There is a lot of discussion about providing teachers support for technology integration in the classroom, but I wonder if there is a need for support for technology integration at the school administration level. Do all school administrators feel sufficiently prepared and fluent in available technologies to lead by example? If not, do they get the support they need? There seems to be an assumption that all school administrators are prepared to lead in this area. I wonder if that is true.
Learning about technology is like learning a language, our Principals are on various levels on the learning curve. The important thing is that we are all continuing to learn and improve our technological skills.
I totally agree with you Chris. Everyone needs to learn and improve our technological skills. One thing you have to be certain about is technology will continue to change, with more ideas, functions, etc. If our administrators are not trying to keep up with the change, teachers will not be as supportive with the change. If our 1-to-1 is going to work the way we are all hoping . . . it needs to be across the board. Attitude reflects leadership.
Students want to talk to their principal about technology being used in the classroom. Principals should be getting training along with the teachers to better understand how technology is being used in the classroom.
Your right Xavier, I would like to take that thought of training to a next step by having trainings take place in the summer months. The onslaught of applications useful to the classroom is on the way and everybody is going to need training to be familiar new apps. In fact students whose parents want to get involved should have the opportunity to participate; after all, the parent is the first teacher. I say the summer months as I see many teachers staying at school well past 6:00 daily. With all due considerations these trainings work better when the mind is fresh. And with the savings we should be seeing there should be adequate funding to compensate attendees.
I think that training should be provided to leadership along with teachers. There are constant changes in technology and not only should teachers be kept up to date on these changes but so should everyone else that is going to be the support system for technology integration.
You are so right Chris. Principal's, (at least I am) learning so much about all the advanced things we can do with technology right along with all the rest of you. I believe we will be able to collaboratively work to develop strong learning communities where we teach and learn from each other as we move forward in this process to integrate technology in 1-1 environments. I believe that Principal's can be models first by their own buy-in and excitement about technology and how it will change the face of education as we know it.
Excellent response. Principal's are at various levels in the area of technological proficiency. As per the Project RED, professional development on the integration of technology in the classroom should begin with Principals and school leadership teams.
I know that is not true. Many administrators need PD as much as teachers. Technology changes daily and it is hard to keep up. I want to learn all that is out there so that I can effectively model and help my teachers.
So far what I have read in Project Red has focused a lot on the leadership of the schools- principals and the need to have a principal who not only embraces technology but is a leader when it comes to implementing technology. I know my principal has always demanded the use of technology at our school and has told us that she would lead by example. But demanding that teachers use technology is one thing, but making sure that all teachers are using technology is another thing. Does the principal really have the time to ensure that teachers are using technology effectively on a daily basis and in away that enhances learning? Is a quick walk through your classroom every once in awhile enough to really know what is happening in that classroom on a daily basis? I don't know. I know that I use to think I was a strong user of technology, but the more I learn the more I realize I was just at the beginning levels of technology use- I was just scratching the surface.
My own post to answer Question #1 was on principals modeling the use of technology. And if not them, then at least another high ranking official doing so. If they can demonstrate the importance, we can see it. But, technology use differs from principal to principal. I suppose it's a matter of personal experiences, before they have to become professional ones. But that is a great question in they hypothetical: Do administrators receive the support and professional development they need?
This is a great question/point! I would suspect that administrators' knowledge of technology are just as varying as the classroom teachers' comfort level. I think it is crucial that administrators receive either the exact same training or very similar training as the teachers do, simply because they need to know what the teachers are being expected to implement. As the "instructional leader" of a site, I agree that it is important for the administrators to lead by example and to be able to be a support person if a teacher needs assistance.
A lot of our posts have given attention to Principals using technology, and I think it is definitely important for everyone at a site to be working to move themselves to the next level of their skills, whatever level that may be for them. The emphasis is on the continuous process of learning and sharing what we learn.
However, the report also mentioned another key aspect of site leadership, and that is the function of serving as a leader in change management. This is more than a "rah-rah" function, and more than just saying something is mandatory. There is also the issue of advocacy; that is to say that Principals are actively working to remove the barriers to implementation, whether that is improving the wireless capacity at a site so more than 22 students can log on at a time, or getting PD in a timely and effective way, or making sure that we have the equipment we need and that it is working.
I agree with what you are saying about serving as a leader in change management, Anne. The issue of advocacy with principals removing barriers to implementation is a key factor in successful technology implementation.
What a great point, Anne! The need for advocacy and streamlined, 2-way, communication is critical, and every building has some specialized needs that have to be addresssed. Principals can also help us find people who can help us, in and out of our building, and champion successes.
It cetainly is valauable to have a principal who can share his or her leadership in the area of technology, but would it be more important to have a principal who creates a system within his or her school to insure tech implementation occurs in a smooth and efficient manner? Also, given the rapid changes in technology, can we expect principals to remain cutting edge in this field amidst all of their other responsibilities?
I agree that principals using technology as much as possible is a good way to motivate teachers to use it as well. I also that all of our principals are at different comfort levels with the use of technology. As I see principals work to become better at using the technology it shows me that they care and support the one to one computing as much as the teachers do. This also shows me that they are willing to put the time and the effort into learning these new things and to me this is a great way to show support for the changes that our school is going through.
I agree, Jonathan! While ultimately we all need administrators that make it possible for us to be successful more than have expertise in any one "tool", I think it is critically important to see principals learning, modeling and putting in the time to explore and experiment along with us. If this is our district's vehicle for transformation, I don't think anyone can be too busy not to make this one of their key responsibilities.
I think principals and teachers are at about the same level with technology. We can't assume that principals are more prepared in this area. I think we all grow as we learn. Teachers and administrators need the PD now that our District is going DIgital. We need extensive PD.
I agree on this and when we begin to discuss and hear about the expectations of implementing this next year, i just keep reminding myself that this will be the first year of this initiative and it will be a time of trial and error and a time to work out the kinks. Our administrators know we all need much PD and they also know that Laptops themselves wont solve the issues weve had with low scores among our kids. It takes much more than involving a piece of technology in order to achieve those Second- Order changes mentioned in project red...much training and support will be necesary.
Principals should learn exaclty what the teachers are learning. It would be nice if they were trained a little bit in advance so that when the time came to share with the staff they already had been through the process themselves. If the Principal and Technology facilitator were trained and then the rest of us that could be good.
You are correct in that the assumption is that all principals are ready to lead in this area, but we are not all on the same level. That is not unlike what you see in a classroom of students or with a staff of teachers. Some of the principals are more advanced than others. It is important that we all receive the support and training to meet our needs so that we are all able to provide that service to our staffs.
Two things that surprised me from the reading is the 88% of respondents in 1:1 environments report that the principal models technology use on a MONTHLY basis. I would thinks that it should be more frequently. there are emails, and forums, and blogs, and promotion of online PD, and sharing information to the community through website- so much. Monthly just sees so low. Also I would be more eager to have my principal to be aware of "change management strategies" so the the transition is more smoothly.
All too often we are required to implement programs in the classroom that administration has little to no knowledge of the technology involved.
I agree with you Mark. It would be helpful for admin to be more fluent in technology. Is there support for them? It is a lot to depend entirely on the tech facilitator to lead this initiative. If the adminstrator can co-lead by example this would really make things more successful on a site level.
To quote Dr. Isquierdo we are building the plane in flight and I believe we are all learning as we go and solving any problems we face as we approach them. I have seen administrators participating in 1 to 1 trainings and meetings.
As a school administrator, I feel a responsibility to participate in all professional development that are teachers take. As the school administrator, we are expected to be instructional leaders at our sites. Many of us are learning along with our teachers, which I find very exciting. I enjoy sitting down with our Technology Facilitator and discussing different ideas for next year's 1:1 initiative at the Middle School level. I also enjoy sitting with teachers during PD as we both learn and grow together. The role of the principal is get be involved and set the pace for each site. That takes a willingness to learn and the ability to admit when you don't know all the answers.
Well stated, Angelica! I so agree that when people learn together, the learning becomes a richer experience. Also, it is imperative to hear differerent persectives in order to understand a more broader picture, pertinent to the learning. Collaborative conversations is where ,personally, I do my best learning. Experiencing learning,together, provides a common-ground upon which we can all refer to and grow from. It is very difficult when people are not like-trained. It sometimes adds to confusion and less productivity. Much time is spent just trying to get on the same page. What you've stated, rings true with many of the experiences I have had.
Along with continued professional development, collaboration, implementation and follow up conversations is looking at how we receive professional development differently. This can occur through online discussions or webnars, observing classroom instruction through skype or other methods and following up with discussions and/or implementation by the principal and teacher. This could be a new way to view learning as a partnership between the principal and teacher, improve the knowledge and ability of all parties and provide a model for the school at embracing technology use in the classroom. This takes the collaboration a little further and deepens the understanding of needs for instructional implementation.