We are all aware
of the importance of having a plan of action before completing any task. This
does not change regarding technology initiatives. All technology initiatives should
start with an established technology plan that will be used to monitor its
effectiveness. According to Whitehead, Jensen, & Boschee (2013), “An
assessment of the technology plan should reveal the quality of change that occurred
during the actual implementation process. Assessment indicators need to reveal
the quality of change rather than just a snapshot of current conditions.” (pg.
230). This simply means that
administrators should focus their technology initiatives around their school’s
shared vision, which focuses on student performance.
With a focus on student performance,
educators must take a close look at teaching and learning and ask the following
questions:
1. How
will this benefit my students?
2. How
will this fit within our goal(s)?
Revenaugh states, “Before you add
one more computer or one more software license to your stockpile, ask yourself
how it fits into the larger picture and meets your goals. "How will this
help raise test scores in math? How will this improve students' reading
levels?" If there's no good answer to the question at hand, skip the initiative
or move it down the priority list.”
Additionally,
professional development must be included in the technology plan and evaluated as
well. Whitehead et.al (2013) states, “Objectives
of any quality professional development program involving the use of technology
should be consistent with the school district shared vision” (pg. 231). For effective
teaching and learning to take place, there must be continuous professional
development for teachers and training for students.
A technology plan
is the school’s foundation for any technology initiative. The plan allows
leaders and educators to share their vision and goals with community and
business partners, which could possibly lead to additional support. Also, educational
leaders can use data from benchmarks to show the effects on student
performance. Moreover, a technology plan is vital for an effective technology
initiative to occur.
Reference
Impacting
student achievement with 1:1 technology [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJStqV2JyRk.
Revenaugh,
M. (2018). 10 tips for school technology planning. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=52.
Technology
Integration Plan [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NukBIvNeao.
Whitehead, B.M.,
Jensen, D., Boschee, F. (2013). Planning for Technology: A guide for school
administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin.
Hello Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI loved aspects of your blog with the emphasis of professional development to increase the efficiency of implementation. I have felt a shift in training during our PLC time to reflect this need of training, and appreciate the reinforcement and exploration of new tools and strategies. The final area of your blog that impacted me was the reference to the school vision and planning, an idea that I had not considered so heavily until reading Whitehead, Jensen, and Boschee (2013). This fore-sight in decision making determines the longevity of purchases. If we want to have purchases that will produce a return, we must know the purchase is backed by our vision and reinforced by the continued professional development. Great Post & have an amazing summer!
Whitehead, B.M., Jensen, D., Boschee, F. (2013). Planning for Technology: A guide for
school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYour blog took me back to one of my favorite and most influential parts in the textbook Planning for Technology (Whitehead, Jensen, Boschee, 2013)."School leaders need to first establish a philosophy of education and then address the elements of cost of implementation" Whitehead, Jensen, Boschee, 2013, p. 192). First we should focus on philosophy, then curriculum, courseware, implementation, hardware and finally cost. Your thoughts on the importance of a technology plan just brought everything around full circle for me.
References
Whitehead, B.M., Jensen, D., & Boschee, F. (2013). Planning for Technology: A guide for school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Hey, Lisa.
ReplyDeleteYou make many good points. I do think that it is crucial to make sure instructional technology is raising achievement which is what it is intended to do. Whitehead, Jensen, and Boschee (2013) state that technology initiatives need to focus on student achievement. Oftentimes, districts or schools get excited about a new technology, and they do not look to see if it fits into the school's shared vision. Also, PD, as you mentioned, is critical in helping the teachers implement the new technology.
Whitehead, B.M., Jensen, D., Boschee, F. (2013). Planning for Technology: A guide for school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
DeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. I especially agree with your statement, “For effective teaching and learning to take place, there must be continuous professional development for teachers...” The Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education (CORE) indicates that for the professional development to be successful, teachers need as much as “50 hours of instruction, practice, and coaching.” This is the first of six principals they identify that lead to successful professional development. These principal could prove to be a great resource when developing professional development to compliment a technology plan.
References
CORE (2019). From Training to Transformation. http://2tphyd2raecs4dg3oo3o9r3c-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/changing-instructional-practices-infographic.pdf