1.1 Shared Vision
Candidates facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision for the use of technology in teaching, learning, and leadership. (PSC 1.1/ISTE 1a)
Artifact: Vision Statement
Reflection
The Vision Statement is a required class assignment for ITEC 7410. My completed paper, an individual effort, was submitted in the fall of 2013. Meeting the requirements for this assignment, I sorted technology priorities at the building level. Using input from dialogue with staff, parents, and teachers, I identified mission goals, availability of resources, and perceived needs. Having the tacit knowledge of the community, I conveyed short and long term actions aligned to the SIP for implementation.
The progression of my vision statement proved to be very beneficial to my building. An immediate result from the vision development was the reflection of technology practices and staff ownership of building technology limitations. The development of the vision brought about long and short term technology philosophical changes, while the implementation of the vision resulted in a designed sheltered and intensive two week Basic-Technology-Use unit of instruction. The adoption of the unit made a change in the faculty’s perception of how we can effectively introduce technology use to our students. The technology intervention, structured from teacher input, was quickly adopted and implemented without noticeable resistance due to the practicality of the vision statement. Key factors in the implementation was the collaborative culture of my department and my team coaching role. As a result of communicating this vision, physical changes were immediately evident. The inventory of technology increased, along with needed computer repairs, followed by an increase in the number of student computers per classroom. For example the past two years the computer count in my classroom was two, and neither operated adequately. The computer count is now up to nine, with three operating adequately and the other six computers are tagged for parts and missing cables. Further development of this vision and intervention calls for an evaluation of effective learning gains and the feasibility of an extended period of instruction.
Learning the status of technology for my building was challenging. My concerns about alienating myself by appearing to be an uninvited intruder into classrooms was not totally unfounded. As a newcomer to my building, I knew the importance of bringing multiple voices to the table to help shape a vision. I learned the roles of non-titled teacher leaders, and I gained support for my role in the culture of the building. This new found support will assist me in the facilitation of a formal approach to soliciting input from the larger building population in the future.
In creating an intensive two week Basic-Technology-Use unit of instruction, I developed the content materials for sheltered ESOL instruction and communicated the urgency for the facilitation of the instruction largely depending on peer relationships and the collaborative culture of my department’s teachers. The student instruction was introduced as a building pilot program and targeted all 7th and 8th grade students. The implementation of instruction for increasing student technology skills was well received in our building, and further evaluation of its effectiveness prior to full adoption will be required. The building administrator complemented my department’s difficult and tedious work (required to elevate non -experienced students to the basic levels of computer literacy). In agreement, the staff communicated that students’ computer skills had noticeably improved, and that such training will impact student participation in the new online state assessments.