Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Embracing Technology

Embracing and utilizing technology in a classroom does not just mean “making sure our computer labs are up to date and available for staff to use when needed” (p. 64). It means that we need to use the same types of information and technology resources that most of the students are already using and that will prepare them to be competitive citizens of the world. (NETS_A 4a & e) In order to do this, teachers need extensive professional development in how to implement various types of technological tools into their repertoire of lessons effectively. (NETS-A 4a & c)

Reading the stories of how administrators improved their digital leadership in Secrets of Change: Pillars of Digital Leadership, made me really excited about all of the ways that I can help to make technological changes at my school as I become a digital leader. Sheninger states, “Digital leadership is about building the capacity to create a solid foundation for positive public relations using social media that complements communication efforts(99) and the success of technology integration depends on leaders who can implement systemic reform in schools” (p. 71). Taking this class and being introduced to information and technology resources is my first step in digital leadership.

As a future leader, I would like to start change now. Walker High School has a Facebook page that I would like to maintain. There are so many wonderful and exciting things that have happened at the school and need to be made transparent to the community. I would also like to use Twitter to communicate with parents, since most adults are also familiar with the different type of technology resources available, and it is the fastest way to get information out in real-time. “Twitter is the fastest growing social media” (p. 78) and it can be linked to “Facebook pages so that each tweet sent form the school is automatically embedded onto school’s Facebook wall (p.79). (NETS-A 4a, b, d, e)

Since these two tools are readily available to anyone and are easy to use, I would like to encourage the teachers to use them to inform the community about achievements made by their students and in their classrooms, incorporate them into their lessons and to contact families with information. (NETS-A 4a, b, c, d, e) I will anticipate some resistance from staff but am ready to enforce change to bridge the gap between old school and what is needed to create citizens of the technological world. #thefutureisours #ourkidsrule #kidsarethefuture #racetothetop

11 comments:

  1. Juhi - I like your plan and think managing Walker's Facebook page is a great place to start.

    ReplyDelete
  2. As I read my mind kept going back to your comment about how excited you are to help implement change. It's refreshing to hear someone be excited about a new challenge rather than the usual scared, nervous, or even refusal to change. Thanks for the motivation!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just hope that the staff is as excited as I am!

      Delete
  3. Juhi,

    Your ability to take the post about leading for change and connect it to specific opportunities in your building speaks to your readiness to implement technology change right away. On a related note, I love the quote you picked out to start your post with. #Greatwork

    ReplyDelete
  4. Judi,
    I agree with the previous comments. Your focus on systematic reform also resonates with me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post, I am excited for you, I bet the students at Walker will love your implementations! Exciting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope so. I am always looking for ways to make things more interesting and engaging.

      Delete