My view for a week at the end of June - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Assignment #2 - Personal Technological Change

Until beginning this course, I thought I was fairly technologically savvy, but most of the tools we have used so far, I have never even heard of! In my role as a teacher, when given new technology, I always implement it to the best of my ability, but my efforts definitely fall short of what Sheninger (2014) would describe as digital change. The good news is that I am amenable to change and I plan to seek out arenas in which I can help advocate for technological change in my school and district.

Fundamentally, change is difficult, especially when you’re talking about change within in a larger system. Michael Fullan outlines 6 things that need to be in place for true change to occur. I think he is right on with starting with relationships as the bottom line. Understanding the reasons for the change, as well as developing the capacity for educators in a school to make the change are also incredibly important. Technology changes and becomes outdated so quickly these days that it is easy to see why some teachers, especially those not comfortable with the use of technology in the classroom, would shy away from using it. This is where high-quality professional development comes in.

I think a good starting place for me is to increase my own knowledge of technology. I grew up with technology and I still find that I use it at the most basic level – emailing, document camera, projector, etc. There is a lot of technology available to me in my district, but I haven’t begun to fully understand the use of each piece of technology or the ways I can use it to increase student engagement and achievement in my classroom. We received iPads this year (and our fourth graders will each get one in the 2017-2018 school year as well) and I’ve only begun to explore the ways I can use it to improve student engagement and learning. I hope to increase my own comfort level in regards to technology so that I can adequately lead technological change with teachers of all ability levels in my future school.

One thing I want to keep in mind as I do this though is to take my time and get a good understanding of each piece of technology and the ways it can be used instead of looking at too many things at once and only getting a surface-level understanding. Giving myself permission to master a little at a time will be beneficial in the long run because it will result in a deeper understanding.

In relation to Sheninger’s 7 Pillars of Digital Leadership, something I can immediately do is set up a classroom blog where I can create two-way communication with the families of my students (Pillar 1). Using social media as a platform for branding and positive public relations will help create and maintain a positive view of my school and everything that is happening inside it (Pillars 2, 3). As a future principal, I can expand this out to having a school blog – instead of just sending home a newsletter with information for families. Setting up a school Facebook page, as well as possibly Instagram or Twitter will allow me to have instant communication with the school community as well. I also love the idea of having to reimagine what a learning space looks like in the digital age. How do you get an entire school building set up so that it embodies innovation and creativity with the technology infused throughout? What characteristics does that school have? I am going to have to give this some thought, but I like the idea of it.

 My sweet 4-year-old Avery (left) in her ballet recital in June!

Assignment 1 - Digital Natives

I believe there are some big pluses to including game-like learning within the classroom setting. Where I may differ from Prensky, however, is that I don’t believe in the idea of using it as the sole means of instruction delivered to students of the net-generation (digital natives). As teachers, we all know that every year the makeup of our classes is different. To group all kids into the same category of learner based simply upon when they are born does a disservice to those kids that do not learn kinesthetically. A well-rounded education is made up of more than one mode of learning and I believe it my job as a teacher to ensure that students are just that – well-rounded. To prepare them to be college and career ready definitely includes a technological component. However, there are many more skills they need to learn as well to be ready for the future workforce.

One of the main things that would be lacking from a learning environment focused solely on the gaming aspect is the social collaboration piece that is crucial to success in the real world. Whether students go to college or not, you would be hard pressed to find a job that does not require some sort of collaboration. Working in face-to-face interactions with their peers, students learn how to be a leader and also how to sometimes take a step back and be the follower.

As technology becomes more readily available, especially through 1:1 initiatives that put technology into the hands of each student, it is imperative that teachers understand the use of the technology. These initiatives are great because they give equal access to technology to all kids, not only those whose parents can afford it. However, if the teacher is unaware of how to use it, it will negate the purpose of the initiative in the first place. We all know the pitfalls of implementing new programs or technologies without first receiving proper introduction and professional development around it. Technology has some great applications within the school setting, but by no means is it the only method that should be used.

As a future administrator, I believe one of the most important parts of my job will be to ensure that all teachers (digital immigrants as well) are well-equipped to meet the needs of all of their students. Grouping entire classes (and schools and generations!) of kids into one category that is served by only one means of instructional delivery does not accomplish that task. I see it as my job to help my teachers become comfortable with whatever technology is currently available to help them devise strategies for teaching students about the technology and how to use it safely and effectively, as well as to help them practice creating lessons using the technology that will work for their very specific group of kids. 

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