Why "First Fish Chronicles"?
What's in a name
When a school of fish (yes, a “school”) is swimming around in the ocean and wants to change direction, what sparks that shift? It takes a “first fish” to pull away from the group to initiate the change, but in order to actually redirect the entire school, a second and third fish must follow.
Today, our literal schools are heading towards AI tutors replacing teachers, EdTech products impeding skill development, and Big Tech continue to mine and monetize user data without consent. This isn’t what education is, was, or should be.
We have to change direction.
In order to do this, we need to see more “first fish”:
Parents who ask important questions about the role of screen-based technology in the classroom;
Teachers who recognize that banning student phones but providing internet-connected 1:1 devices is contradictory and problematic;
School leaders who realize they are easy marks for the (Ed)Tech industry and who decide to courageously change directions and go against what is easy and popular because it serves children, not corporations.
Being a first fish can feel scary and lonely. We really need our second and third fish to join us– the more the merrier. The great news is that more and more second and third fish are joining this fight, and the school (and “school”) is starting to shift direction.
By telling stories about these first first (and subsequent second and third fish), First Fish Chronicles seeks to provide courageous examples of grassroots action that sparks meaningful changes.
Notes:
The first time I heard the “first fish” reference was from an interview I did with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath back in 2023 as I was writing my book and the original story can be found in the Epilogue.
First Fish Essays:
Being a First Fish: Opting Out of EdTech: Why It’s Hard and Why I’m Doing it Anyway. (My personal First Fish journey).
Our First Fish Opt Out Digital Journey (Guest essay)
Opt-Out? Can I really do that? My child doesn’t HAVE to use a device at school? (Guest essay)