Week 3 - Development of a Shared Vision for Technology Use

student using a laptop computer      
        Crompton (2023) looked at studies done between 2015 and 2022 to find the effectiveness of best practices in teaching with technology relating to the ISTE Educator Standards. One of those practices was Empowering Students. In two studies, students who used technology to learn the material had better learning outcomes than the control group, who learned traditionally. The technology tools used were The Internet of Things (IoT) and Scratch Encore. Another area examined was critical thinking when doing online research (Digital Citizen). Students who used technology with a structured pedagogical approach outperformed the students who used the technology in an unstructured way. These and other examples of best practices show that technology often has a positive effect on learning but has to be used effectively, and teachers need adequate training (Crompton, 2023). In developing a Technology Vision, effective technology use and teacher training are ikeys to addressing the digital use divide.

    Gonzales (2019) did a case study on the challenges that school administrators face as technology leaders in 1:1 schools. One challenge was the sustainability of replacing computers, which strained their budgets. Another challenge was getting buy-in from teachers to use the computers in their instruction. The administrators wanted the computers to make learning more student-centered and engaging. Administrators had to collaborate and compromise with teachers to get buy-in. Some suggestions made in the study's conclusion were for the preparation of administrators to include more in the area of technology so that they could develop more of the competencies in the ISTE standards for educational leaders. Another was for more research on how to fund 1-1 initiatives sustainably and get more buy-in from teachers. Integrating technology criteria into teacher evaluation also seemed important (Gonzalez, 2019). These challenges seem very familiar, as our administrators have faced similar challenges. They have not made using technology in the classroom a requirement as some other administrators have, but have largely left that decision up to the teachers. They have strongly encouraged the use of Google Classroom as an organizational resource to help students to have a way to track their assignments and make up missing work. For a Technology Plan to work, administrators and educational leaders need to use the competencies in the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders, such as being Visionary Planners, to participate in developing and implementing the plan. They also need to be "Empowering Leaders" who empower teachers and students to use technology effectively. They must also be "Systems Designers" and establish equitable policies (ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders). The ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders can help guide them.

    The technology needs survey confirmed that my colleagues were unfamiliar with the ISTE standards. One of the important parts of the plan will be to raise awareness of the ISTE standards, how they were developed, and that they are backed by research. The ISTE Essential Conditions can also provide a guide or road map for what would be needed for a technology implementation to succeed. Those are: A Shared Vision, Implementation Planning, Equitable Access, Prepared Educators, Skilled and Sufficient Technical Support, High Quality Learning Activities and Content, and Ongoing Evaluation (ISTE, 2000, 2002). A plan that addresses those key areas is much more likely to succeed.


REFERENCES

Comments

  1. Sang Moon "Sam"April 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM

    I definitely agree with you that teacher training and professional development serve as a cornerstone for successful technology integration. One area you might consider expanding on is how the ISTE Standards for Students (such as Empowered Learner or Knowledge Constructor) could be applied in specific classroom scenarios to address digital inequity. This could help ground your ideas in more concrete examples. Good work!

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