Vision
Vision Statement
Technology will be integrated into a student-centered curriculum focused on preparing students for success in today’s society. Technology will be used to enhance and expand the traditional role of education in order to provide students with life skills they will need to become successful as adults. Administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the community will collaborate to develop a strategic plan for the implementation of technology that focuses on inquiry-based, hands-on learning leading to a greater depth of knowledge.
Rationale
As technology use has increased in education so have the number of studies showing that students are more engaged in learning when digital tools are utilized. Armstrong (2014) states that “researchers credit technology as a primary method to empower students to take control of their learning” (p. 41). She goes on to say that “rather than merely listening to teachers disseminate information and dutifully taking notes, students actively search for information and make decisions about the product they are creating” (p. 41).
Technology gives students tools that they can use to deepen their understanding of content as well as a way to share their knowledge with the world. The ISTE Standards for Students (ISTE 2007) describe how students should be using technology to create, communicate, collaborate, research, solve problems, and make decisions all within the context of learning content standards. Technology is not meant to be isolated but integrated into and across subject areas.
Stakeholder Roles
Principal/Administrative Team
The principal and administrative team will support the integration of technology into the curriculum. According to Creighton (2003) “a principal’s mission must now include designing and implementing new strategies to help teachers recognize, understand, and integrate technology with teaching and learning in the classroom” (p.2). The principal will help identify technology leaders within the school and hire a technology coach to lead teachers in technology implementation with support from the administration. The administration will also work to ensure that all students in the school have equitable access to technology.
Technology Coach
Knight (2007) describes an instructional coach as someone who helps teachers incorporate research-based practices. The technology coach will work with students and teachers to demonstrate effective instructional practices. The technology coach will work with teachers one-on-one to set goals and provide professional development to help teachers improve student learning through the use of technology. The goal of the technology coach will be to ensure that both the students and teachers are proficient users of technology and that technology is being used to reach higher levels of Engaged Learning.
Teachers
Teachers will use the ISTE standards to design and implement lessons that incorporate technology into their teaching of content standards. Their lessons will use technology to promote student choice and foster meaningful and challenging student learning. They will use technology to collect, assess, and share performance information in order to meet the varied learning styles of their students and promote higher-level thinking skills. Teachers will also use technology to make their instruction more efficient and effective, so that they serve as facilitators to student learning.
Students
Students will use technology as a link to the outside world. Through the use of technology students will have global access to information and be able to communicate their ideas to an audience beyond the walls of the classroom. Students will use technology as a tool for collaboration with both peers and experts. Students will take responsibility for their own learning and use technology as a tool to reach higher levels of thinking and a greater depth of knowledge. They will use technology to create products that are authentic and meaningful to themselves and others.
Parents
Parents will support their child’s learning by allowing them to use technology they have available at home. If no technology is available at home, parents will support their child by allowing them to come early or stay late at the school to use the computer labs or bring them to a place in the community where technology is available, such as the library. Parents will use technology to monitor their child’s progress and to communicate with teachers.
Community Members
Members of the community will serve as a resource to provide the school with current technology practices in real-world settings. They will share new ideas and innovations in technology with the school in order to help prepare students for the workforce.
All Stakeholders
All stakeholders will use technology as a means of communication and collaboration. The school with maintain a web site and various social media accounts to keep students, parents, and the community informed of school events and news. Teachers and administrators will use email, text messaging, Remind101, Blackboard, and various other productivity tools to communicate with parents, students, community members, and one another. Students, parents, and community members will also communicate with the school, teachers, and the administration via email and social media.
Resources
Armstrong, A. (2014). Technology in the Classroom: It's Not a Matter of 'If,' but 'When' and 'How.'. Education Digest, (5), 39.
Creighton, T. (2003). The Principal as Technology Leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
International Society for Technology in Education (2007). ISTE Standards Students. Retrieved on June 28, 2014 from
http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf
Knight, J. (2007). Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
Technology will be integrated into a student-centered curriculum focused on preparing students for success in today’s society. Technology will be used to enhance and expand the traditional role of education in order to provide students with life skills they will need to become successful as adults. Administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the community will collaborate to develop a strategic plan for the implementation of technology that focuses on inquiry-based, hands-on learning leading to a greater depth of knowledge.
Rationale
As technology use has increased in education so have the number of studies showing that students are more engaged in learning when digital tools are utilized. Armstrong (2014) states that “researchers credit technology as a primary method to empower students to take control of their learning” (p. 41). She goes on to say that “rather than merely listening to teachers disseminate information and dutifully taking notes, students actively search for information and make decisions about the product they are creating” (p. 41).
Technology gives students tools that they can use to deepen their understanding of content as well as a way to share their knowledge with the world. The ISTE Standards for Students (ISTE 2007) describe how students should be using technology to create, communicate, collaborate, research, solve problems, and make decisions all within the context of learning content standards. Technology is not meant to be isolated but integrated into and across subject areas.
Stakeholder Roles
Principal/Administrative Team
The principal and administrative team will support the integration of technology into the curriculum. According to Creighton (2003) “a principal’s mission must now include designing and implementing new strategies to help teachers recognize, understand, and integrate technology with teaching and learning in the classroom” (p.2). The principal will help identify technology leaders within the school and hire a technology coach to lead teachers in technology implementation with support from the administration. The administration will also work to ensure that all students in the school have equitable access to technology.
Technology Coach
Knight (2007) describes an instructional coach as someone who helps teachers incorporate research-based practices. The technology coach will work with students and teachers to demonstrate effective instructional practices. The technology coach will work with teachers one-on-one to set goals and provide professional development to help teachers improve student learning through the use of technology. The goal of the technology coach will be to ensure that both the students and teachers are proficient users of technology and that technology is being used to reach higher levels of Engaged Learning.
Teachers
Teachers will use the ISTE standards to design and implement lessons that incorporate technology into their teaching of content standards. Their lessons will use technology to promote student choice and foster meaningful and challenging student learning. They will use technology to collect, assess, and share performance information in order to meet the varied learning styles of their students and promote higher-level thinking skills. Teachers will also use technology to make their instruction more efficient and effective, so that they serve as facilitators to student learning.
Students
Students will use technology as a link to the outside world. Through the use of technology students will have global access to information and be able to communicate their ideas to an audience beyond the walls of the classroom. Students will use technology as a tool for collaboration with both peers and experts. Students will take responsibility for their own learning and use technology as a tool to reach higher levels of thinking and a greater depth of knowledge. They will use technology to create products that are authentic and meaningful to themselves and others.
Parents
Parents will support their child’s learning by allowing them to use technology they have available at home. If no technology is available at home, parents will support their child by allowing them to come early or stay late at the school to use the computer labs or bring them to a place in the community where technology is available, such as the library. Parents will use technology to monitor their child’s progress and to communicate with teachers.
Community Members
Members of the community will serve as a resource to provide the school with current technology practices in real-world settings. They will share new ideas and innovations in technology with the school in order to help prepare students for the workforce.
All Stakeholders
All stakeholders will use technology as a means of communication and collaboration. The school with maintain a web site and various social media accounts to keep students, parents, and the community informed of school events and news. Teachers and administrators will use email, text messaging, Remind101, Blackboard, and various other productivity tools to communicate with parents, students, community members, and one another. Students, parents, and community members will also communicate with the school, teachers, and the administration via email and social media.
Resources
Armstrong, A. (2014). Technology in the Classroom: It's Not a Matter of 'If,' but 'When' and 'How.'. Education Digest, (5), 39.
Creighton, T. (2003). The Principal as Technology Leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
International Society for Technology in Education (2007). ISTE Standards Students. Retrieved on June 28, 2014 from
http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf
Knight, J. (2007). Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.