Educational Use of

Technology Prepared by:

Abegail

Instructional leaders and teachers should use a framework for reviewing and evaluating

instructional programs. Indicators of effective programs could serve as suggestions for dialogue and research.

Actions Instructional Leaders Can Take

Instructional leaders may use a number of activities to encourage the use of research-supported instructional practices and inspire teachers to collaboratively discuss the effectiveness of a variety of instructional strategies and approaches. Sample activities and methods are listed below.

• Discuss best practices in learning teams.• Review the variety of instructional strategies used by examining lesson-

pacing guides. • Use program evaluation criteria to evaluate programs of study. • Encourage teacher self-assessment using an instructional practices inventory.• Use protocols to discuss and improve instruction in grade-alike, cross-

disciplinary, and cross-grade groups.

• Conduct walk-throughs to identify the prevalence of specific, research-supported practices.

• Lead or arrange professional development activities about instructional strategies and practices.

• Identify major changes of the 21st century student and provide capacity-building professional development to help teacher leaders gain expertise in infusing 21st century learning into instruction.

• Encourage collaborative teams to try an instructional strategy and bring artifacts back to team meetings to illustrate how students performed and responded to the strategy.

• Provide time for teachers to create lessons using different instructional strategies and then use a lesson-study approach to analyze the lessons.

• Explore how instruction is differentiated for students, and use capacity-building professional development to build a cadre of differentiated instruction teacher leader experts and demonstration classrooms in the school.

Educational Use of Technology For years, businesses have been on the technology superhighway, and

schools have been on the dirt road. Many schools have adequate funding to have technology available for teacher personal productivity and even some instructional use. Unfortunately, technology is an expensive investment, and many schools don’t have clear vision, plan, or sufficient resources to protect their investment and make technology a ubiquitous part of the school landscape. The one-computer classroom is just not enough for teachers to really change the way they teach. Even when schools are able to get enough “wires and boxes” connected, effective professional development may not be available, affordable, or convenient. Consequently, there is truly a digital divide, and it doesn’t take long to find out who the technology haves and have-nots are in learning communities.

Even when there is sufficient funding to purchase technology, school board members and administrators often raise a burning question: “Does technology really make a difference in achievement?” it is challenging to empirically support a causal relationship between using educational technology and high achievement. Schools that can afford a lot of technology probably also have a number of other innovations going on simultaneously. Consequently, it is difficult to isolate the effect of technology alone on achievement.

The center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (2009), a division of the International Society for Teacher Educators, has summarized research regarding the school use of technology.The studies suggest that technology improves student performance when

• It directly supports the curriculum objectives being assessed. • It provides opportunities for student collaboration.• It adjusts for student ability and prior experience and provides feedback to the student and teacher about student progress.• It is integrated into the typical instructional day. • It provides opportunities for students to design and implement projects that extend curriculum content and are more authentic. • It is used in environments where teachers, the school community, and school and district administrators support its use. • Students use technology presentation and communication tools to present, publish, and share results of problem-based projects. • Students use challenging, game-like programs and simulations designed to develop basic skills and knowledge and critical thinking. • Computer-based learning provides drill and simulation opportunities to students at a developmentally appropriate skill level and provides immediate feedback and correction.

The 21st century instructional leader must be committed to providing students and teachers with ubiquitous, seamless access to technology. Teachers must have the tools and systems that will enable students to learn in relevant, real-world contexts, with real data and experts. Instructional leaders must provide support for technology tools and systems; plan for the replacement of technology; and facilitate the development of policies, procedures, and standards.

Leaders need to create and sustain a technologically rich teaching and learning environment. The school will need to plan for the following:

1. A vision for learning and teaching with technology.

2. Access to technology.

3. Connectivity.

4. Resources to support the system and build capacity.

5. Policies, procedures, and standards.

6. Assessment of effectiveness.

7. Professional development.

Instructional leaders must not only be involved in creating and implementing technology plans; they must also actively monitor the effective use of technology during instruction. Leaders and teachers would benefit from the “Inventory of Technology Literacy Skills and Practices” and “Technology Plan and Needs Assessment inventory” tools included in the Implementation Tools section of this PD QuickKit publication. The components are consistent with standards for technology literacy (NETS-S) from the International Society for Technology Educators (ISTE). The inventory offers school leaders and teachers a tool for monitoring the instructional environment and assuring that the appropriate use of technology is pervasive when students are involved in acquiring or accessing, processing, and communicating information and ideas. The use of ISTE’s NETS-T standards for teachers and NETS-A administrator standards can guide schools in assuring that teachers can use technology effectively during instruction and assessment and that administrators know how to support its use.

In addition to helping students learn traditional core-content knowledge and skills, educational technology tools can help students develop the information literacy skills, learning and innovation skills, and life and career skills identified as essential for 21st century learners. Schools must integrate technology appropriately with content-area instruction to enable students to learn in relevant, real-world contexts.

It has become imperative to use technology for learning in school; it is difficult to motivate students without it. Students often go from rich technological home environments to schools where technology may be unavailable, antiquated, or used only for word processing and slide show presentations. The new millennial learners need to be in a learning environment where they feel challenged, curious, and capable of using content in 21st century, real-world contexts with authentic tasks. Effective use of educational technology can help meet those needs.

Teachers can use technology during instruction in the following ways:• Input: Acquire or access information.• Process: Construct meaning or process information.• Output: Produce, present, and communicate knowledge and skills.• Reflect: Identify strategies and thinking during learning, establish

improvement goals, and make adjustments.