Leading for Technology Change

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     What makes a technology leader? Boschee, Jensen, and Whitehead stated that "the school superintendent, principal, and district technology coordinator will take on technology leadership roles" (2013, p. 34). This is a good start, but it still leads to other questions. Are these the only people in a district with leadership roles? What happens when one or more of these positions are not technologically inclined? I currently serve as a technology coordinator and would like to answer these questions and others related to technology coordinator leadership.

     According to Boschee, Jensen, and Whitehead there are 16 key tasks for "district technology coordinators who effectively lead integration of technology" (2013, p. 37). Technology coordinators need to align technology goals with instruction and ensure all programs are using relevant, modern programs and practice. They must create opportunities and resources to ensure stakeholders are making the most of the technology resources. They must research, collaborate, and model good practice with district staff and with others in the field. They must offer financial and physical support for all stakeholders. They must watch, review, and adjust programs and strategies continuously. They must ensure that everyone, including themselves are informed and following all guidelines set forth by the state and other governing bodies. (Boschee, Jensen, and Whitehead, 2013)

     Technology coordinators must be able to perform all of these tasks, but they must also be able to perform the tasks of the other leaders. Coordinators must be able to work with a school leader who does not necessarily possess all of the technology awareness needed in today's fast changing schools. There are principals who are not capable of using "a variety of media and formats" (Boschee, Jensen, and Whitehead, 2013, p. 36). There are also superintendents who may struggle to "communicate expectations consistently for the use of technology to increase student achievement" (Boschee, Jensen, and Whitehead, 2013, p. 35). Technology coordinators must be able to work with these individuals to help them get where they need to be without alienating them or making them feel inferior to peers. Coordinators must not only provide training on the latest and greatest equipment and software, but must also be willing to take time out of that to help someone sign in, or navigate to the correct site.

  

Cartoon © Randy Glasbergen, used with special permission from www.glasbergen.com

     All technology leaders must be willing to work as a team. They must look beyond the three obvious leadership roles and help develop teacher tech leaders. They must work with them and get them on board before rolling out new initiatives with everyone else. Overall effective technology leaders must hold all of the same qualifications as a leader for any other activity.

     "Experience has found the most efficient way for educational leaders to evoke change is through providing relevant support and direction for faculty and staff to be their best rather than exerting power and authority over them" ((Boschee, Jensen, and Whitehead, 2013, p. 70).

References

Boschee, F., Jensen, D., & Whitehead, B. (2013). Planning for technology: A guide for school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, a Sage Company.

Glasbergen, R. (n.d.) Leadership Cartoon. [Cartoon] Retrieved from: http://www.glasbergen.com. Copyright by Randy Glasbergen. Posted with permission. 

Network Control - Free Range or Big Brother?

The Child Internet Protection Act (2000), requires all schools and libraries that receive E-rate funding to protect students from pictures that are obscene, pornographic, or harmful to minors. This has led to a very broad scope of what is considered obscene or harmful to minors. Some school systems take this to the extreme and block everything not directly tied to an educational purpose, while other systems block the obvious and wait on issues for further restrictions. According to a 2016 article "The fundamental question has been how schools are interpreting the law-and whether districts are acting in the best interests of children or simply functioning as online overlords" (Anderson, 2016). 

Who exactly determines what is harmful to minors? There are many out there that would consider YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many of the other social media and media sharing sites to be harmful. Some may only consider pornography, guns, and violence to be harmful. How does a school system make those determinations?

With input and opinions coming from parents, students, teachers, laws, and community members, those in charge of internet filters can have a tough time deciding what to block and what to allow. This gets even more complicated when you start monitoring bandwidth usage and trying to balance educational use versus personal use. Network administrators have a tough time balancing all of this into a working solution that meets the definition of the law and district policy.


Within my district we have very limited filtering powers. The portal we are provided by Alabama Super Computer gives me the option to block certain categories or specific URLs. This leaves me at the mercy of whoever places sites into categories. I have had educational sites blocked on numerous occasions because they were placed in a category that I am required to block. I have to explain that I do not set those rules and am required to manually whitelist the site.

I have loosened other restrictions tremendously in recent years. We now allow Twitter and Facebook through wired connections, (wireless is blocked for usage reasons). I also block Netflix for usage and bandwidth concerns. I personally feel that more should be opened up and the education of the teachers and students needs to improve. I also feel that supervision should be a little better within our labs and mobile carts.

By the time students reach high school they should be given higher expectations of how to behave on the internet. They should be monitored, but also be taught what is appropriate in a school setting and allowed a little self-regulation. "Without question, students need to become digitally literate (having the knowledge and ability to use information and technology for varied purposes) because ultimately they live in an unfiltered world" (Anderson, 2016).

References

Anderson, M. (2016) How internet filtering hurts kids. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/04/internet-filtering-hurts-kids/479907/

 Engage for Education (2011). Of course, internet safety is VITAL. Online image. Flikr. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/engageforeducation/6263161391

Goofus and Gallant

     In the introduction of their book Coaching Classroom Instruction, Robert Marzano and Julia Simms told us that "the primary purpose of an educational coach should be to help teachers increase their effectiveness," (2013, p. 1). While most educators will tell you that they were called to teach, it takes a special educator to be able to effectively coach instruction. In my current position as technology coordinator I find myself in positions of coaching much more often then I did while serving as a school assistant principal. It can be a very intimidating position to be in and I constantly have to remind myself that I am dealing with adults and not students. I am going to examine a couple of scenarios from the standpoint of the old cartoon Goofus and Gallant. I would like to bring to you the good and the bad of coaching from the perspective of Meany and Mentor.

     Mentor does an excellent job in his classroom. His students are well behaved and he gets great results from his dedication. Meany thinks he is the best teacher. He would be teacher of the year if it wasn't for the lousy students he is stuck with each semester. "The coach is a master teacher with the proven ability to increase student achievement in his or her own classroom," (Marzano & Simms, 2013, p. 212). We are all familiar with the grumpy educator that wants to always blame the students, parents, or administration for all of the faults in their classroom. They seem to be always willing to depart their "wisdom" on everyone else, especially the new teachers. Master teachers are often the ones who focus on their job and very rarely speak out unless they are told to do so.

     Mentor greets everyone with a smile and is always willing to listen and talk about all matters not just education. Meany only talks about himself and his problems. He wants you to think and do just like he does and doesn't react well to other suggestions. "The coach has a wide knowledge of curriculum and instruction and the interpersonal skills necessary to interact with others respectfully and professionally," (Marzano & Simms, 2013, p. 212). Just being knowledgeable in your subject area does not qualify you to be a coach any more than it qualifies you to be a teacher. All of the book knowledge in the world cannot help you if you cannot interact with well with others. The basic principles of coaching include equality, choice, voice, dialogue, reflection, and reciprocity, (Devine, Houssemand, & Meyers, 2013). This allows for a partnership not a dictatorship.

     Mentor understands that change is needed and is willing learn new things themselves in order to help others. Meany thinks he is the expert and everyone should do things their way. They don't care what the research says. "The coach agrees with the goals of the coaching program," (Marzano & Simms, 2013, p. 212). No one is an expert of all aspects of education. A good coach is willing to look at the larger picture. They are willing to adapt and change to meet the greater good. 

    After hearing a veteran teacher discuss a problem they were having with an issue, Mentor mentions they once had the same problem. He invites the teacher to come by his room to observe his solution and decide if it might work for them. Meany chimes in and tells the veteran teacher if they don't know how to handle that problem they should just retire already. "A coach should be aware of when working with new or experienced teachers," (Marzano & Simms, 2013, p. 214). Veteran teachers can be very sensitive to outside help. Sometimes they are very reluctant to change or ask for help. Coaches should be considerate of this and offer suggestions, but not be too pushy or demanding. They should also never be demanding or demeaning to any teachers.

References

Devine, M., Houssemand, C., & Meyers, R. (2013). Instructional coaching for teachers: A strategy to implement new practices in the classrooms. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 93, 1126-1130. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813034460?via%3Dihub

Hoffman, C. (January 16, 2013). Example Poor Coaching Techniques. [Video File] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyLSROlwZOg

Marzano, R. and Simms, J. (2013) Coaching Classroom Instruction. Marzano Research Laboratory, Bloomington, IN. 

 

Using Technology to Engage Students

     In their 2013 book, Coaching Classroom Instruction, Robert Marzano and Julia Simms present Marzano's Model of Effective Teaching. "That model postulates forty-one elements (that is, forty-one categories of specific classroom strategies and behaviors) that describe classroom expertise," (p. 19). Three of these elements focus on the "Design Question: What will I do to engage students?" (p. 20) While all of the questions and elements are important for effective teaching, this one in particular stands out to me for encouraging the integration of technology into instruction.

(Magno, 2015)

     In order to assist a teacher to move a teacher into the beginning level a coach must assist them to research and learn about strategies, pick one to use, and then implement the strategy, (Marzano & Simms, 2013). As seen in the graphic above, Marzano lists nine elements that assist with student engagement and eight of those nine can be facilitated by integrating technology. I am going to focus on three of those: engagement, response time, and opportunities for students to talk about themselves, (Marzano, 2013).


Although it may seem like common sense to most educators, there are some who would fall at the low end of the spectrum recognizing when students are not engaged. This can be due to the teacher just being oblivious, or from just not caring. Integrating technology is a great way to help a teacher move from the bottom to the top of the spectrum for this element. Lee Brenner stated in an article for ISTE that "According to research, personalized, collaborative and connected learning experiences enhance student engagement, which in turn drives student success. By integrating technology in the classroom, educators can take learning experiences to the next level and significantly improve student performance," (Brenner, 2015). 

     Another element that can be improved with technology is increasing student response rate. There numerous options available to help teachers manage response time. This can be done easily in today's classroom with Chromebooks, IPads, laptops, or even the students' cellphones. Apps like Kahoot!, Quizlet, and Socrative turn the students' phones into personalized response systems. Programs like Google Classroom, Popplet, Seesaw can also be used to see student responses in real time. These items not only increase response time, but also increase engagement. 

    The final element I want to bring up is one that most teachers would rather avoid, allowing the students to talk about themselves. Many teachers only allow this in very structured way such as write an essay on what you did over summer break, or tell me about a time you _____. Technology opens up many new avenues for students to express themselves and relate what they are learning to their own lives. Teachers can use online interest surveys, blogs, or social media to bring a personal element to their instruction. Students love the internet and using social media, teachers who find a way to blend that with instruction will increase engagement and learning. 


     Many teachers are not comfortable enough using technology themselves to even consider integrating it into their instruction. Our job would be to coach them through a strategy until they are familiar with it enough to use it in a lesson. If we followed all of the steps Marzano recommends teachers would be able to move from "not using" to "innovating" with a little effort but great results. Teachers who see the results of their practice and research should have the desire to continue the learning. 

References

Brenner, Lee. (2015) 3 ways to increase student engagement in your classroom. Retrieved from: https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=590&category=Innovator-solutions&article=

Magno, C. (2015) Developing a Teacher Performance Appraisal [Slideshare]. Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/crlmgn/developing-a-teacher-performance-appraisal

Marzano, R. and Simms, J. (2013) Coaching Classroom Instruction. Marzano Research Laboratory, Bloomington, IN. 

EducateAlabama - How to include coaching?

     I have been an educational administrator for 11 years. When I started in administration I moved to the other side of the fence of the dreaded PEPE evaluation. This process was loathed by most teachers and administrators. It was time consuming for all parties involved, and was a nuisance at best. At it's worse it was a waste of time or just used as documentation for non-renewal.

    Now most school systems are using Educate Alabama for evaluation. "EDUCATE Alabama is a strictly formative evaluation system designed to provide data about a teacher’s current practices measured against the AQTS that can be used to set expectations, goals, and plans for teacher professional growth," (Jones & Starnes, n.d., p. 2).

     Robert Marzano and Julia Simms told us in their book Coaching Classroom Instruction that "one strong theme in the discussion of coaching is that it should be nonevaluative in nature," (2013, p. 8). So how do you incorporate coaching into an environment that requires evaluation? It should be a vital part of the collaboration. EducateAlabama was created to foster growth. It was never meant to be punishment, although many teachers do not see the difference if their coach/evaluator does not promote the growth aspect.

     According to Marzano and Simms there are at least three requirements for effective coaching. Those are trust, feedback, and choice. (2013, p. 10-11). In a summative model like PEPE, the trust and the choice are almost non-existent. This leads to distrust and conflict with very little growth. Administrators and/or the ALSDE need to do a better job marketing the evaluation process. EducateAlabama already contains many of the items listed by Marzano and Simms as part of the "Foundation for coaching," (2013, p. 19). It uses a measurement scale: Emerging, Applying, Integrating, and  Innovating. It also includes a self-assessment and teachers select growth goals.

     If the foundation is there and the collaboration is there, it is our responsibility to ensure that teachers and administrators are able to understand the benefit of including coaching into their evaluation process.

     Administrators must be willing and able to take ownership of the growth and development of their teachers. Far too often do I see this being done just because it has to be and not because it is the right thing to do. Not all systems can have instructional coaches for the middle and high schools, that responsibility should fall to the administrators in the building. 

References

aball9448 (2016, November 15) Ball - EA 635 Administrator as an Instructional Coach [Video File] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncroBqUyhNI

Marzano, R. and Simms, J. (2013) Coaching Classroom Instruction.  Marzano Research Laboratory: Bloomington, IN.

Jones, E, and Starnes, T. (n.d.) EducateAlabama Teacher Orientation Module. ALSDE Retrieved from: http://www.nctq.org/docs/EDUCATEAlabamatea_orientation_module_1.pdf

What have I learned about instructional design?

  

     Instructional design is one of those things that I always knew was important, but never really considered as a process. Most PD sessions I have led have been participant driven. I knew where I wanted to start and I knew where I wanted them to be at the end, but most of my presentation was dictated by their suggestions. I have never considered myself a good planner and this course has really made me step back and look at that aspect. "Instructional Design strategy begins with setting up clear goals, determining the actions that must be taken to meet these goals, and making use of a variety of resources, techniques, and devices to achieve these goals," (Omer, 2016). I would always have clear goals, but I didn't always determine what actions should take place to meet these goals. 

     What is instructional design? Dempsey and Reiser defined it this way:

Instructional design is defined as the teacher/instructor or instructional developer planning how to structure learning situations to maximize student acquisition of information and skills and inculcation of the attitudes and values needed to be a member of a community of practice and society as a whole, (2017, p. 269).

     I do not find that definition to be very helpful to someone trying to improve their instructional design. I much prefer the breakdown I found in the graphic below.

    It helps me to think of instructional design as a process to optimize learning. I also like knowing that the end product is a blueprint for good instruction, not the end.

    I do agree with Dempsey and Reiser's requirements for a well-designed lesson. "Well-designed lessons require students to be active (not passive), induce student engagement (not disengagement), and have criteria-based assessment," (2017, p. 269). I tried to use these three requirements as well as the information presented in the text about motivation and learning styles to guide my introduction to G Suite training for our teachers.

     Bibb County has had a G Suite account for almost two years, but we just recently moved our email over to G Suite. Many teachers are familiar with the Google Apps and using Gmail, but we still have some who have never had a private email address with any provider. My training is directed like everyone is a new user. I have found that even those familiar with Gmail and Drive do not know many of their features. I have been using Google products for years and still learn things daily.

     You can view the items for my training including an outline here. I am going to start at the beginning with getting logged into your account. I will then go over Gmail items such as composing, using group directories, searching, sorting, creating folders, and personal contacts. I will then go over the basics of Google Drive including opening a shared document, editing a document, uploading a file and folder, sharing a document, and making a copy of a document. This will be hands on and faculty will log into their accounts and follow along with me. I will have each one use these items in their own account. They will also make a copy of my handout through Google Drive so that they will have a digital copy of this item.

     I tried to use enough rich media to keep their interest and their motivation should be promoted because it is very related to their work goals. (Dempsey & Reiser, 2017, p. 80).

References

Dempsey, J. and Reiser, R. (2017) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Pearson, New York, NY.

Omer, A. (2016) Instructional Design Strategy: What is Its Role in eLearning Design? Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/instructional-design-strategy-role-elearning

   

Technology - Are you using it correctly?

   

     Many people today could not function without their technology. Kids and adults are surrounded by it all day long. I have personally driven 35 miles back home before work to get a cell phone I left on the kitchen counter. No matter your opinion it is part of our lives and it is not going anywhere. I know the panicked feeling when my battery starts getting low and I do not have access to a charger. The struggle is how to effectively utilize this for instruction in this ever increasing digital age.
   
     Take a moment to look at this website showing some the statistics for students we are currently teaching.  Also take a moment to look at this chart about adult media use.

     No matter if we are teaching children or training adults, if we are not using some form or technology or media, we are missing the boat.  So we must ask what is the correct way to use this media?

     As a school administrator I observed many types of instruction. I have seen the traditional teacher-led lecture style classes as well as student centered learning environments. I have seen teachers who didn't even like using a computer for entering attendance and grades and would never consider adding it to their curriculum. I have also witnessed classes where technology was the main focus. Everything they did in the class revolved around using an internet connected device.

     During my 14-year educational career I have also participated in numerous training and professional development meetings. Many of these were face to face and many were virtual online courses. Just in the past year I have been part of a wide array of meetings. I was forced to sit through a 45-minute speaker who used a sharpie and a flip chart. I attended an interactive virtual training in which we had a sandbox version of the software on half of the screen to use as we followed along with the speaker demonstrating on the other half. I also almost fell asleep as a speaker flipped through a 2-hour Power-Point as he read it word for word with little added.

     The question becomes "What is the perfect balance and best approach for using technology for instruction?" Many times we find that people take the technology "and design instruction to accommodate these capabilities," (Dempsey & Reiser, 2017, p. 259). Other people choose to avoid the technology completely. Dempsey and Reiser tell us that we should be asking "How can we adapt rich media to aid human learning," (2017, p. 260).

   

The push to use technology in the classroom has been great over the last 10-15 years. Many teacher evaluation tools include technology integration. Both policy and administration push out new devices or purchase new software. They expect the teachers to use it effectively without regard to how prepared the teacher is, or how effective the technology may actually be. One of the saddest things I have witnessed is the teacher who used his nice laptop and $4000 interactive white board to display scanned copies of his 20-year-old overhead laminates. "Perhaps the most important consideration when deciding whether and how a particular technology might be employed in a particular classroom situation is to first think about whether the use of that technology will enhance teaching and learning," (Demsey & Reiser, 2017, p. 182).

     There are ways to enhance your instruction with technology properly without going overboard or underutilizing it. It can be used to support project or problem based learning, aid in individualized learning, flipped classrooms, online or blended learning, and game based learning. See the video below about the benefits of game based learning.

   
 
     There is no way to avoid the impact of technology on education. We as technology leaders must be able to train our teachers on the best practices of using it in the classroom. We must model this use in our professional developments and within our own classrooms.

References

Dempsey, J. and Reiser, R. (2017) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Pearson, New York, NY.

Industry American. (2017, July 2). Video Games the Future of Education? [YouTube Video] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6ISSllvHY8