Administrator's Role in Technology Integration
 
Technology integration involves much more than placing equipment in labs and classrooms. People are the key to successful technology programs. The administrator is critical in providing leadership. This starts by encouraging teachers to use all resources including books, newspapers, CD-ROM, videos, maps, software, and Internet. Let's take the example of a book called While a Tree Was Growing. Students might use the software called Timeliner to create their own timeline based on the book. They might use the Internet and complete a webquest on forests or explore the parks of Canada. The key is to use a variety of resources to address the teaching style of the educator and the learning styles of the children.
 
The Value of Guidelines
The value of information technology guidelines is that help focus curriculum integration activities. It's important to remember that any standards related to technology aren't about hardware and software skills, but instead the focus should be on improving the teaching and learning environment through technology-rich curriculum. For resources that can them teachers build their own skills, check out the professional development materials at the Teacher Tap. Also remember that there are many online projects that teachers can join rather than having to develop projects from scratch.
 
Information technology can improve the learning environment by increasing access to resources, addressing learning styles, reaching beyond the classroom, and providing tools for thinking, creating, communicating, and learning.
 
Lumberjack Menu
Administrator's Role
Technology Obstacles
Teacher Needs
Implementation
Eduscapes
LumberJack Wisdom
Where successful programs are in place, aggressive principals are leading the way, empowering and facilitating their teachers. - Center for Educational Leadership & Technology, 1998

Leaders are those who know what to do next, know why that is important, and know what appropriate resources to bring to bear on the problem at hand. Then, through effective communication they influence others to follow. - Barry Bowater
Administrator's Role
What's the administrator's role in technology integration? What are the key leadership characteristics? Remember that an administrator is limited by time, resources, funding, and technology skills, but empowered by leadership position, vision, flexibility, and motivation.
 
LumberJack Wisdom
Lead with a mission. One of the most important functions of a leader is to make his or her organization concentrate on its objectives.
What's Success with Technology?
There are some overall successes you can look for when integrating technology into your building. Many researchers have found that technology can increase student achievement including increased teacher/student interaction, cooperation, collaboration, and attendance. A decreased dropout rate and increased rates of college entry are other measures of success. These types of global changes can take time. Smaller steps might be more realistic.
 
LumberJack Wisdom
Encourage risk taking. Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fail. - Confucius
Explore three steps to building your technology program.
 
Step One: Stop Negative Attitudes
The first step is to get teachers to eliminate some behaviors that make technology integration difficult. Work on getting teachers to stop focusing on the "computer" itself, stop whining about technology, stop focusing on scheduling and other management issues, and stop complaining that technology is a "time-consuming add-on." Before you can make positive steps toward integration, you need to address these issues that cause negative attitudes. Provide teachers with some useful tools that don't take much time to use. For example, introduce the Scholastic website.
 
LumberJack Wisdom
Encouragement is critical for beginners. I praise loudly, I blame softly. - Catherine the Great
Step Two: Focus on Technology
The second step involves making technology the focus. Teachers begin to integrate software packages, use technology in projects, and try new technology ideas. Many schools focus on teachers who are doing great things with technology.
 
Step Three: Make Technology Transparent
The final step is to make technology transparent. Once teachers feel comfortable with technology it must become second nature, so that teachers can focus on learning rather than technology. Teacher begin to team and share ideas, talk about the curriculum, and use technology in problem solving activities. Mr. Leahy is an example of a teacher who has made this shift from focusing on technology to focusing on learning. His website provides information and resources for students and their parents. He links to great website on topics such as the human body and on practice opportunities such as Funbrain.
 
Judging Success
How will you know when you're successful? Firewood isn't all the same. Think quality, not the quantity of technology use. Focus on the tight coupling of technology with curriculum. Look for high level activities and whether technology is routinely used to enhance teaching and learning. For example, classrooms who create ThinkQuest projects may be showing this type of success.
 
Where are you with the integration of technology?
 
LumberJack Wisdom
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals. - Henry Ford
Lumberjack Menu
Administrator's Role
Technology Obstacles
Teacher Needs
Implementation
Eduscapes

 Created by Annette Lamb, 02/01.