What the Teacher Leaders Need

Mark Prensky(2011) discusses that technology adoption comes in stages beginning with dabbling. This stage is where many teachers and administrators reside. It is slightly out of the comfort zone, but not too threatening. So how does an administrator move past the barriers to begin using technology the new way? Change is a process that is resisted by most and requires risk and possible failure. Teachers resist the change because “…shifting certainly initially means more work and pressure on educators, who already feel overburdened.” (Prensky, 2011, p. 2)

The question becomes how do we as at a national or state level promote the use of technology and keep our students competitive in the global society? One way to begin is by requiring the leaders, administrators and teachers, to prove their skills. The state can impose an expectation or test, but the district needs to provide the necessary training necessary to facilitate change. My own personal experience with imposing technology requirements proved enlightening. All staff members in the district were required to create a portfolio of original technology documents that included skills listed in the TA TEKS. As the Technology Integration Specialist, I took the staff kicking and screaming through the process of learning a multitude of skills. It was painful and the result was phenomenal. Teachers began using technology tools they had shunned prior to the requirement. The beneficiaries were the students who are now using technology to “…investigate, analyze, communicate, and connect.” (Boss and Krauss, 2007, p. 22) On the downside, there were teachers who left the profession because of the required assessment.

One issue that has surfaced many times is that students will be unsafe given the ability to use global tools such as texting and Internet. From the administrative standpoint, students will use the tools as witnessed through Facebook related conflict that begins outside of school and surfaces during the school day. A positive outcome of assessing administrators is the heightened awareness of the importance of Internet safety curriculum. Students will benefit from being good global citizens and those students who break the rules are subject to the consequences.

Technology assessment is time consuming and expensive; therefore the training must include a practical application of the skills. Administrators must be aware of technology available for use and must offer support for teachers who try and succeed or fail using technology. When the teachers feel supported, they will move outside of the lecture box and allow students the opportunity to use technology. State testing, covering the required content, and discipline problems will begin to take care of themselves as students engage in learning.

Boss, S., & Krauss, J. (2007). Real projects in a digital world. Principal Leadership, 8(4), 22-26.

Prensky, M. (2008). Adopt and adapt: Shaping tech for the classroom. Edutopia:The George Lucas Educational Foundation.