Today’s Technology Presents Challenges and Opportunities

Dependable access to technology gives teacher the ability to be more productive than ever before, and we have never had so many programs to choose from as are available today: online programs, mobile apps, and activity packs or in-app additions. Until recent years, students would only have access to software and hardware reviewed and purchased by the school or district (Picciano, 2011, p. 189). Teachers and administrators are responsible for ensuring that students are protected and being exposed to high-quality instruction even when they are learning online or using technology. One challenge is to determine how we evaluate free versions of apps and software most effectively to ensure the safety of our students, their content, and their privacy. Not too long ago, a software program sold to a school would have minimal technical support provided and few or no updates over time and usage. Schools may have technology teams in place who are responsible for evaluating and selecting software, but when it comes to classroom devices, this decision can be up to the teacher (p. 190). Before a teacher uses an app or web-based tool with students, it is best to determine if the students are going to have to create an account to register on the site. At the very least teachers need to read the terms of use and privacy policy of the digital tool they plan on having their students use. Because of federal laws many sites require the student to be at least 13 years of age, or they are not allowed to use the site at all. Some websites allow students to create an account with parent permission, but either way the teacher must become familiar with the terms of service.

Image retrieved from http://www.cpschools.com/BYOD/images/byod.jpg  

Since wireless networks are the norm and BYOD is allowed in many schools, the software program options have changed for students.  A student who brings their own device to school can install free and 'freemium' apps to use for reading, research, writing, and other learning activities. To keep up with quickly-changing technology, many schools have adopted a BYOD policy allowing students to bring a personally-owned device. Some districts who previously adopted a one-to-one initiative have found they are difficult to sustain over time. One alternative is to allow students to bring their device and use it for instructional activities and learning. Parents, students, and teachers should all be a part of planning for BYOD and be able to give their input about guidelines and expectations (Davis, 2014). This video gives some insight into why students benefit from BYOD at school.

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4ssuCDRXs&sns=em

School leaders must prepare their infrastructure and wireless network to create a way for individually-owned devices to work properly and efficiently. Some schools establish a guest network to allow any device to get on the wireless. Preparing teachers to use BYOD for instruction, assessment, and classroom learning activities is becoming more commonplace (Davis, 2014). The possibilities that come with establishing BYOD in schools can help 21st century schools reach their vision and increase student achievement with proper planning, app and software reviews, professional development, and parent communication.

References

Davis, V. (2014, Feb 4). 6 BYOD discussions every school should have. Retrieved from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/byod-discussions-schools-should-have-vicki-davis

Picciano, A. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

The Shift to Digital with a Systemic Approach

If you remember keeping your grades in a handwritten gradebook and having to average grades by hand at the end of the quarter, then you have been in education long enough to have witnessed dozens of shifts over to the digital side. Online grading and attendance, securing a substitute, professional development tracking, and many other educational processes and tasks are now done using technology rather than manually (Picciano, 2011, p. 64). Some of these have been more challenging and painful than others, but streamlining and simplifying certain areas is often beneficial for faculty, staff, and administrators as we all try to manage our students and improve our schools.

Image retrieved from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTbxPoKZXkpO2jngW_XKzj4wxfeDivkjR29EbUHBBRzSU6u0OTYJ3Wi8Ac68ZPIG5x9mcQGRQg-_gIf59fBM-YSBnIGgiwM6f_XvJMd3VTk1hOgHLM3x_Qu_4fkZOvv2wIcsj4QJS8b8/s1600/DataWarehouse+Flow.png

Levin and Schrum (2009) remind us that leaders should take a systemic approach as outlined by the NETS-A standards and consider “how change in one area impacts other areas” (p. 23). These planned changes are “designed to move toward shared goals and vision” and will ultimately support the integration of technology in every aspect and area of the school system. Essentially, both administrative and instructional uses of technology warrant careful consideration because they are part of the larger picture that may not count in test scores but are crucial components to school improvement and district success. In my district, we recently stopped having to fill out employee time sheets and sending them in at the end of the month. The whole process has been digitized with a locally-developed program called ‘Timekeeper’ which provides the payroll department with every employee’s hours worked each day. Technology personnel collaborated with the finance department to create a program that would allow a long-time manual process to become digital. This new program had some initial costs, like new coded badges for all employees and scanners in each building, but the investment will provide long-term benefits to administrators, human resources, and the payroll department. The whole process took a little over a year to fully implement, and I suspect that a year from now, we will forget the old way ever existed.

When planning for the implementation of an automated task, a digital workflow, or an online software program that replaces a manual process, a technology leader or team should consider a series of questions before making a selection. Here are 5 key areas of consideration for district or school leadership:

• How much does a program cost and will the investment be worth the results? An expensive product that will last several years may not exceed the salary expenses for personnel doing that same task. Another option for some districts is to have someone develop the program ‘in-house’ for little or no expense.
• Will the program developers provide ongoing support for their product? Districts need assurance that the product will continue to be improved and updated.
• How is student and employee data kept safe and secure? State and federal laws must often be applied to decisions that involve collection of data (Roscorla, 2015)
• Who needs training on the software and how will it occur?
• Based on the type of program, when will the rollout begin and what does the timeline look like?

A new wave of free and low-cost programs built just for education have surfaced in recent years. In the Lincoln Middle School case, they started from scratch and wasted time and effort in developing a program that did what they needed (Picciano, 2011, p. 66). Most districts now have student information systems (SIS) and learning management systems (LMS) that provide that information to teachers in a secure, efficient, and user-friendly way. In Alabama, all districts use iNow combined with products like Global Scholar, Schoology, Edmodo, Moodle, and others that effectively gather data and produce reports that give teachers concrete information on their students’ progress. The best part is that it no longer takes months for someone to input scores and grades into a database, generate reports and graphs, and then safely deliver those printed files to teachers; it now happens within days or hours (p. 54). 

Another potential game-changer is the ever-evolving Google Apps for Education (GAfE) collection of apps and tools that is making huge impacts in K-12 education. District domains are free and locally managed, but the users get unlimited cloud storage in Google Drive and access to hundreds of learning apps in a secure digital environment. Systems that have GAfE often purchase Chromebooks as laptop-like devices that run Chrome OS and let users sign in with their Google ID.

If districts are to continually make progress toward their goals, then leaders in that system need access to the critical information giving them the ‘expert power’ necessary to achieve success for their students and stakeholders (p. 53). Accurate and timely information is crucial knowledge that our school leaders continually need to make the most effective decisions, and modern technology offers a way to achieve this goal.

References

Image retrieved from http://www.acpcomputer.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/LMS-team.png 


Image retrieved from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTbxPoKZXkpO2jngW_XKzj4wxfeDivkjR29EbUHBBRzSU6u0OTYJ3Wi8Ac68ZPIG5x9mcQGRQg-_gIf59fBM-YSBnIGgiwM6f_XvJMd3VTk1hOgHLM3x_Qu_4fkZOvv2wIcsj4QJS8b8/s1600/DataWarehouse+Flow.png 

Picciano, A. (2011). Educational leadership and Planning for Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Roscorla, T. (2015, Jan 7). Top K-12 digital policies issues to watch in 2015. Retrieved from Digital Learning Now: http://digitallearningnow.com/news/top-k-12-digital-policy-issues-watch-2015/

Schrum, L., & Levin, B. B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools: Harnessing technology for engagement and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.