Technology is becoming more and more important in today’s
life. This means that teaching technology to our students is becoming more and
more important. This must be done in an effective manner so that the students
get the most out of the technology that they have the ability to use. So it is
the goal of educators to make sure that the students have plenty of time to
work with technology and have access to the technology. The technology
director, principal, or teachers in the school have to work to effectively
integrating technology into how things are done around the school. One method
that seems to work for schools is if there is only one person over the
technology throughout the school, they develop a technology team from the
teachers at the school. This allows the technology director (or whatever their
title is) to delegate certain tasks to his team. This also creates a team which
the director can brainstorm about the direction of technology implementation
for the school. This creates potential issues though. Anytime a group of adults
are brought together there will be conflicting ideas and goals. “In 1965, Bruce
W. Tuckman from Princeton published his now classic “Forming – Storming –
Norming – Performing” model, which describes the developmental nature of small
group dynamics” (Hall, 2008). Hall discusses the characteristics of each of
these phases and the importance of each.
As the technology director forms this technology team, they must be
aware of these stages of development for the group. Hall also said that it is
important to have the group progress through the forming, storming, and norming
stages as fast as possible while still working through the issues that each
stage presents. He also cautions readers to understand that when the group
dynamics change then the group could revert back to the forming or storming
stages.
As the technology director casts their vision for the
technology at the school, the teachers can give the director different
perspectives on how to best implement the vision. They can provide the details
of how to use the “five levels of digital media” (Picciano, 2011) and how they
might be best implemented. Allowing the teachers to have this type of input gives
them a sense of “owning” the technology that is being used (and how) in their
school and it helps to free up time so that the director can use to do things
that they are only qualified to do. This is efficient delegation.
As I have worked through the classes require for my major, I
have learned the importance of effectiveness and efficiency. I always
understood that there was a budget for schools but when you realize everything
that has to be taken care of within those budgets then you realize how fast
that money is spent and that there really isn’t as much as I originally
thought. I always understood that as a teacher you wanted to effective and you
wanted to be efficient. When the realization of the budget set in, I truly
understood WHY you want to be effective and efficient. In businesses they
always talk about profit margin and that is what we are trying to get to in our
classrooms as we use technology (and other resources). We want to create that
most bang for our buck in our classrooms and schools so we look for the most
effective ways we can implement technology because it needs to be incorporated
into our classes or our students will be at a HUGE disadvantage when they enter
into the workforce.
Resources:
Hall, D. (2008). The technology director\'s guide to
leadership . Eugene, OR: ISTE.
Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and
planning for technology. Prentice Hall.
(Actually this is Lou Julius Ellenburg)
ReplyDeleteWOW!! “Technology is becoming more and more important” is so true! It is our life at times! I saw a sign just yesterday… it said, “Do you keep your Bible as close to you as you keep your cell phone?” My thoughts were… “My Bible is on my cell phone!” Of course I have a physical Bible too and I love to carry it and flip through it, hearing the pages crinkle and reading the notes I have added over the years. But, technology is here, and it IS our responsibility to prepare our students for the future.
The method of using a technology leader with several others as part of the technology team seems to be fairly effective. In my school district we have what we call “techno-buddies”. These are the teachers who are knowledgeable and experienced with the technology. They are not intimidated by new ventures in technology and most of all, they are willing to help those who may be uneasy about the various technology components that are introduced. They are in a way, mentors to others. It has been a good program and the district even gave out prizes the first year to motivate the use of the system. I think they should do that again!
As a tech leader, keeping the vision for the program in the forefront for all to be reminded of is a primary concern. Making sure communications to stakeholders concerning the program are clear and concise is also important. All of this, not to mention the other details of leading a technology department, can be overwhelming! With the Lord’s guidance and sustaining grace, one can have a successful technology program!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Technology is important to use in today's society. We are in the 21st century and without the use of technology some people will be lost. There are many different types of technology tools availabe for teachers and students to use in the classroom. It is important for teachers to be comfortable with the use of technology in their classrooms. If teachers are not comfortable using technology in the classroom; they can not expect students to be comfortable using it. As a teacher, I use different types of technology tools with my students. In my school district, they provide us with professional development on technology. It gives teachers the opportunity to be introduce to different types of technology resources they can use with their students. Some veterans teachers are still stuck in their ways so they are not using the technology tools as they should be. Technology is great to use and I am excited to see what is the next technology tool that's coming forth.
ReplyDeleteToday many people use distance-learning programmers to study at home. Distance learning has become increasingly more popular in recent years as more and more adults are looking to change careers following a lay off from work. It is common believed that people who have a full-time job are supposed to benefit by distance education. Thus learning through internet is a sensible choice to them. Furthermore, distance education can help students who are far from the colleges. For example, when a Chinese student wants to learn a course which is presented in an American school, it is hardly for him to go to the American school by plane every day. Therefore, he can fulfill his wish by online learning. Last but not least, the disabled can learn knowledge through distance-learning programmers. It is no doubt that studying at school every day is very inconvenient for people who have physical handicap. Hence they are likely to receive less or even no education compare to the normal people without online learning. So distance education should be provided by educational systems. The biggest advantage of distance education in the modern world is that these learning programmers provide flexibility to the learner to continue with their studies without compromising on quality of education and course content.
ReplyDeleteHi Megan
ReplyDeleteMeagan I really like how you structure your last blog for this course on effectively integrating technology. Technology has changed education and how educators can leverage new educational tools to personalize learning, encourage collaboration, and prepare students for the future. Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals. Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the ne plus ultra of classroom instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.
Thank you Megan for your thorough post, I must say that one of the things that is a challenge to helping teachers become more comfortable with technology is a lack of time. I know that all year I am pressing teachers to try new things, try technology in their classrooms but they are trying to move the curriculum forward. Teachers also are struggling with the fact that they feel inadequate when it comes to learning technology. They feel bad about what they don't know and that hinders their progress.
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