The instructional Technology Leadership course has been very informative in regards to the number of resources opened up to candidates to keep abreast with current trends in educational leadership, especially those related to technology in schools. Resources such as CoSN, ISTE, AECT, among others, were introduced to students to subscribe to their contents. The resources also provided information on issues and research needed by candidates to construct their vision for student learning, professional learning and leadership practices in schools.
The study of the Essential Conditions enlightened me on what technology leaders should ensure are available to leverage the impact of technology on learning outcomes. Candidates had to review the type of hardware and software available their schools and how they are used. This offered me the opportunity to decide on what needed to be added and what practices needed to be improved to ensure effective teaching and learning.
The course also highlighted the need for technology leaders to be current on the most up-to-date tools and how they can be used to carry out authentic lessons and to improve learner performance. As an aspiring technology leader, I do have to make sure that I am aware of the goals the school has for technology integration, and the prospects and challenges that might impact achieving the goals. The study of Digital Divide and how it exists in my school was a step towards addressing issues that might affect the goals my school has for technology.
I am aware now that it should not take just a single teacher or administrator to design and impose a technology plan on a school. The planning should involve all stakeholders, including those who might show resistance to change. The process of technology planning exposed me to such things as drawing up a vision for the school, how to apply SWOT Analysis in a school setting, and how to implement and evaluate a technology plan. While my school might have its unique problems in regards to technology use, this course highlighted the need for school technology plans to align to that of the state and the district, hence candidates reviewing them. I have also held the belief that the school’s SIP should not be separated from its technology plan– they should be combined both in drafting and in implementation.
Indirectly, I acquired some basic skills expected of a technology coach in the process of turning in assignments for this course: converting PowerPoint with audio into video, using a Mac Computer. I had to save the presentation as “pictures” and imported them to iMovie before adding a voiceover. Learning never stops!
I have acquired a lot of educational technology information reading various the various blogs, articles and newsletters from the resources offered to candidates in this course. Talking about technology and how it can be used to improve student learning, the eSchool News writes on how K-12 students want to learn to prompt education leaders on the strategies to consider in the attempt to improve student learning. I find the article very useful as a technology leader as I need to stay current with trends in educational technology.
The study of the Essential Conditions enlightened me on what technology leaders should ensure are available to leverage the impact of technology on learning outcomes. Candidates had to review the type of hardware and software available their schools and how they are used. This offered me the opportunity to decide on what needed to be added and what practices needed to be improved to ensure effective teaching and learning.
The course also highlighted the need for technology leaders to be current on the most up-to-date tools and how they can be used to carry out authentic lessons and to improve learner performance. As an aspiring technology leader, I do have to make sure that I am aware of the goals the school has for technology integration, and the prospects and challenges that might impact achieving the goals. The study of Digital Divide and how it exists in my school was a step towards addressing issues that might affect the goals my school has for technology.
I am aware now that it should not take just a single teacher or administrator to design and impose a technology plan on a school. The planning should involve all stakeholders, including those who might show resistance to change. The process of technology planning exposed me to such things as drawing up a vision for the school, how to apply SWOT Analysis in a school setting, and how to implement and evaluate a technology plan. While my school might have its unique problems in regards to technology use, this course highlighted the need for school technology plans to align to that of the state and the district, hence candidates reviewing them. I have also held the belief that the school’s SIP should not be separated from its technology plan– they should be combined both in drafting and in implementation.
Indirectly, I acquired some basic skills expected of a technology coach in the process of turning in assignments for this course: converting PowerPoint with audio into video, using a Mac Computer. I had to save the presentation as “pictures” and imported them to iMovie before adding a voiceover. Learning never stops!
I have acquired a lot of educational technology information reading various the various blogs, articles and newsletters from the resources offered to candidates in this course. Talking about technology and how it can be used to improve student learning, the eSchool News writes on how K-12 students want to learn to prompt education leaders on the strategies to consider in the attempt to improve student learning. I find the article very useful as a technology leader as I need to stay current with trends in educational technology.