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Grab a cup of coffee and listen to this eloquent lady talk to us about why we MUST help our students balance technology....
Why is Ed Tech Leadership Important?
"Technology should be like oxygen: invisible, ubiquitous, necessary."
Chris Betcher
GAFE Summit, Palo Alto
Summer 2015
Education Technology Leadership Philosophy
Chris Betcher
GAFE Summit, Palo Alto
Summer 2015
Education Technology Leadership Philosophy
Suzanne Awtrey
I am in love with
the students I teach and I believe in their human potential to grow. I have witnessed the fact that all students
have the ability to learn new knowledge and grow socially and emotionally. This passion began as a spark when I began
teaching elementary children 23 years ago and has caught fire as I have continued
to learn and practice the art and science of investing in students. I have become convinced that my responsibility
as an educator is to ignite that learning. Recently, I have discovered that technology is
just the tool to enable the fire to burn with radiance never before
experienced.
In
all my years of educating children in grades K-3, I have never been bored, not
for a second. Children are our most
precious resource and our hope for tomorrow.
They are interesting, diverse, beautiful, trusting and complicated, but
never dull. Each day I embrace the
excitement of encouraging each student to her fullest potential, helping each
child grow from where he is to the next level.
The great challenge comes from the many different levels and languages
in the large classes that I serve. I
must know where each child is both academically and socially, understand what
motivates him and provide that child with the appropriate medium necessary to
for growth. Technology is the perfect
tool to facilitate that growth which will empower each child. It allows me to make the learning individual
and personal. Children can be given a
variety of choices that they have never had access to before. They can connect and communicate with an
audience next door or around the world, which makes learning purposeful.
This
is the heart of why technology leadership is critical. As an effective technology leader, I model
the way for others by clarifying and living an example of my own core values. I
inspire a shared vision by reminding teachers that our purpose is igniting student
learning regardless of our individual comfort level. I challenge the process by being transparent
about changes I am making in my classroom, including my successes and failures. Additionally, I enable others to act when I
collaborate with other staff members, build relationships and create a cohesive
environment through positive feedback and support. Lastly, I encourage the heart of those I lead
by creating community and celebrating the way students and teachers are using
technology to communicate, collaborate, be creative and think critically. By being an effective educational technology
leader, I influence many others outside of my classroom walls to change in a
powerful way.
It
is imperative that schools change the way we educate our children. Too many students are bored and unmotivated
because they do not see the purpose in what they are learning. Using the SAMR model of technology integration,
we can take the steps necessary to redefine the way we teach and transform
schools to a place of inspiration, student-centered learning, choice and
creative thinking.
So how do we help teachers grow in their craft?
Infographic by easel.ly
Effective professional development must begin with a student-centered purpose and vision. Teachers must be given examples of how technology can be integrated to make it easier to allow children to create, collaborate, think creatively and critically. The infographic compares what is effective to what is not effective when training teachers on how to integrate technology into their curriculum in order to empower students. Training must be collaborative, supportive and contain follow-up sessions which allow for reflection. Teachers must be trained at differentiated levels which consider their current pedagogical understandings along with their skill levels. Choice is critical when considering motivation for learning new skills and strategies. PD must be engaging, inspiring and it is critical to give teachers TIME to create and collaborate about the implementation of their new knowledge.
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