Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Leadership 2008

Check out my contribution to Scott Mcleod's Leadership 2008 on his blog Dangerously Irrelevant.

Utilizing the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for administrators seems like the ideal place to establish effective technology leadership. Administrators should be able to provide guidance in a variety of situations, and implementation of technology throughout the curriculum is no different. Administrators must also possess an enthusiasm about technology and the benefits it can bring to a 21st century classroom. In the absence of this interest, teachers often view technology as a passing fad that can’t possibly be better than the methods they have used for the past twenty years. Teachers need to realize effective teaching combines these traditional methods with technology to bring about more student engagement. This is most successful when there is strong administrative support and leaders create learning communities that empower teachers to collaborate and learn together.
The main emphasis for an administrator should be to establish, articulate, and bring clarity to the technological vision for the school. How will we utilize this technology to better educate our students? Are we being proactive in our planning by scheduling training for the teachers? These are important questions to consider beforehand. Possessing the technology is not enough in itself; professional learning opportunities must be provided for the faculty. In some cases, the actual acquisition of the newer technology is the chief goal, with little planning for the uses in the future. There are countless stories of money being spent for new technologies, yet little time being invested to train teachers in the actual classroom use of it. Planning for the acquisition and the implementation of the technology is of paramount importance and the administrator should be an active leader.
Technology plays a vital role in the education of our 21st century students. Eight years ago we entered into a new century; unfortunately, some teachers are still unwilling to adjust the status quo of the past. Administrators hold the responsibility to redirect these teachers toward current methodology and the eventual incorporation of technology in their curriculum.
(Leadership Day 2008)
Tags: Technology Leadership


http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/

No comments:

Mr. Gerry Kosater

There are two paths you can choose but there's always time to change the one you choose