It all starts with a plan....

Looking at the technology plans at the national, state, and district level has been really informative.  There seems to be an overwhelming trend.  Technology use needs to move beyond students using technology to engaging students using technology.  I saw the word engagement clearly in each plan, and I think that is really important in determining where our schools need to go next in terms of technology.  I think that many of us use technology in our classrooms, but are we really engaging our students? 

There was another buzz word that I saw in each plan that I browsed: FUNDING.  I guess it's kind of funny that I hadn't really thought about funding.  In these days and times, money (or lack of) is obviously a huge issue.  In the state plan, I saw a break down of funding for each year and I was really shocked at the decrease from year to year.  At this point, it seems like technology would have more funding than ever, but, in this economy, I can see that that is not the case.

I liked how each plan mentioned global economy or a global outlook (especially the national plan).  The United States really has a lot of catching up to do with many of the other countries across the world.  It is time that our students become technology literate so that can be successful in the "real world." 

Overall, I can say that I am thoroughly enlightened about our current realities and where our technology vision is headed.  The state plan was very easy for me to go through and pull information from.  I found it to be a valuable tool.  The national plan has a lot of valuable information, but it did feel a little overwhelming.  I have noticed that simple, easy-to-read language really is the best route to take when developing a technology plan.  Also, goals and strategies need to be clearly layed out.  The purpose of a technology plan is to guide educators in taking their technology use to the next level.  If the technology plan is hard to read or understand, then I am probably going to have a hard implementing my plan.

P.S. Interesting Fact That I Learned from the National Plan - A well functioning, up-to-date media center and media center specialist has a direct correlation with student achievement in a school building.  I found that fact interesting because I haven't really thought about the media center in terms of student achievement before.  Looking at this fact, it makes me think that it would probably be beneficial to include the media center in a local school's technology plan - especially if student achievement is at stake!

Trailblazer...or Saboteur???

Technology and instruction.   Two peas in a pod.  Well, at least they should be.  Technology and instruction are components that should naturally connect and go together.  The problem that we are facing in many schools is that technology is not seen as a key component in developing and implementing effective instruction.    To further develop as educators, we need to take the steps to increase technology use in valuable ways.  That can be easier said than done though!

There is one thing all teachers can benefit from: staff development.   In all honesty, many teachers would probably disagree with that statement.  There appears to be a staff development epidemic.  Teachers learn new skills in a quick “workshop” and, then, they are expected to go back to their classrooms and be “experts” on the new material.  Teachers need more support and supervision for effective implementation. 

Beneficial staff development is already rare to come by, but, to make it really complicated, now technology is thrown into the mix.  Teachers need staff development that will further their expertise of utilizing technology in learning.  This is important because “…technology should blend in with all aspects of our teaching, learning, staff development, community relations, and so forth” (Creighton 44).  Teachers also need support in the area of constructivist learning, the idea that learning is an active process of students constructing their own ideas and guiding their own learning.  Technology should be present in constructivist learning and constructivist learning should be present in effective technology implementation.   Both concepts go hand-in-hand.  For constructivist learning, students also need social interaction.  Technology, in our current schools, has become a non-social activity.  Teachers need to understand how to use technology to further develop constructivist and social learning opportunities in the classroom.

Technology is most frequently used in one particular way in classrooms today: drill-and-practice.  While this can be effective at some times, it is really not the best way to implement technology in the classroom.   But to truly fix the problem of using ineffective technology methods in the classroom, one must look at the root of the problem: ineffective teaching!  Teachers who focus on ineffective teaching practices are probably going to focus on ineffective ways to implement technology to their students.  To improve technology use in the classroom, there often needs to be a change in the quality of the instruction in the classroom.

When determining the type of staff development needed to further develop technology facilitators, teachers might be classified into five different areas: trailblazers, pioneers, settlers, resisters, or saboteurs.   It might sound like few terms pulled out of a history book, but teachers can generally fit into one of these five categories.  Trailblazers are probably what most teachers what like to strive to be.  Trailblazers are not afraid to step out into the unknown and try something new.  Pioneers are similar to trailblazers, but they often need a little more evidence that a program is effective.  Settlers need even more information before they are willing to try something new.  Resisters are often stagnant.  They see no reason to change.  Saboteurs are often considered the most dangerous, because they are committed to halting new ideas and are resistant to change.  Saboteurs are often as passionate as trailblazers in their beliefs and ideas.  .  As I think to my colleagues and the colleagues I have met in district wide trainings, I realize we can all be placed into these categories.  As a future technology leader, it is important that I recognize how these different types of people can affect my efforts to push change and more technology into our current curriculum.  Saboteurs cannot be ignored.  They can cause potential issues if they are not involved in the processes of further developing a school’s technology program.  It is important to note that resistance can ultimately bring positive change to a new ideas or programs.

So, we know that technology needs to be incorporated into instruction, but it is also important that teachers are held accountable for the use of technology in their classrooms.  Many teachers firmly believe that having a set of computers or using an interactive whiteboard occasionally is sufficient technology use, but, unfortunately, they are way off base.  Technology has very little to do with just the equipment, but “it’s really how the teacher uses technology to support clearly defined learning objectives” (Creighton 68).  If the technology is not moving students forward, then it is probably not effective or necessary.  This takes us back to the earlier discussion about constructivist learning.  Technology should be more than “drill-and-practice” on a computer.   Effective technology use takes learning to the next level.

To really achieve a high level of technology implemented instruction, schools and technology leaders need to develop technology plans.  Technology should also be a key element in the school strategic plan (formally school improvement plan).  A large portion of the faculty (including resisters and saboteurs) should be included when developing school technology plans.  Technology should be linked to student achievement.  Ultimately, it takes effective technology leadership to facilitate the development  of an adequate school technology plan.

When looking to the future, it is important to recognize that technology is fast-changing.  These changes require strong technology leadership and beneficial staff development to accommodate the needs of teachers.  It is also important to note that technology can not only bring positive changes, but also negative changes if it is not connected with teaching and learning appropriately.  Teachers cannot rely only on the use of technology for exceptional instruction.  Technology should be woven into lessons and learning to benefit all students.  Also, technology can become ineffective if it is used to reinforce “old school” teaching habits that have been proven to be less valuable.

The concept that technology and instruction are directly related and interwoven is not a new idea, but it is often a shot down idea.  As a future technology facilitator, it is my job to, not only be an advocate for technology, but also an advocate for high quality instruction.  If a teacher is implementing constructivist learning, then effective technology use will soon follow. 

Teachers Need More Technology Skills

This article really stood out to me for several reasons:

Reason #1: It makes me feel smart!  There are many words and phrases is this article that I had never even heard of a month ago and, now, I am proud to say that I am starting to really feel instructional technology proficent!

Reason #2: Interesting facts included!  The article makes a lot of great points about the need of teacher preparation programs to include technology into their curriculum.  Teachers are graduating without these skills and it is hindering the education of many students.  Not to mention, there is a pretty interesting statistic about younger teachers (i.e. newer graduates) versus teachers with 10 or more years experience that might actually surprise you.

Reason #3: "Digital Divide!"  The article points out a huge digital divide that I hadn't really thought about before.  American Schools Vs. The Rest of the World!  The gap between American and international students keeps getting wider and wider.  Could lack of technology play a part in this?  More specifically, could lack of EDUCATION about technology play a part in this?

Reason #4: TPACK Shout Out!  The article points out that colleges should look to the TPACK framework (it is written as TPCK framework in the article) to understand how educators should be balanced between content, pedagogy, and technology.

Read and enjoy!

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/09/23/groups-urge-updates-to-teacher-preparation-programs/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed