What Technology Leaders Need to Know

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What Technology Leaders Need to Know

• Essential Concepts for Technology Integration in
  the 21st Century

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Based upon an article by Gerald D. Bailey in
Learning and Leading with Technology, September,
1997
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Directions

• This presentation is designed to help you explore
  topics that technology leaders need to address
• Advance to the next slide and select the button
  for a topic
• Proceed through the topics of interest to prepare
  for a discussion on leadership

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Select an Area to Explore
Curriculum
Infrastructure
Change
Technology Planning
Ethics
Staff Development
Teaching Learning
Technical Support
Safety Security
Technology Leadership
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Change

• Technology integration involves significant
  changes.
• You need to understand the nature of change and
  the change process.
• Need to understand three aspects of change
• Personal change
• Organizational change
• Cultural change

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Principles of Change

• Your version may not be acceptable to all
• Others must implement
• Conflict and disagreement are inevitable and
  fundamental
• Expect frustration and discouragement

• People need pressure
• Takes time
• Many reasons for failures
• Most groups wont
• Plan needed
• Impossible to make any plan totally clear

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The World is Changing!

• Many changes in societies are technology- driven
• Changes in school require people to understand
  societal changes
• Essential questions
• Why will change technology shape society in the
  next few decades?
• Implications of the speed of change for
  technology integration?
• What micro and macro levels of change must be
  considered?

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A Technology Planning Model

• Organize and empower technology planning teams
• District level
• Building level
• Prepare the team
• Assess current state of technology
• Develop guiding documents scenarios
• Develop a strategic plan
• Measure results
• Keep the best
• Get rid of the rest

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Impediments to Planning

• No clear purpose or focus for technology
• Wide range of technology abilities
• Hardware software acquisition processes
  ill-defined

• No centralized procedures for storing
  cataloging technology
• Limited staff development activities
• Few programs focused on technology

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Ethical Issues

• These issues may overshadow most other matters in
  the near future
• Wall Street Journal Poll
• 43 attribute social economic problems to
  decline in moral values
• 75 claim traditional values are weaker
• The technology environment demands that we
  examine values

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Examples

• To some students others technology resources
  dont seem real
• One who would not read anothers mail may read
  anothers computer documents
• Copying from the internet is not always seen in
  the same light as plagiarism

• A student who wouldnt steal money directly may
  steal funds electronically
• The creators of viruses create huge problems for
  many others
• Is cheating on computer-based tests seen as
  serious?

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Suggestions

• Engage students and teachers in discussions on
  ethical dilemmas
• Get teachers and administrators to plan how they
  will handle breaches of ethics
• Brainstorm on anticipated ethical issues
• Plan where to include teaching on ethics in
  curriculum
• Discuss why ethical considerations are of high
  priority

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Uses of Technology in Teaching and Learning

• Technology as an aid (Manager of Instruction)
• Teaching about technology (Technology as Object
  of Instruction)
• Empowering with technology (Technology as a
  Medium for Instruction)

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Technology as an empowerment Tool (Medium)

• Aids in shifting teaching model from
• Sage on stage to
• Guide on side
• Students become empowered as self-directed,
  motivated achievers

• Traditional subjects are taught in new and
  exciting ways
• Exemplary teachers employ research based
  instructional methods (see presentation
  Technology Effectiveness)
• Technology can be used in ways consistent with
  the Effective Schools movement

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Technology as Subject (Object)

• New vocational initiatives include
• technology-education learning about technology
• Technology-preparation learning how to use
  technology
• Technology is now a major subject for study
• Students must be skilled in technology to enter
• The world of work
• Higher education

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Technology as Aid (Manager)
Technology is used to aid in educational decision
making
Teachers find ways to use technology to support
teaching
Teachers develop materials using technology
Teachers and students interact with others
without regard to geographic limitations
Content, examples, resources to support teaching
are found on the web
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Technology as Aid (Manager)
Technology is used to aid in educational decision
making
Teachers find ways to use technology to support
teaching
Teachers develop materials using technology
Teachers and students interact with others
without regard to geographic limitations
Content, examples, resources to support teaching
are found on the web
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Safety and Security

• Set up safety standards
• Protect users from hazards
• Repetitive hand motions
• Teach proper ergonomics
• Display terminals.
• Select and monitor equipment with an eye to
  safety

• Protect investment in technology
• Ensure integrity of labs and networks
• Minimize thefts and vandalism

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Curriculum

• Curriculum integration and technology integration
  are intertwined
• Integration demands interdisciplinary teams
• Integrating technology into curriculum demands
  support
• Parents
• Colleagues
• Budget

• Administrators
• Students
• Colleagues

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Minimize Barriers to Curriculum IntegrationFrom
Bailey, Ross Griffith, 1995

• Distinguish between computer and learning
  technologies
• Develop vision of technology use in teaching
• Prepare implement staff development program
  first
• See curriculum as more than written word/text
• Integrate technology in and out of classroom

• View integration from nontraditional curriculum
  leadership
• Distinguish informational from basic literacy
• Understand value of technology based resources in
  curriculum support
• Empower students teachers to take risks

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Suggestions for Integration

• Identify relationship between technology and
  curriculum
• Identify role and function of technology in
  curriculum development
• Should technology
• support existing curriculum?
• transform curriculum?

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Positive Aspects of Staff Development

• Much is now known about role of technology in
  aiding and supporting learning
• Role of administrator is documented as crucial in
  school improvement
• Success stories in staff development are
  available
• Contributions of educators trained in technology
  is documented

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Difficulties in Staff Development

• Often use old models with new technology
• Information regarding technology based models is
  just now emerging
• Development for technology at times does not use
  technology in staff training
• Role of administrator as technology leader not
  specifically known

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Creating Staff Development Programs Modified
from Bailey Lumley, 1997

• Prepare for change
• Plan technology staff development program
• Determine what kind of program fits within the
  framework of your educational structure
• Identify your audience
• Implement the program
• Institutionalize the program

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Basic Issues in Infrastructure

• Using technology in existing facilities?
• Building new facilities to accommodate
  technology?
• Must involve architects
• Give attention to
• space, lighting, security, wiring, cabling,
  security, acoustics, etc.

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Discussion QuestionsRe Infrastructure

• Why are physical facilities question critical in
  seeing the total picture?
• What must leaders understand about
  infrastructure?
• What unique characteristics of infrastructure
  pertain to our environment?
• What styles of learning do we want our structures
  to support?

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Technical Support
Technical expertise in supporting networks is
critical
Educators need support from technical experts
Technicians need to understand the
teaching-learning model of the school
Timeliness of response is critical
Support problems can lead schools to abandon
technology based instructional models
Support personnel need to be user friendly
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Technical Support Questions

• What portion of support will we hire and/or
  contract for?
• What is necessary for smooth operation?
• What support issues have created problems for
  others?
• How can you involve support experts in staff
  development?

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Technology Leaders Need

• Technology Skills
• Leaders should model technology use
• People Skills
• Must be able to work well with others in learning
  new technologies
• Curriculum Skills
• Integration understanding and skills are crucial
• Staff-Development Skills
• Recognize importance of training
• Learning Leadership
• Understand the big picture