teachers-infusion

Admins, teachers partner to embrace technology infusion


Teachers, administrators can lead effective technology initiatives together

teachers-infusionClassrooms across the nation are experiencing an infusion of technology that is meant to engage students and take learning beyond the four walls of a classroom. This infusion started as a trickle and is now a flood that is flowing into every corner of every learning space in our schools. Any attempt to hold it back is not only futile, but also a sign of a lack of understanding of the educational evolution happening before our eyes.

As a superintendent, I see this infusion and embrace it. However, I grapple with the question of who should lead the transition. By title and past practice that responsibility typically falls on those of us with an administrative title. However, as I have observed, learned from, and collaborated with educators during this transition, I now believe that the leaders of this transition need to be the teachers. The role of the administration is to guide, motivate, encourage, and assure compliance with school policy, while finding ways to make the technology that is needed possible.

(Next page: How Rocco created a way, with teachers’ input, to address these changes)
To create such an environment, I have established a district committee of teachers called the Lead Learner Committee (LLC). Its membership is voluntary, but its focus is vital to the technology evolution in my school district. Members of the LLC will meet monthly to discuss how we as a district can effectively use technology to improve learning and instruction. Our meeting space, a conference room, has been dubbed the “test kitchen” and is furnished with the equipment currently in the majority of our classrooms. In this room we will discuss, examine, assess, and recommend various hardware and software resources we feel are beneficial to our students and teachers. After every meeting the minutes will be made available to district staff with links and examples.

As the committee progresses during the year, I can imagine the development of video tutorials, live demonstrations, and professional development provided by the LLC to district staff. By progressing in this manner, the evolution of technology in my school district will be led by the teachers who know what is needed and what will be the most effective technology tools for our teachers and students.

Call it an evolution, infusion or something else, technology use in the classroom and technology used to extend the learning environment are here to stay. Who leads it is the question. For me, as a district administrator, it will be led by my teachers, and I and my district administrators are there to assist, motivate, and find ways to implement their recommendations.

Scott Rocco is a superintendent in New Jersey and actively uses social media to engage, learn from, and collaborate with educators from around the world. He is also the co-founder and co-moderator of #satchat–a positive and progressive educational conversation on Twitter held every Saturday morning.

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