For the past few years, Twitter has be an important and integral part of my professional learning network (PLN). I first began using Twitter to develop my PLN during the ISTE2011 Conference in Philadelphia at the encouragement of some outstanding educators like Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher, Steve Hargadon @stevehargadon, and Collett Cassinelli @ccassinelli. Although I was already an advocate for purposeful integration of technology with a focus on pedagogy first, it was at that conference that I began to truly understand what it meant to be a "connected educator."
I remember attending a forum entitled "Leadership Vision". In fact, I still have my notes:
Leadership ISTE Forum
6.25.11
Facilitated by: Scott McLeod (University of KY and Castle)
Notes: Paula Dillon
What are we doing for our leaders?
❒ Technology needs to be rooted in the pedagogy
❒ Don’t assume that every teacher in the building is ready to use
❒ Build a demand for it
❒ Need to create a mission and a vision for the school/district and define everything in
terms of that vision/mission
❒ Training for the administrators and have them use it in their own practice as
instructional leaders
❒ Talk about the application not the technology
❒ Must be part of a long-range plan
❒ How does it improve student learning has the be the essential question
❒ Model and allow visits to where it is working well
❒ Use the “look for” walk-through model to have conversations that are reflective and
not evaluative in nature
❒ Move away from a tool focus to a teaching and learning focus
After introductions, it was evident that I was one of a small minority of administrators present. The majority of the attendees in that session were teachers who passionately wanted to engage the leadership in their district in creating a vision where technology was embedded into practice transforming teaching and learning. I came back from that conference promising myself that I would support my district in this transformation; that I would be an educational leader who collaborated with teachers to make that vision a reality.
Fast forward two years, and I am still working on that vision in collaboration with my technology director, superintendent, finance director, administrative team, teachers, parents and students. Are we there yet? No. Will we get there? We have a vision, we have a plan, and so yes, I am confident that we will. I am surrounded by like-minded administrators who have varying degrees of comfort and expertise with technology, yet a common understanding of the need to support the integration of technology in teaching and learning. In district there have been and will continue to be drop-in technology sessions, flipped professional development sessions, teachers teaching teachers, collaborative team times, and curriculum writing sessions where embedding technology is a focus area. In addition, we will be adding on un-conferences and student led sessions for parents in the upcoming year. We will be asking our professional learning communities to answer the following essential question as an umbrella for decision-making, "How do our curriculum and instructional strategies ensure that our students can create and innovate, collaborate, communicate, and think critically?"
So if I am confident about my district, why am I writing this blog? To be honest, I was at first taken aback and then very concerned after participating in an #edtechchat on a recent Monday night facilitated by @katarinastevens. Katarina asked very relevant questions and the level of participant engagement was high. The resources and suggestions for implementation suggested were strong. So why the concern? Again, I was one of a minority of administrators present, and the overall reaction of the group was that a major struggle in effectively embedding technology into instruction is lack of support by administrators. Is this the current reality or a perception caused by other factors? Whether it is reality or perception, how do we as administrators change that image and become a support to a very organic move by teachers to integrate technology into their practice? How do we help ensure that our students have both the basic skills and the 21st century skills to compete globally in a rapidly changing world? How do we become partners in education in true Professional Learning Community fashion? What are our shared missions, visions, goals and how will we improve education for all of our students at high levels?
To be done well, we will need to build a strong culture of trust and collaboration as outlined by Richard Dufour and Michael Fullan. To be done well, we will need to value pedagogy and what can be learned from the meta-analysis of John Hattie and Robert Marazano and the studies of Andy Hargraves and Michael Fullan. To be done well we need to work as a team with a common purpose. To change follow Dr. W. Edwards Deming's advice and, "Plan, Do, Study, Act."
I remember attending a forum entitled "Leadership Vision". In fact, I still have my notes:
Leadership ISTE Forum
6.25.11
Facilitated by: Scott McLeod (University of KY and Castle)
Notes: Paula Dillon
What are we doing for our leaders?
❒ Technology needs to be rooted in the pedagogy
❒ Don’t assume that every teacher in the building is ready to use
❒ Build a demand for it
❒ Need to create a mission and a vision for the school/district and define everything in
terms of that vision/mission
❒ Training for the administrators and have them use it in their own practice as
instructional leaders
❒ Talk about the application not the technology
❒ Must be part of a long-range plan
❒ How does it improve student learning has the be the essential question
❒ Model and allow visits to where it is working well
❒ Use the “look for” walk-through model to have conversations that are reflective and
not evaluative in nature
❒ Move away from a tool focus to a teaching and learning focus
After introductions, it was evident that I was one of a small minority of administrators present. The majority of the attendees in that session were teachers who passionately wanted to engage the leadership in their district in creating a vision where technology was embedded into practice transforming teaching and learning. I came back from that conference promising myself that I would support my district in this transformation; that I would be an educational leader who collaborated with teachers to make that vision a reality.
Fast forward two years, and I am still working on that vision in collaboration with my technology director, superintendent, finance director, administrative team, teachers, parents and students. Are we there yet? No. Will we get there? We have a vision, we have a plan, and so yes, I am confident that we will. I am surrounded by like-minded administrators who have varying degrees of comfort and expertise with technology, yet a common understanding of the need to support the integration of technology in teaching and learning. In district there have been and will continue to be drop-in technology sessions, flipped professional development sessions, teachers teaching teachers, collaborative team times, and curriculum writing sessions where embedding technology is a focus area. In addition, we will be adding on un-conferences and student led sessions for parents in the upcoming year. We will be asking our professional learning communities to answer the following essential question as an umbrella for decision-making, "How do our curriculum and instructional strategies ensure that our students can create and innovate, collaborate, communicate, and think critically?"
So if I am confident about my district, why am I writing this blog? To be honest, I was at first taken aback and then very concerned after participating in an #edtechchat on a recent Monday night facilitated by @katarinastevens. Katarina asked very relevant questions and the level of participant engagement was high. The resources and suggestions for implementation suggested were strong. So why the concern? Again, I was one of a minority of administrators present, and the overall reaction of the group was that a major struggle in effectively embedding technology into instruction is lack of support by administrators. Is this the current reality or a perception caused by other factors? Whether it is reality or perception, how do we as administrators change that image and become a support to a very organic move by teachers to integrate technology into their practice? How do we help ensure that our students have both the basic skills and the 21st century skills to compete globally in a rapidly changing world? How do we become partners in education in true Professional Learning Community fashion? What are our shared missions, visions, goals and how will we improve education for all of our students at high levels?
To be done well, we will need to build a strong culture of trust and collaboration as outlined by Richard Dufour and Michael Fullan. To be done well, we will need to value pedagogy and what can be learned from the meta-analysis of John Hattie and Robert Marazano and the studies of Andy Hargraves and Michael Fullan. To be done well we need to work as a team with a common purpose. To change follow Dr. W. Edwards Deming's advice and, "Plan, Do, Study, Act."
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