Instructional Technology Leadership (ITL) was a nice complement to ITEC 7460, Professional Learning & Technology (PL&T) which I completed in Fall, 2013. In PL&T, I learned how to put together a workshop and coach teachers on ways to integrate technology into their lessons. ITL helped me take a hard look at how I could become a force of change in the leadership in my school. I already knew my high school had no technology committee or leadership in place. I interviewed my principal last fall for PL&T and noted that his vision for technology was simply to get an interactive white board into each classroom. When my principal created professional learning committees last fall and required each teacher to serve on one, I regretted that a technology committee was not on the list. Because of this ITL class, that has changed. When I interviewed my principal this summer for ITL, I got him to agree to add a technology committee this coming fall. He has asked me to head it since it was my idea. I am happy to oblige.
As head of this new committee, I am very grateful to have already created a Vision Statement and SWOT analysis during this class. I only wish I could have done so during the school year when I could have conducted a teacher survey and actually had people respond. For my teacher survey, only the teachers I could message through Facebook responded. I will need to present my Vision Statement and SWOT analysis to the new technology committee and make adjustments based on their feedback. Having worked as the media specialist in the school for 6 years, I feel I have an excellent grasp of the state of technology use there, so I feel confident the adjustments will be minor.
The essential conditions for integrating technology for learning are present in my school at a basic level. We have the boxes and wires even if they are outdated. There is a system technology plan, but I don’t believe anyone but the people who wrote it have read it. Now I have read it, and found it useful in conducting my SWOT analysis. What we lack at the school level is vision, leadership, and student-centered learning. Because of ITL, I believe I can be a force for change to begin addressing the issue of incorporating ISTE standards for teachers, students, leaders, and coaches into the content standards in the classroom.
As head of this new committee, I am very grateful to have already created a Vision Statement and SWOT analysis during this class. I only wish I could have done so during the school year when I could have conducted a teacher survey and actually had people respond. For my teacher survey, only the teachers I could message through Facebook responded. I will need to present my Vision Statement and SWOT analysis to the new technology committee and make adjustments based on their feedback. Having worked as the media specialist in the school for 6 years, I feel I have an excellent grasp of the state of technology use there, so I feel confident the adjustments will be minor.
The essential conditions for integrating technology for learning are present in my school at a basic level. We have the boxes and wires even if they are outdated. There is a system technology plan, but I don’t believe anyone but the people who wrote it have read it. Now I have read it, and found it useful in conducting my SWOT analysis. What we lack at the school level is vision, leadership, and student-centered learning. Because of ITL, I believe I can be a force for change to begin addressing the issue of incorporating ISTE standards for teachers, students, leaders, and coaches into the content standards in the classroom.