This course helped me realize and articulate a technology vision for my school. Schools need to have a vision for where they are going, why they want to go there, and how they will know when they get there (Creighton, 2013). This is an important first step in successfully implementing a technology plan, and it was fun thinking about my ideal vision for technology use. Creating a vision is your opportunity to dream without thinking about limitations. However, after creating the vision, you must assess your current reality. I did this by completing a SWOT analysis to determine my school’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This activity was more challenging than creating the vision, and felt a bit like taking the wind out of my sails. However, it was a great opportunity to recognize things we are doing well and realize areas where we need to focus. This thorough analysis of my school allowed me to clearly see steps to take in order to realize the vision I have for technology use. It helped me to create a plan to accomplish several of the items recognized as weaknesses in the SWOT analysis. I enjoyed working on the action plan because it involved planning the steps to get to the vision I created. It allows you to see how you are going to achieve your vision and makes the vision begin to feel attainable.
One of the greatest takeaways I gained from this experience was how important the shared vision is to successful implementation. The vision for a school must be shared by all stakeholders in order to succeed. The vision for technology use must also be grounded in research-based best practices and tied to the curriculum. Technology should never be adopted just for the sake of having the technology. There must be a clear connection between the curriculum and technology use that supports the mission of the school.
Another aspect of this course that was a valuable learning experience was writing a grant. I have never written one before, but it is something I would like to do more in the future. I chose to complete an application for the Georgia Educational Technology Consortium, which I plan to submit, trying to secure funding to purchase the app Subtext for my students. In trying to convince GaETC to fund this project, I got very excited about it myself. Grants are an excellent resource to help make your school’s technology vision a reality.
With all of the skills I have learned this semester, I am excited to head back to school in August and begin working with the technology committee at my school to create a vision. We are in the beginning stages of determining what direction we want to go with technology and formally creating a technology plan. I know the things I have learned in this course will allow me to be a leader in the implementation of technology at my school. I feel I have grown in my understanding of how to implement technology through recognizing ISTE’s essential conditions that are required for successful implementation. I also have a clear vision for how I see technology being used at my school, the experience to conduct a SWOT analysis, and knowledge of how to create an action plan. These skills will be valuable when working with the technology committee this year to create our technology plan.
While being in school is an excellent way to stay current on technology trends in education, I do have to plan how to continue to grow as a technology leader. I have found ISTE to be an excellent resource through their website, conferences, and special interest groups. I also plan to continue following educational leaders on Twitter and would like to maintain the connections I’ve made with other professionals through graduate school after I finish.
Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as technology leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
One of the greatest takeaways I gained from this experience was how important the shared vision is to successful implementation. The vision for a school must be shared by all stakeholders in order to succeed. The vision for technology use must also be grounded in research-based best practices and tied to the curriculum. Technology should never be adopted just for the sake of having the technology. There must be a clear connection between the curriculum and technology use that supports the mission of the school.
Another aspect of this course that was a valuable learning experience was writing a grant. I have never written one before, but it is something I would like to do more in the future. I chose to complete an application for the Georgia Educational Technology Consortium, which I plan to submit, trying to secure funding to purchase the app Subtext for my students. In trying to convince GaETC to fund this project, I got very excited about it myself. Grants are an excellent resource to help make your school’s technology vision a reality.
With all of the skills I have learned this semester, I am excited to head back to school in August and begin working with the technology committee at my school to create a vision. We are in the beginning stages of determining what direction we want to go with technology and formally creating a technology plan. I know the things I have learned in this course will allow me to be a leader in the implementation of technology at my school. I feel I have grown in my understanding of how to implement technology through recognizing ISTE’s essential conditions that are required for successful implementation. I also have a clear vision for how I see technology being used at my school, the experience to conduct a SWOT analysis, and knowledge of how to create an action plan. These skills will be valuable when working with the technology committee this year to create our technology plan.
While being in school is an excellent way to stay current on technology trends in education, I do have to plan how to continue to grow as a technology leader. I have found ISTE to be an excellent resource through their website, conferences, and special interest groups. I also plan to continue following educational leaders on Twitter and would like to maintain the connections I’ve made with other professionals through graduate school after I finish.
Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as technology leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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