EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP 14
Educational Technology Leadership
A Journey of Personal Leadership Growth
Joyce Howard
Lamar University
Educational Technology Leadership: A Journey of Personal Leadership Growth
Over the last four years I found myself in a rut, not really sure of the next step in my professional growth. I was given the opportunity to attend training for Project Lead the Way to become an instructor of Digital Electronics in the district’s STEM Academy. At the end of the intense two weeks of training I realized I needed a challenge to move myself forward into a leadership position that focused on technology in education. Enter Lamar Academic Partnership with the opportunity to earn a Master’s in Technology Leadership through an online program.
For the past eighteen months I have spent countless hours reading, writing and reflecting on what it means to be a leader in technology. The journey began with reading more professional articles and books in one week than I normally read in a year. I learned about the ITSE technology standards that we would be using as a basis for learning and why it is imperative that students are prepared for the 21st Century. From there the idea that I can impact school improvement began to take hold as I planned my action research project in conjunction with a teacher on my campus. Then the fun began as I learned about human resources, budgets, accountability, Universal Design for Learning, school law, and other aspects of educational leadership and how all of it related to technology and the academic success of the students. After a quick break midway through the courses to catch my breath and review my progress, it was on to the final classes where I learned about involving students in the learning through a variety of technology and Web 2.0 options.
Throughout the entire trip, I completed my internship plan, practiced the knowledge and skills of the technology standards by completing activities on my campus and the district. As I end this leg of the journey, I realize how much I have learned about myself, who I am and what goals I am ultimately striving towards both professionally and personally. I am looking forward to the next part of the journey as I focus on my profession goals.
Position and Leadership Goals
Position Goal
I am currently in the position of Campus Technology Support Specialist on a high school campus. Though the main responsibility of the position is to ensure the teachers and staff have the technology that they need to perform their jobs, it does give me the opportunity to design and present professional development on the implementation of technology in the classroom. As I look to the future, I would like to work as a Secondary Technology Instructional Specialist at the district level where I can impact the development of 21st Century skills with the teachers at the secondary level.
Leadership Goals
School improvement begins with a leader who has a clear vision that is articulated, shared and embraced by the staff (Jones & Crochet, 2007). Cultivate and facilitate a learning community that values and respects each individual’s contribution and encourages, engages and empowers all students to become life-long learners reflects my personal leadership vision. It is this vision I want to share with the campus and how technology can play a role in achieving it.
To accomplish this vision, I have explored technology usage in the district and found that the elementary schools have rich and robust technology programs where teachers and students are actively using technology and Web 2.0 tools as they engage in lessons. As the students move up to the secondary level, there is a drastic drop in the usage of technology in the instruction as teachers continue to teach the same way they always have. “We need to consolidate and concentrate important legacy knowledge and make room in school for 21st century learning” (Prensky, 2005/2006, p. 13). As a technology teacher, encouraging students to learn and use technology in their daily lives has been a priority. Being a technology leader on campus, I am always looking for ways to entice teachers to integrate technology into their lessons to ensure both teachers and students are building their 21st Century technology skills. I want to affect a change in the Campus Improvement Plan and Vision Statement that supports technology professional development so the teachers will be able to increase the effective use of technology in the classroom, creating and delivering engaging lessons that focus on the use of 21st Century skills.
Educational Technology Vision
According to The 2011 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition, “The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators” (Johnson, Smith, Willis, Levine, & Haywood, 2011, p. 4). Teachers are not formally being prepared for digital literacy and have to rely on professional development or informal training in order to overcome their lack of knowledge in order to help their students “develop and use digital media literacy skills across the curriculum” (Johnson et al., 2011, p. 5). Just focusing on the technology itself is not enough as “digital literacy is less about tools and more about thinking” (Johnson et al., 2011, p. 5). Developing lessons that use technology and require our students to learn a new set of skills that include communication, connection, collaboration, creation, community and continual learning (Richardson, 2007) not only builds their digital literacy with technology, it necessitates the use of thinking skills.
To meet this challenge of developing digital literacy skills the classroom will need to become more flexible in its design. “ ‘Flexible furniture makes collaborative environments free-form from the very beginning,’ says Kyle Dickson, associate professor of English and director of the digital media center at Texas-based Abilene Christian University” (Villano, 2010, p. 4). Students and teachers are more apt to rearrange the classroom layout to meet the needs of the activity if is it easy to move (Villano, 2010). The rooms will be wired for data, video, and sound, delivering on-demand resources promoting engagement in the learning. Supporting collaboration through websites, social learning networks, video conferencing and distance learning, a variety of different displays will be accessible throughout the rooms. The various displays may include but are not limited to flat panels, ceiling projectors and screens, interactive whiteboards (or equivalent), and flexible flat panel displays. Along with students’ personal electronic devices, the classroom would have a combination of hand-held devices, mobile computer lab, and desktop computers. These could be configured to handle the many different learning activities from basic research on the Internet to game-based learning and augmented reality.
The learning activities of the future are hard to predict; however, the following six technologies may be appearing in education, cloud computing, mobiles, game-based learning, open content, learning analytic, and personal learning environments (Johnson et al., 2011). Cloud computing and mobiles are currently available and are being used both at home and in education and are expected to expand in usage and depth (Johnson et al., 2011). Teachers who take advantage of these technologies in their lessons greatly expand their ability to offer student-centered learning environments that support the development of real-world experiences and digital literacy for students.
Game-based learning and open content are quickly being integrated into the educational classroom. “Digital games, whether computer-, game console-, or handheld-based, are characterized by rules, goals & objectives, outcomes & feedback, conflict/competition/ challenge/opposition, interaction, and representation of story (Prenksy, 2001)” (referenced by Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff, & Haas, 2009, p. 4). Teachers, who are using game-based learning, have observing deeper understanding, by the students, of concepts that are embedded in the digital games being used (Klopfer et al., 2009). Along with game-based learning, teachers can capitalize on the opportunities that open content provides to education especially in the areas of textbooks, curriculum, and software. “Open content embraces not only the sharing of information, but the sharing of instructional practice and experiences as well” (Johnson et al., 2011, p. 22). Combining a variety of resources, teachers are able to create a customized curriculum that focuses on the specific objectives and yet flexible enough to change as the course objectives change and evolve.
The last two technologies, learning analytics and personal learning environments are considered game-changers even though they are not currently being used education. “Learning analytics promises to harness the power of advances in data mining, interpretation, and modeling to improve understandings of teaching and learning and to tailor education to the individual students more effectively” (Johnson et al., 2011, p. 26). In theory, when learning analytics is applied correctly, a teacher will be able to pinpoint the student’s instructional needs and modify the instruction to meet those needs. As learning analytics develop, it will become extremely useful to use when designing personal learning environments (PLEs). Since everyone learns differently, PLEs are designed to meet the needs of each student based on the way they learn and technology used through “personalizing the environment and experiences on an individual level” (Johnson et al., 2011, p. 30). The learning environment transforms to one where the teacher facilitates the learning process; however, the students will determine how they will learn through the use of technology tools the best suit their learning style. As these technologies are still in the developmental stages, it is anyone’s guess how they will affect a radical change in education in the future.
Knowledge Gained
What I Learned About Myself
Choosing to continue my education was an important decision to make since I was graduated 22 years ago with a second Bachelor’s degree and teaching certification. With the support of my husband and family, I began the journey with fears and concerns about being able to successfully complete the coursework while working full-time. During the first course, I realized that I needed a strategy in order to schedule time for each portion of the week’s assignments. As the courses continued, I found my weeks began to have a rhythm, which made it easier to manage all my responsibilities and maintain a 4.0 GPA. The online format of the program taught me that I really enjoyed working independently, being challenged, and solving problems with little direction from the instructor; however, help was only an email away. I was surprised how totally immersed and engaged in the learning I became. This experience taught me that I can successfully achieve any goal I set for myself, no matter how challenging it may seem.
What I Learned About My Technology and Leadership Skills
Manning (2011) stated, “The transition from faculty member to administrator entails a shift in perspective, autonomy, and recognition” (p. 5). The wealth of knowledge I have acquired from my course work in Educational Technology Leadership has built a foundation for my technology and leadership skills. While working with the teachers and administrators during my field-based internship, I had access to many readings and resources that allowed me to provide the necessary direction and support needed for successful integration of technology in the educational setting. In my current position as Campus Technology Support Specialist, I recognize I have the responsibility to research and explore new technologies while continuing to provide support for those already in place. I have the ability and knowledge to help shape the technology decisions being made on campus. In completing the program I have gained a confidence in my technology and leadership skills that I did not have before and I am ready to pursue other leadership roles on campus and in the district.
What I Learned About My Attitudes
Roosevelt stated in his 1933 Inaugural Address, “…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance” (p. 1). Throughout the entire program I had to keep this statement in mind. It was my fear that was preventing me from moving forward and being successful. As each new course began, I made a conscience decision to ignore the fear of failure and press on through the work one step at a time. Whenever I would have a mini anxiety attack, I would step back, take a deep breath, and pick one item on my assignment list to complete. Gradually my fear would recede and I was back on track. As my knowledge base on leadership increased, I became much more aware of the responsibilities and issues administrators have to deal with each and everyday when considering technology integration on campus. I am hopeful that with this knowledge, I can provide the appropriate information and positive perspective to administrators and teachers about the benefits of technology in the learning environment.
Six Courses That Impacted My Learning
Fundamentals of Educational Technology Leadership
The first class, Fundamentals of Educational Technology Leadership, started the entire journey with a bang. I was confident of my technology skills; however, I found there is much more to being a technology leader than being able to use technology. This class gave a broad overview of technology leadership and what impact it has on the educational setting. After reviewing the Texas State Technology Plan (TSTP) as well as the Texas Technology Application Standards, I understand that it takes many, state, regional and local education groups to support the integration of technology into the educational settings as well as the support of the local community. The 21st Century Learner is challenging everyone from Superintendents through brand new teachers to increase their own technology knowledge and skills. Not many teachers understand technology or how it can be included in the curriculum. Boss & Krauss (2007) stated, “maximizing the use of digital tools to better reach essential learning goals, expanding classroom boundaries so that students gain real-world experiences and become global thinkers, and creating experiences that satisfy diverse learning styles and learner dispositions” (p. 22). The use of the discussion boards, blogs and wikis have given me the ability and confidence to design online professional learning communities and environments where teachers can collaborate, no only in their subject area, but on the use of technology through instructional strategies, teaching techniques and procedures.