1.1 Shared Vision
Candidates facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision for the use of technology in teaching, learning, and leadership. (PSC 1.1/ISTE 1a)
Artifact: Shared Vision/Rationale
Reflection:
This artifact was created in the course ITEC7410, Instructional Technology Leadership. The purpose of this particular assignment was to determine how technology should be used at my school to enhance student learning. It provided an in depth, researched-based rationale to solidify the vision. As I created a technology related shared vision for my school, I kept my school’s mission, vision, and school improvement goals in mind to align it with the needs of every staff member, student, and community stakeholder of the school. I used the International Society of Technology Integration’s essential conditions as I created my technology vision. It was in this course that I was introduced to the text The Principal as Technology Leader by T. Creighton, which was a text that formulated many of my opinions and beliefs as a technology facilitator and leader. Not only should technology devices be in the hands of learners in a school, but they should be seamlessly intertwined within the curriculum to promote critical, higher order thinking. In order to contribute a clear vision for the school, I utilized scholarly articles to research best practices for technology integration in the elementary classroom. The focus of this artifact was to create a vision that would support the proper use of technology within the classrooms at my school and deepen the relationships between students and available technology devices.
This artifact demonstrates my ability to facilitate the development of a shared vision for the use of technology in teaching, learning, and leadership at my school. Creating a vision promoted personal reflection on my beliefs and opinions about technology integration in the classroom. It required a great deal of research about the school building, community, and district to determine the current realities about technology facilitation in elementary classrooms. I met with the school administration and school strategic planning committee to gain a perspective of how educational leaders and teachers felt technology was being used at the school. This artifact required me to research current effective strategies for proper technology integration as well as ways that students optimally learn using technology as a pathway to guide their success. I was able to apply this research to my work environment and take on the role as leader in the building to formulate a vision for technology use and implementation. It required me to think deeply about my own research-based beliefs and determine what I think should lie ahead with technology use in classrooms. This goes beyond drilling and practicing skills, but a means for student-centered and engaging learning.
This artifact additionally demonstrates my ability to implement the development of a shared vision for the use of technology in teaching, learning, and leadership. The development of the shared vision led to an action plan, where I suggested a pathway to implement the development of the vision. I created an approach that included all stakeholders to give students more opportunities to interact with technology. The suggestion to purchase tablet devices to promote student-centered learning was initiated. After the vision and action plan were created, the school administration allocated funds to purchase two iPad carts to increase student access to technology. I took on a leadership role, communicating with all stakeholders, to implement a series of professional development sessions to ensure proper use of the new technology. During the sessions, teachers not only understood how to facilitate learning utilizing the devices, but they gained an understanding of their expectations with technology integration in the classroom. Teachers were supported with the facilitation of the vision by being able to put practice into place. Student engagement and learning were positively affected as a result. I implemented the development of my vision for increased student access to guiding their learning utilizing technology, and it all started with this particular artifact.
By developing and implementing a shared vision, I learned that a technology leader must have adequate skills, knowledge, and dispositions to effectively carry out the vision to ultimately enhance student learning. Through this artifact, I learned that a technology leader must develop and implement a shared vision with a technology plan to support student learning. I have learned how to to empower stakeholders to effectively impact an entire building of students and educators. Technology leaders must be able to research to find procedures, programs, and funding opportunities that ultimately helps carry out the shared vision in a technology plan. The leader must be well versed in digital equity as well as citizenship to properly see and implement technology related changes. This results in the leader being able to recommend and implement changes in a school setting, as I did at my school. This impact can be assessed by the data that is located on the School Strategic Plan (SSP).
In the future, I would improve this artifact by working on obtaining the trust and dedication of additional staff members. The vision seemingly impacted a smaller group of staff members then expected. Student engagement and motivation directly increased as a result of implemented this shared vision. While stakeholders had a helped to plan the vision, the implementation did not affect the entire school community. It would be beneficial if the vision’s implementation could reach a wider variety of teachers and community members to influence a larger percentage of students
References
Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as a technology leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, Chapters 1-4, pp. 1-41.
This artifact was created in the course ITEC7410, Instructional Technology Leadership. The purpose of this particular assignment was to determine how technology should be used at my school to enhance student learning. It provided an in depth, researched-based rationale to solidify the vision. As I created a technology related shared vision for my school, I kept my school’s mission, vision, and school improvement goals in mind to align it with the needs of every staff member, student, and community stakeholder of the school. I used the International Society of Technology Integration’s essential conditions as I created my technology vision. It was in this course that I was introduced to the text The Principal as Technology Leader by T. Creighton, which was a text that formulated many of my opinions and beliefs as a technology facilitator and leader. Not only should technology devices be in the hands of learners in a school, but they should be seamlessly intertwined within the curriculum to promote critical, higher order thinking. In order to contribute a clear vision for the school, I utilized scholarly articles to research best practices for technology integration in the elementary classroom. The focus of this artifact was to create a vision that would support the proper use of technology within the classrooms at my school and deepen the relationships between students and available technology devices.
This artifact demonstrates my ability to facilitate the development of a shared vision for the use of technology in teaching, learning, and leadership at my school. Creating a vision promoted personal reflection on my beliefs and opinions about technology integration in the classroom. It required a great deal of research about the school building, community, and district to determine the current realities about technology facilitation in elementary classrooms. I met with the school administration and school strategic planning committee to gain a perspective of how educational leaders and teachers felt technology was being used at the school. This artifact required me to research current effective strategies for proper technology integration as well as ways that students optimally learn using technology as a pathway to guide their success. I was able to apply this research to my work environment and take on the role as leader in the building to formulate a vision for technology use and implementation. It required me to think deeply about my own research-based beliefs and determine what I think should lie ahead with technology use in classrooms. This goes beyond drilling and practicing skills, but a means for student-centered and engaging learning.
This artifact additionally demonstrates my ability to implement the development of a shared vision for the use of technology in teaching, learning, and leadership. The development of the shared vision led to an action plan, where I suggested a pathway to implement the development of the vision. I created an approach that included all stakeholders to give students more opportunities to interact with technology. The suggestion to purchase tablet devices to promote student-centered learning was initiated. After the vision and action plan were created, the school administration allocated funds to purchase two iPad carts to increase student access to technology. I took on a leadership role, communicating with all stakeholders, to implement a series of professional development sessions to ensure proper use of the new technology. During the sessions, teachers not only understood how to facilitate learning utilizing the devices, but they gained an understanding of their expectations with technology integration in the classroom. Teachers were supported with the facilitation of the vision by being able to put practice into place. Student engagement and learning were positively affected as a result. I implemented the development of my vision for increased student access to guiding their learning utilizing technology, and it all started with this particular artifact.
By developing and implementing a shared vision, I learned that a technology leader must have adequate skills, knowledge, and dispositions to effectively carry out the vision to ultimately enhance student learning. Through this artifact, I learned that a technology leader must develop and implement a shared vision with a technology plan to support student learning. I have learned how to to empower stakeholders to effectively impact an entire building of students and educators. Technology leaders must be able to research to find procedures, programs, and funding opportunities that ultimately helps carry out the shared vision in a technology plan. The leader must be well versed in digital equity as well as citizenship to properly see and implement technology related changes. This results in the leader being able to recommend and implement changes in a school setting, as I did at my school. This impact can be assessed by the data that is located on the School Strategic Plan (SSP).
In the future, I would improve this artifact by working on obtaining the trust and dedication of additional staff members. The vision seemingly impacted a smaller group of staff members then expected. Student engagement and motivation directly increased as a result of implemented this shared vision. While stakeholders had a helped to plan the vision, the implementation did not affect the entire school community. It would be beneficial if the vision’s implementation could reach a wider variety of teachers and community members to influence a larger percentage of students
References
Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as a technology leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, Chapters 1-4, pp. 1-41.