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Chapter 4: The Technology Infrastructure

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN TECHNOLOGY: PREPARING SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FOR A DIGITAL AGE BY VIRGINIA E. GARLAND AND CHESTER TADEJA. Chapter 4: The Technology Infrastructure. NETP Goal 4: “Infrastructure: Access and Enable” NETS.A Standard 3: “Excellence in Professional Practice”

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Chapter 4: The Technology Infrastructure

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  1. EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN TECHNOLOGY: PREPARING SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FOR A DIGITAL AGEBYVIRGINIA E. GARLAND AND CHESTER TADEJA Chapter 4: The Technology Infrastructure

  2. NETP Goal 4: “Infrastructure: Access and Enable” • NETS.A Standard 3: “Excellence in Professional Practice” • Technology resources for school improvement • Databases and management systems • Communication and collaboration tools • Leader survey for Chapter 4 skill sets • Discussion questions CHAPTER 4: SYNOPSIS

  3. Key points in this case study come from both a school principal and a superintendent of schools in Hopkinton, New Hampshire: • Technology needs to be interwoven into every aspect of district operations: • Communication • Collaboration • Operations • Data-based decision-making • Time is the currency of school improvement • Technology has the power to simultaneously improve all aspects of schooling while forcing increased efficiency CHAPTER 4: LEADER REFLECTION

  4. These examples are all simple but highly effective ways of using social networking technologies to communicate with students, parents, teachers, and community members: • The classroom teacher uses Skype to teach a home-bound student • The students use an updated website to reference homework and handouts • The principal’s blog or digital newsletter celebrates the school’s or an individual student’s achievements • In the Maine Consolidated School District, there is a “culture change” of all professional educators embracing technology CHAPTER 4: LEADER REFLECTION (CONTINUED)

  5. Explanation of NETP Goal 4 and NETS.A Standard 3 • Technology-enhanced school district infrastructure • Databases of school and district information • Roles of the principal, technology coordinator, and superintendent in modeling collaborative technology tools • Principal and superintendent as educational technology researchers and implementers CHAPTER 4: INTRODUCTION 

  6. Practical applications • Connected research: advances in school inter-operability standards and using emerging technologies effectively • Four key technology trends to improve student learning • Value of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) CHAPTER 4: INTRODUCTION 

  7. Four new technology trends to improve education: • E-Rate discounts • Internet access device proliferation • Open educational resources (OERs) • Cloud computing • E-Rate discounts: • Designed in 2010 in order to provide a framework for connecting students to high-speed Internet access • Creates financial data transparency NETP GOAL 4: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

  8. Internet access device proliferation • The need for wireless platforms in education is recognized by the National Education Technology Plan (NETP Goal 4.2) • According to the technology plan, Internet access devices can include “desktop computers, laptops, netbooks, public access kiosks, mobile phones, portable digital players, and wireless readers” (U.S. Department of Education, 2010, p54) NETP GOAL 4: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

  9. Open educational resources (OERs): • OERs take the form of podcasts, e-books, digital libraries, and online courses • Web 2.0 tools are cost-effective, reusable learning objects • Administrators are urged to implement this next generation of technology systems by reducing the number of servers and purchasing Software as a Service (SaaS) and Web applications from cloud-based data centers NETP GOAL 4: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

  10. Cloud computing: • Cloudware is a powerful collaborative tool • Resources are 24/7 • Access to data is programmable • Private clouds can be designed • Both academic and administrative functions for P-12 education are supported by cloudware NETP GOAL 4: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

  11. Interoperability standards: • Standardizes student data between the state and local education authorities • Starts with pilot programs • Standardizes financial data, which can increase productivity and school improvement, especially with the purchase of emerging, cost-effective technologies, training, and tech support NETP GOAL 4: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

  12. Administrators and teacher leaders have to take personal responsibility for understanding changes in technology integration • Time and resources should be committed to professional growth in technology integration in instruction • Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), communication, and collaboration are essential components • Educational leaders are researchers and implementers of new technologies ISTE NETS.A STANDARD 3: EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

  13. Networked professional communities: • Linked to professionals both regionally and globally • Share valuable resources • Serve multiple student populations • Emerging technologies as communication tools: • Blogs, twitters and social networking sites • Opportunities for administrators to share with the larger community how educational technology helps to attain school goals and learning objectives ISTE NETS.A STANDARD 3: EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

  14. Other communication tools: • Screencasting • Podcasting • Lifecasting • Collaborating with parents: • Grade book programs keep parents and students informed of academic progress • Classroom management systems link parents, students, and educators to non-academic data • Superintendents and executive cabinet use aggregated data to communicate with stakeholders ISTE NETS.A STANDARD 3: EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

  15. Collaborative tools: • Synchronous real-time platforms • Technology studios • Linked presentation tools • Media centers and libraries: • Literacy improved with electronic learning tools • Librarians and media specialists need professional development for integrating technology in the classroom, sharing information about new resources, and demonstrating innovative instructional tools (Dees et al, 2010) ISTE NETS.A STANDARD 3: EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

  16. Self-scoring survey • Based on National Education Technology Plan (NETP) Goal 4 (NETP 4.1 to 4.6) and National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Administrators (NETS.A) Standard 3 (NETS.A 3.a, 3.b, 3.c, 3.d, 3.e) • Ratings of 1 or 2 indicate areas of needed professional growth • Assessment can also be used to create an individualized e-portfolio CHAPTER 4: TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY

  17. 1. In order to enable a technology-enhanced school district infrastructure, give easy but appropriate access to data for students, educators, and parents/guardians. 2. Communicate with your district’s parents and community members through digital-age tools such as Podcasts, Twitter accounts, email listservs, wiki websites, screencasts, or automatic call systems. 3. Use cloudware such as Google documents to develop and share policies, technology plans, or project work. 4. Increase the efficiency of your district’s operations with web-based applications for tracking and revising purchase orders, federal and state grants, and other financial reports. 5. Use data-based decision-making to improve student achievement through technologies that will assist you in dis-aggregating data on the state test, in differentiating instruction according to individual scores on tests, and in giving teachers data for planning intervention strategies while instruction occurs. CHAPTER 4: TIPS FOR LEADERS

  18. 6. Be aware of the E-Rate changes that encourage districts to adopt electronic learning records, to improve financial data transparency, and to fund wireless connectivity to portable devices for students. 7. Improve your operational efficiency and security by reducing the number of servers and purchasing Software as a Service (SaaS) and Web applications from cloud-based data centers. 8. Implement a technology-powered management information system (MIS) to input, access, and organize school district financial data. 9. Communicate with parents through newer grade and student behavior management programs in order for them to access their children’s grades, behavioral issues, and school notices about upcoming events. 10. Keep updated on the latest educational technology research through district-level subscriptions to statewide and national databases. CHAPTER 4: TIPS FOR LEADERS

  19. 1. In what ways can you develop networked learning communities in your own school or district? How might you draw from various experts? Create a graphic visual to describe how this process would look and share in a group or with a partner. 2. Real-time collaboration is an essential key to facilitate learning and to propel the uses of today’s modern technology. How can pre-service and in-service administrators develop real-time collaborative activities? What would these look like in your own Professional Learning Communities? 3. How can the sharing of student-learning data be improved in your school or district? Discuss the accessibility of assessment information to various stakeholders in the education process, such as teachers, parents, students, and administrators. CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  20. CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 4. Does your school or district ensure that all teachers and students have at least one Internet access device? If not, how can the obstacles to “one computer per student” be overcome? 5. In referring to the list of websites and professional organizations for educators on the companion website for this book, which websites do you frequent and to which organizations do you belong? Explain how your professional use of emerging technologies is enhanced by your membership to these organizations or to other connected groups of educators. 6. In the leader reflection for Chapter 4, a New Hampshire superintendent and his elementary principal discuss their widespread use of emerging technologies for communication, collaboration, operations, and data-based decision-making. How do these two administrators link their district’s cyber-infrastructure to improved instructional practices? Compare the effectiveness of the digital tools used in the Hopkinton School District, New Hampshire, with those used in your school or district.

  21. CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS  7. In the leader reflection section of Chapter 3, a Maine secondary-level administrator focuses on “culture change” with digital communication tools and providing meaningful technology workshops for parents (Maine has a one laptop per secondary level student policy). In what ways can communication with colleagues, students, parents, community members, and others be improved through the use of social networking tools such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook,or other interactive websites in your district? What might be the advantages and disadvantages of a one mobile device per child policy?  8. Based on your responses to the self-assessment for Chapter 4, what are the next steps you might take to enhance professional development in the use of digital-age technologies in your school or district? What technology resources would you need in your own professional e-portfolio in order to assist you in achieving your goals?

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