Technology in Educational Leadership

Administrators working in low-performing schools face the daily challenge of coming up with ways to support students academically and to raise test scores. Technology has been an area that educators have turned to for answers when asking how to better support students. Programs like Study Island, IXL, Campus, North Carolina Virtual Schools, and Accelerated Math have been utilized to improve student learning. To further extend the integration of technology into the classroom, software programmers have created ways to use cell phones, IPads, computers, and other hand held devices as an instructional tool. The US Department of Education states that technology is used to support both teaching and learning, technology infuses classrooms with digital learning tools, such as computers and handheld devices; expands course offerings, experiences, and learning materials; supports learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; builds 21stcentury skills; increases student engagement and motivation; and accelerates learning (United States Department of Education, n.d.). To observe the benefit of the use of technology in the classroom, one need only look in the nearest classroom of a progressive teacher.

Educators have become so reliant on technology to support students that some school systems have allowed students to bring their own technological devices to school to enhance instruction. Wake County is one such school system. “Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a growing national trend and it has come to Wake. Just like it sounds, students can bring their own laptops, tablets or even smartphones to school to support their learning”, (Yarbrough, n.d.). In addition to allowing students to bring their own devices to school, many systems have used funding to provide class sets of computers or to make their school a one-to-one, student-computer school system. Technology is everywhere in education: Public schools in the United States now provide at least one computer for every five students. They spend more than $3 billion per year on digital content. Led by the federal government, the country is in the midst of a massive effort to make affordable high-speed Internet and free online teaching resources available to even the most rural and remote schools. And in 2015-16, for the first time, more state standardized tests for the elementary and middle grades will be administered via technology than by paper and pencil, (Herold, 2016).

Not everyone is convinced that the use of technology in the classroom is moving in the right direction. The basis for this opinion seems not to be the use of technology, but the way the technology is used to support teaching and learning. “In every case of failure I have observed, the one-to-one computing plan puts enormous focus on the device itself, the enhancement of the network, and training teachers to use the technology. Then, teachers are instructed to go! But go where? That’s the critical question that must be addressed first”, (Ziegenfuss, 2013). The problem of establishing a vision, and leading the use of technology is one that many educational organizations face. To help administrators with integrating technology and establishing a vision for its use to support teaching and learning in the classroom the ISTE Standards were created.

The standards are clear and specific ( Read More About the ISTE Standards)

Visionary Leadership
Educational Administrators inspire and lead development and implementation of a shared vision for comprehensive integration of technology to promote excellence and support transformation throughout the organization.

Digital Age Learning Culture
Educational Administrators create, promote, and sustain a dynamic, digital-age learning culture that provides a rigorous, relevant, and engaging education for all students.

Excellence in Professional Practice
Educational Administrators promote an environment of professional learning and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources.

Systemic Improvement
Educational Administrators provide digital age leadership and management to continuously improve the organization through the effective use of information and technology resources.

Digital Citizenship
Educational Administrators model and facilitate understanding of social, ethical and legal issues and responsibilities related to an evolving digital culture.

Technology is an important resource to combat illiteracy, weak computation skills, and low academic performance in general. The ISTE Standards help to direct its use, to be sure that technology is not integrated just for the sake of being used. The right technologies must be used for the right situations if students are to benefit from its use.

See what President Obama said about technology in the classroom in 2013.

References
Herold, B. (2016, February 5). Technology in Education: An Overview. Retrieved from Education Week: http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/

International Society for Technology in Education. (2009). ISTE Standards Administrators. Retrieved from ISTE.org: https://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-A_PDF.pdf

The United States Department of Education. (n.d.). Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning

Yarbrough, M. (n.d.). BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE COMES TO WAKE. Retrieved from Wake County Public Schools: http://www.wcpss.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=16&ModuleInstanceID=7209&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=3462&PageID=24

Ziegenfuss, R. (2013, February 10). Why Schools Must Move Beyond One-to-One Computing. Retrieved from November Learning: http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/why-schools-must-move-beyond-one-to-one-computing/