Lynn Schrum
I have studied educational technology for over 20 years; my work has focused primarily on teachers’ use of technology for teaching, learning, and professional enhancement. Overall, we have always seen wonderful pockets of projects and ideas that are making a difference but we have not really seen the dramatic, large scale implementations that some of us have hoped for! Recently, I reread The National Education Technology Plan (http://www.nationaledtechplan.org/), released by the U.S. Department of Education in January 2005, and I was struck that its first action step is to “strengthen leadership.” A true “ah-ha” moment!
Although teachers often have courses in technology integration at the preservice and inservice levels, unless those teachers also have the leadership of their administrator, they may be unable to successfully use that technology (NCES, 2000). It seems clear that administrators are not able to lead their schools’ or districts’ technology integration if they do not understand what is involved in this process. Additionally, while the ISTE NETS for students and teachers have been widely adopted and adapted, the administrator standards (currently being refreshed: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/NETSRefreshProject/NET S_Refresh.htm) have had little impact thus far.
In a recent review of the 50 United States, Schrum, Galizio, and Ledesma (under review) found that only a few states mentioned technology integration as necessity for new administrators to earn their license. A few required a portfolio (although not necessarily an electronic one!), and one did mention technology, but in general, states leave it up to institutions to determine what a future administrator needs to know about technology. In an examination of several universities who are recognized by each state to grant or recommend administrators, many have a course on “Data Driven Decision Making” but only a few had a course on technology integration as a requirement. We can be pretty certain that there is a relationship between the technology training school leaders have (or seek) and the support teachers receive for integrating it.
This perspective of the need for collective mobilization guided a new research study and became the lens through which the data were filtered. We are inviting school leaders who are using, supporting, or even encouraging their schools to integrate technology in meaningful ways to answer some of our questions.
The URL is: at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=D_2bgDfXbBriNF_2bd47sgpNGA_3d_3d .
Or, if you are lucky enough to know such a leader, you can invite him/her to complete the survey.
Guest blogger: Lynne Schrum is a Professor and Director of Teacher Education in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Her research and teaching focus on appropriate uses of information technology, online and distance learning, and preparing teachers for the 21st century. She has written four books and numerous articles on these subjects; the most recent is New Tools, New Schools: Getting Started with Web 2.0. Lynne is currently on AERA’s Council, past-president of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and currently editor of the Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE) (2002-2011). More information can be found at http://mason.gmu.edu/~lschrum.
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I completely agree with this article. Studies have shown that using technology in the classroom is beneficial for students learing, so shouldn’t the leaders of our schools be, at the very least, comfortable with using technology in the classroom?!?! Teachers are constantly be bombarded with things that need to get done, and if they aren’t being constantly encouraged from their superiors that technology is important, then technology will get pushed to the back burner. Administrators in school, even those in the Department of Education of states, should reconginze the improtance of technology and encouraging teachers to use it often.
The lack of emphasis placed on integrating technology into the requirements for administrators is alarming. I believe that the use of technology in schools is a vital component to education today. The world is becoming more and more technologically advanced, and furthermore, it is of the utmost importance that the administrators of schools and universities be familiar and up to date with the latest technology. By requiring administrators to take courses in integrating technology in the classroom, we are promoting more well-rounded leaders.
I really agree with this article. I believe that the use of technology is very important in the classroom. I think that the leaders of our schools should be required to take computer courses so that they can share ideas with their teachers. In our classrooms today, technology is becoming widely used and students enjoy it and when they are enjoying learning then the students will try harder and will be more interested in learning. I know that when I use laptops, the students are really excited. We need to use as much technology in the classroom as we can, to prepare our students for the future. Many school districts have technologies coaches to help with the use of technology, but sometimes they are not available. I feel that if teachers are expected to use technology in the classroom, then our administrators should be updated on tools that will enhance the students learning.