Because of the limitless nature of the personalized situation on teachers in their classroom, with a variety of technology, differing experience and acceptance, and content-specific standards, a technology coordinator needs to be equipped with a range of strategies to assist integration of new educational technology. The considerations required prior to implementing any technology infrastructure in a school system are profound; fortunately there are resources to assist in planning, an example of which is the list that Whitehead, Jensen, and Boschee (2013) provide in their text Planning for Technology (p. 217), as well as the suggestions posited by Machato and Chung found in their 2015 investigation into the principal’s role in technology integration.
Machato and Chung’s research concentrates on an issue at the core of the possible success of technology integration: teacher attitude. Before employing strategies a technology coordinator could employ to ensure progression, they must acknowledge and engage teacher acceptance, or lack thereof. Teacher willingness acts as a gateway to any technological implementation. Whitehead, Jensen, and Boschee also uphold teacher buy in as an essential portion of successful integration, focusing on professional development to encourage tech use in the classroom.
To resolve the issue of teacher reluctance, Machato and Chung advise teacher coaches, a suggestion relative to that of Whitehead, Jensen and Boschee’s teacher system operators. These teachers subsume the role of technology leader, gaining credibility and comfort from a shared status. Whitehead, Jensen, and Boschee appropriately refer to these educators as trouble shooters, assisting in local technological needs. In the following video Edutopia explores this concept under the broad moniker instructional coach, with one of the interviewees aptly describing the role as a conduit between the teaching population and the technology.
(Edutopia, 2015)
Included in the other suggestions Whitehead, Jensen, and Boschee offer is using the “Rule of Three,” a strategy I have used with my students, wherein one must ask three peers before requesting assistance from the technology coordinator. This strategy has proven successful in easing some responsibility from the expert.
Approaching the complex process of technological implementation can be facilitated by the strategies proposed here and numerous other sources. Success in integration is rendered more attainable by the research conducted on the subject.
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Remember the goal is for educators to be this excited about integrating technology into their curriculum!
References
Edutopia. (2015, June 24). Instructional Coaching: Driving Successful Tech Integration [video file]. Retrieved April 06, 2018, from https://youtu.be/4l5JBUacW1w
Machado, L. J., & Chung, C. (2015). Integrating Technology: The Principals’ Role and Effect. International Education Studies,8(5). doi:10.5539/ies.v8n5p43
Machado, L. J., & Chung, C. (2015). Integrating Technology: The Principals’ Role and Effect. International Education Studies,8(5). doi:10.5539/ies.v8n5p43
(2015, June 24). Retrieved April 06, 2018, from https://youtu.be/4l5JBUacW1w
Machado, L. J., & Chung, C. (2015). Integrating Technology: The Principals’ Role and Effect. International Education Studies,8(5). doi:10.5539/ies.v8n5p43
(2015, June 24). Retrieved April 06, 2018, from https://youtu.be/4l5JBUacW1w
Machado, L. J., & Chung, C. (2015). Integrating Technology: The Principals’ Role and Effect. International Education Studies,8(5). doi:10.5539/ies.v8n5p43
(2015, June 24). Retrieved April 06, 2018, from https://youtu.be/4l5JBUacW1w
Machado, L. J., & Chung, C. (2015). Integrating Technology: The Principals’ Role and Effect. International Education Studies,8(5). doi:10.5539/ies.v8n5p43
You have definitely hit the nail on the head! I've always heard it said there is one thing constant in education- change! Curriculum, standards, testing, strategies and technology are always changing in education which can lead to bad teacher attitudes! Whitehead, Jensen, and Boschee (2013) state "Only through awareness is it possible to fully appreciate the tremendous impact that technology has had on teaching and learning" (p. 168). As technology leaders, we must bring awareness to teachers as a way to get their buy in and, in return, enthusiasm for technology integration.
ReplyDeleteReference:
ReplyDeleteWhitehead, B.M., Jensen, D., Boschee, F. (2013). Planning for Technology: A guide for school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.