling "splintered".
>
>My feeling now is that either ALL of the divisions cooperate in the changes
>and realignment or NONE of them should.  I have a real problem with CHANGE
>considering itself so different that special concessions be made for it.
>
>Kyle's message:
>
>=85 The Change Division was changed by the Board to a "cross cluster specia=
l
>interest group."  We proposed that their members would create special
>interest groups within the identified divisions.  While the leaders and
>members of the Change Division understood the Board's thinking and were
>willing to work with us to make this happen, they feared that it might
>splinter the group, and they would prefer to be reinstated as a division.
>I recommend that the Board reinstate the Change Division, as soon as
>possible, to respect their desire to work and think together, and to avoid
>confusion and the significant amount of work involved in aligning its
>members with other divisions.
>
>I have two other questions about the restructuring:
>
>1) Given that we are probably going to have all new headquarters office sta=
ff
>with the move to Bloomington, how can we expect the members of the division=
s
>to be moved to the new cluster/division within the proposed timeframe for t=
he
>new structure -- July to November?  Who is going to be responsible for the
>massive data review?  How do they intend to verify that members addresses,
>email address, phone number, etc. is up-to-date and correct?
>
>My recent experience with the AECT database of members (recent being the la=
st
>four years) is that it is woefully out-of-date.  We have had no updates sin=
ce
>the original CD was issued two years ago.
>
>2) Where is the time necessary to identify people willing to run for the ne=
w
>offices?  Clumping members from several former divisions into a new "cluste=
r"
>seems to me to be counter-productive in finding a "president, web master, a=
nd
>AECT Board member".
>
>OK, AECT Leaders, can I have an answer or two?
>
>Jackie


---------------------------------------------
Kyle L. Peck, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Education, Penn State University
President, Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
314 Keller Building
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA  16802

(814) 863-4316