Leading Technology Integration

In your context, to what extent is the developed technology use perceived by the teachers as an integral part of their classroom practice?This varies from teacher to teacher, school to school. In my context I have come across teachers who easily integrate the technologies we use. But at other times I have had to provide a lot of support to teachers. Many schools have platforms we use blocked by administrators and this has been frustrating. However, simply by showing interest in #NZreadaloud tells me that these teachers are wanting to make change and try something different. Like Ertmer (2005), I think our beliefs about technology integration are shaped by experience. Effective technology integration only happens when teachers believe that they can implement and integrate it into their practice. This belief comes from observing others who are using it, knowing there will be things to learn, knowing there will be times of discomfort and a genuine belief that technology integration can transform a learning experience for their students. Successful integration is, in essence, the altering of a teacher’s pre-established beliefs about technology and the part it can play in learning. This becomes hard when there are different opinions held by teachers and Principals (Claro, Lopez & Contardo, 2017).
What are the issues that act as constraints to effectively leading technology integration in your context?The fear of the unknown I think is the main constraint. Integrating technologies into reading is not as common as integrating it into other curriculum areas. Teacher still see reading as a solo activity carried out independently or a group activity answering questions anout a text. In my context we want to use technologies to develop dialogic practices. This is new to many teachers and different from the way we were taught in training college to do reading. Other constraints are entrenched beleifs in traditional approaches. There may be constraints placed on teachers for their leadership team to ‘do’readinga particular way. In some instances, temporary incompetence can be seen as a constraint. As teachers, we feel we should know eveerything. So there is a mindset shift around ‘not knowing’. In my context all teachers participating started at the same unknown place. We have built a community of teachers who are also learners and who become leaders in technology integration. But the starting point is the same for us all – unknown.
What are the technology integration strategies for teachers teaching today that educational leaders need to know?With the gap between technology availability and its utilisation (Bleakley & Mangin, 2013) leaders need to be role models of how it can be done or at least encourage and support innovative ideas for technology integration.Teachers need to be encouraged to be in an uncomfortable place and leaders should be modelling this.Teachers need access to technologies.Teachers need time / PD to learn how to integrate not just use technologies.Teachers need personal experiences with technologies which will help facilitate the belief to change.Teachers could be proveded with. vicarious experiences to observe what others are doing – this serves as informational and motivational.Teachers neee=d exposure to supportive sociocultural influences – professional norms with opportunities to discuss new material, methods and strategies.
What are the skills leaders need to leverage technology for collecting, aggregating, and reporting assessment data for classrooms, your school, or your community? I will need to come back to this question!
What do leaders need to know in optimally managing and using technology for teachers and students?Leaders need to be aware of the different policies around technology use in schools as this might be the reason for non-integration. Internet use agreements in schools vary too. Leaders should know the safety of platforms used. Leaders need to ensure students have been taught about digital citizenship before launching into onlineplatforms which put themselves and their schools out on a global scale.
How can educational leaders gather information regarding the filtering system/firwall used by the classroom, school, or district, to protect teachers and students from inappropriate Internet/technological sources?I will need to come back to this question!