"I would advocate for the 'drivers' of the project to be the educators among us rather than the technologists. I believe the project is an education project facilitated by technology rather than one where technology is at the forefront"
This is an opinion expressed recently by a teacher and curriculum materials developer, which was analysed to be formed through insufficient communication and feedback.
At e-Learning Jamaica, we have decided to engage administrators and teachers in a relatively new medium for most persons in education in Jamaica. The medium we have chosen is a blog. It is more public than email, or a listserv, however, it can be highly participatory.
The comment highlighted above can become one of our early discussion points. If you have a strong opinion, we are sure you will find out how to create and append, respond to blogs. Your peers at school will also want to get involved.
This blog is really about leadership. Who should lead ? Is it about technology, learning or both? Or should I just play along until I get my hands on the goodies?
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has published standards for Administrators in relation to technology leadership. We will just share the first few here. They will tell what are some expectations of world-class education leadership.This too can help frame the discussion.
National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A)
- Standards and Performance Indicators -
Reprinted with permission from National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators,
published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), NETS Project, copyright © 2002,
ISTE, (800) 336-5191 (U.S. & Canada) or (541) 302-3777 (International), iste@iste.org, www.iste.org. All rights reserved.
I. LEADERSHIP AND VISION
Educational leaders inspire a shared vision for comprehensive
integration of technology and foster an environment and culture
conducive to the realization of that vision
Educational leaders (display the following indicators)
A. facilitate the shared development by all stakeholders of a vision
for technology use and widely communicate that vision
B. maintain an inclusive and cohesive process to develop,
implement, and monitor a dynamic, long-range, and
systemic technology plan to achieve the vision
C. foster and nurture a culture of responsible risk-taking and
advocate policies promoting continuous innovation with
technology
D. use data in making leadership decisions
E. advocate for research-based effective practices in use of
technology
F. advocate on the state and national levels for policies, programs,
and funding opportunities that support implementation of
the district technology plan
\
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
First of all I want to express my disappointment that no one else has commented on this issue.
I also agree that the project should be driven by the educators. However, this should be in close consultation with technologists since both the integrity of pedagogy and the technological tools used to assist delivery of learning content are both important.
The introduction of technology in learning is usually a part of an educational reform initiative, the end product of which should be increased educational outcomes. Who is this of concern to – technologists or educators? Educators should have explicit articulated objectives for the use of technology in education and should be able to measure whether the investments being made (financial and time) into the project are producing the desired educational outcomes. However, there is the need for educators to develop an understanding and appreciation of the use of technology in education in order to lead the project. They should have an awareness of the limits of technology so that they do not form unrealistic assumptions of what it can do. It is necessary for educators to be technically competent and be able to integrate technology into pedagogy. Technologist should exist in a supportive role in the project (mind you this is an important role) ensuring the technology is available and maintained to support and encourage the educator’s use of it. There is increased awareness of the need to have individuals identified as technologist within learning institutions to support the use of technology in education and just as the educators need to be technically competent, it is necessary for the technologist to be aware of what technology can best support the delivery of certain content. In organizations that are technologically driven, technology helps to support business goals. In a similar manner, technology should support educational targets.
Post a Comment