Reflections on Instructional Leadership

Reflections on Instructional Leadership

The role of a facilitator for educational technology requires the knowledge to plan and facilitate the development of technology integrated instruction. This involves developing a plan for staff development (technology), developing curriculum materials and specific technology integrated lesson plans. I also would be responsible for my staff’s legal and ethical use. Assuming the role described above, I looked to this course to guide me in all those aspects of campus leadership.
The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology (2002-2006), course content on informed decision making and data collection, digital-age issues such as copyright issues, cyber-bullying, predation, creating blogs, and the appropriate steps a campus leader can take to protect technology users, are all part of the tools I will need to effectively and safely integrate technology on a campus. This course helped me feel more prepared to be an technology instructional leader.
As an instructional specialist, my current role is to shape and guide instruction for my staff. Part of that instruction must be to integrate technology into students’ learning. Technology is an invaluable tool that takes advantage of skills that many of our students already employ regularly. While hands-on technology use on our campus is somewhat limited for our students, I do utilize AEIS, PEIMS, AYP, INOVA, and other data to improve academic achievement of our students. I demonstrate these tools to my staff (including data manipulation using spreadsheets, etc.) and encourage them to use the data to improve individual student instruction. As a result of this course, I have begun to explore ways to bring 21st century learning skills to the classroom.
However, I feel that I am still a “digital immigrant” when it comes to creating and using blogs, WIKIS, and other collaboration tools mentioned in our readings. Part of this shortcoming is related to hardware and software issues experienced personally, a lack of technology knowledge, and a hesitancy to “explore” my technology horizons. Because this is an online course, some of my technology shortcomings in logistics and understanding are apparent in my assignments. I will still need to rely on campus staff such as our technologists and the “digital natives” among us.
In spite of my technology inadequacies, this course has provided me an enormous amount of information that will help me in my role as a technology facilitator. The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology is an excellent tool available to facilitators to enhance students' acquisition of knowledge through technology. The Long-Range Plan for Technology (2006 - 2020), outlined for me the expectations and standards to integrate technology with the purpose of helping students to improve their academic achievement. The plan for technology covers four areas:
Teaching and Learning
Educator Preparation and Development
Administration and Support Services
Infrastructure for Technology
Also assisting in this leadership role was course content on informed decision making. To make informed decisions for instruction and campus leadership, leaders must be comfortable with data gathering tools such as the Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System, PEIMS, the Texas STaR Chart, PDAS, and NET*S for Administrators. These tools define what administrators (and teachers) must know to improve the use of technology in our schools and ultimately the academic achievement of our students. The data can show us what needs to be improved, which student groups need improvement and how the improvements can be done. Abernathy (2009)
Along with an increasingly important role of technology come policies that outline the guidelines, procedures, and responsibilities for using school technology.
David Warlick (2006) suggests “…adding a whole new layer--Web publishing policies.” Warlick (2006) also suggests four steps for redeveloping an Acceptable Use Policy including establishing goals of use, itemizing and describing specific uses, identifying activities that will not be allowed, and plan the document as an instructional resource to be used in the classroom.
Considering even all that this course taught me, I realize how much I still need to learn. Technology surveys of my campus indicate to me that our district has a way to go with 21st century technology. Going wireless, utilizing pod casts and blogs, and WIKIS among others, need to be more usable in our classrooms. Blogs for instance are websites that are easily created and updated with a minimum of technology expertise. They provide a way “to communicate with students and parents, archive and publish student work, learn with far-flung collaborators…“ Richardson, W. (2004) My concern for blogs in education is related to student access, privacy, and security issues. Despite those issues the positive collaborative nature makes blogging worth the effort. Creating blogs on campus can be a valuable tool for sharing insights among staff. I envision creating blogs to deliver staff development. For instance, relevant journal articles could be assigned for reading and require teachers to respond to the reading on a specific blog, similar to what we have done in this class. We could post innovative technology ideas (with samples) for other staff to share as well. If I am to lead my campus to implementing those 21st century technology skills, I must improve my own leadership and technology skills. I must be knowledgeable and confidant enough to model for my staff the district’s vision for technology. This course, EDLD 5352(Instructional Leadership) took me a long way to that end.