This quarter we have had a large focus on professional development. With this weeks guiding questions “What role should administrators play in professional learning programs and how do we advocate for their involvement and adequate professional learning support for technology-based learning initiatives?” I wanted to know more about an admin’s role in technology integration and PD. Looking at my own school I know a lot of our technology professional development time is set by our district, however, I do know that some of our PD can be shifted slightly to meet the needs of our staff. But how can we make those needs apparent to admin?
Administration’s Role
In the article “The principal’s role as a technology leader” by Marilyn Grady stated “to be a principal in the 21st-century school demands leadership of technology. To be a leader of technology requires a willingness to learn, flexibility, and the capacity to accept change as a constant factor. Adaptability and acceptance of ambiguity are essential. Because technology changes continuously, there is no menu of technology must dos and must haves. Instead, leaders of technology must be lifelong learners and explorers of the new, the exciting, and the useful in technology”.
With technology constantly changing its not only the teachers who have to adapt its also the administrations. The administration is very busy and holds many roles in their position but they should continuously work to build their capacity as technology leaders.
The principal’s role as technology leader includes:
- Establishing the vision and goals for technology in the school
- Carrying the technology banner in the school
- Modeling the use of technology
- Supporting technology use in the school
- Engaging in professional development activities that focus on technology and integration of technology in student learning activities
- Providing professional development opportunities for teachers and staff that emphasize the use of technology and that facilitate the integration of technology in student learning
- Securing resources to support technology use and integration in the school
- Advocating for technology use that supports student learning
- Being knowledgeable and supportive of national technology standards and promoting the attainment of the standards in the school
- Communicating the uses and importance of technology in enhancing student learning experiences to the school’s stakeholders
A big take away from the roles of being a technology leader is for admin to Model, Model, Model the use of technology. Principals play a large role in setting school climate and seeing admin modeling technology can help defuse fear and resistance to using technology from staff. Seeing that administration takes technology seriously in their building can be encouraging for teachers who might feel reluctant.
Promoting Technology Professional Development
The approach to professional development should be:
- Identify the teachers’ skills and knowledge of technology
- Plan activities that match the skill and knowledge level of the teachers
- Schedule and deliver the activities
- Plan to repeat activities until teachers have mastered the skills
- Allow teachers to practice the skills and demonstrate the use of the technology
- Provide time for skill practice
- Feature teachers as the facilitators of the sessions to emphasize the teacher-to-teacher-model of professional development
- Provide time and resources to allow sessions to be successful and to demonstrate the value placed on the activities.
The administration should encourage and support staff that wants to seek out conferences and training related to technology. Training provides a way to meet the need of staff when it comes to implementing new technology. In my own district, we have TIF- Technology Integration Facilitator. In our district, each school has at least one Technology Integration Facilitator (TIF) to plan and facilitate technology integration professional learning activities which support: implementation of the Technology Skills Continuum, technology integration into instruction, and mobile teaching strategies.
TIFs create a Building Instructional Technology Plan in collaboration with Technology Integration Specialists and building leadership, based on individual school needs, determined by survey data. TIFs plan and facilitate a variety of professional learning opportunities for their school. They may organize all staff and small-group sessions. They may support professional learning by organizing a book study, scheduling building showcases, creating a pineapple chart for classroom visits, promoting learning walks, scheduling or teaching classes at your school after school, and other activities. If your school doesn’t have the TIF model your admin can get a sense of staff needs by sending out a technology survey. Based on the data collected admin or your tech coach can work together to provide PD for staff.
