It’s pretty amazing to think of all the changes that have taken place in the past 5 years in my district. Five years ago at this time, I was working with my TIS to plan a pilot 5th grade class that would have a laptop for each student along with all the other basic equipment necessary to implement a technology-infused learning environment. Our “21st Century Classroom” was the first of its kind in our district. I taught in that class for 4 years and loved every minute of it! It invigorated my teaching life and provided some incredible opportunities for both professional and personal growth. Now I am a TIS myself and working in a different school. My district is within a year of completing a five year technology equipment roll-out plan that will put a laptop, projector, and SMART Board or Airliner in every classroom. District personnel are now contemplating a new five year technology plan. Some of the things I hope will be included are multi-layer filtering for Internet access so teachers can have greater access than students, a specific technology staff development plan for teachers, and a greater emphasis on the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
As I think about my own school, I see a great need for the development of a school-wide shared vision regarding the integration of technology as a seamless embedded component of instruction. Are there any tools or websites out there that provide a guide to facilitate this sort of visioning process? Some of the questions that need to be answered are:
- What are our broader school goals?
- How can the use of technology help us accomplish these goals?
- What strategies will we use?
- What tools do we need?
- What training do we need?
- How will we monitor/evaluate our progress?
I need to find some resources to help with this visioning process and identify a small core of teachers who will be willing to assist with the process. It will be a huge undertaking in a setting where teachers feel so overwhelmed already with more responsibilities than is humanly possible to manage. I’m always hesitant to add “one more thing” to anyone’s plate, but I think we are at a critical juncture. Real progress requires a plan, because “without a vision, the people perish!”
