Change is not something that one person drives. Many change efforts are top down, where

the leader alone dictates,  Here is the change.  People don't get it. Therefore, they never get 

in the game, and the leader is the only one down the field. And it's tough to lead when no

one's following.

  Rod D. Odom, Jr., President, Network Services, BellSouth Corporation 

Students, without a doubt, have a

views and ideas. Overarching

wealth of ideas to share about how

themes were clear: students want

to use technology to reshape their

more access to technological tools

learning experiences inside and 

in school, and they want to interact

outside the classroom and make

with technology in more meaningful

them more relevant to their lives. 

ways. 

As part of the Power to Teach report,

BellSouth created a special web site

All of these examples illustrate the

to allow students from participating

various points along the way at

schools to air their desires in a 

which innovative thinking and

moderated online forum. The results

action can result in transforming

opened our eyes to the growing 

experiences. They show us that

perception gap between students

inspired leadership does exist

and teachers about how technology

among educators at all levels 

was enhancing the learning experi 

and among students themselves.

ence. These findings are reported 

They also demonstrate that trans 

in detail in The Big Difference: The

formation doesn't occur at a single

Growing Technology Gap Between

point or instance, but in multiple,

Schools and Students, released 

ongoing ways that will determine

by BellSouth in 2003. (View the 

the ultimate success of school wide

report online at www.bellsouthfoun 

or system wide change effort.

dation.org.) In 2003, BellSouth took

this model one step further and

hosted a national  Student Speak

Out  session lasting three weeks.

Thousands of students from 

around the country logged on to

www.kidspeakout.org to share their

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