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September 1, 2002
What Every Principal Needs to Know About Technology And Where to Find It Online
By Marianne Handler
It's not easy being a 21st Century, technology-savvy principal, is it? How do you keep up in this new, time-intensive area? Do you know what is important to know about planning for technology use; about helping teachers integrate technology into the curriculum; about creating different learning environments; and about using different pedagogical approaches?
The Web sites below should provide ways to help understand what the issues are. Reflecting one educator's choices, the list is divided into categories: Principal as Learner, Principal as Instructional Leader, and Principal as Professional Developer. Also there's a list of portals opening the doors to additional resources that might fit into any of these categories.
Principal as Learner
Technology Standards for School Administrators (TSSA)
Developed by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and some 25 partnering organizations (including various state Departments of Education) this site is dedicated to developing "a national consensus on Technology Standards for School Administrators." It offers "profiles" of technology-leading superintendents, administrators, and program directors. It also offers "scenarios" of TSSA Standards in Practice under the intriguing titles: "A Day in the Life of a Superintendent," "Technology Lessons from the Central Office," and "Welcome to my World ... The Principal." The standards can be downloaded as either HTML or PDF files.
National Educational Technology Standards Project
Also a product of ISTE and its partners, this site's goal is to "enable stakeholders in PreK-12 education to develop national standards for educational uses of technology that facilitate school improvement in the United States." It links to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students (including Lessons and Units); for Teachers (including PT3, Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology); and for Administrators. In addition there are links to NCATE and more.
Teachers' Tools for the 21st Century - A report on Teachers' Use of Technology
89 Chapter 6 Barriers to Teachers' Use of Technology Highlights
Wondering what is standing in the way of the technology use you were sure would take place? This may be only two chapters from the report but may be just the ones you need to read! The research described in this selection will provide excellent background on the barriers to integration as perceived by classroom teachers and provides some ideas on what changes need to be in place for the technology-rich learning experiences to be implemented. This file is in PDF format.
An Inch Deep and a Mile Wide: Electronic Tools for Savvy Administrators
Based on an analysis of developments in one state - Texas, this report discusses questions such as What does it take to be prepared for the technology-rich environment and What will technology-aware leadership look like? It also presents resources covering standards development both for technology skills and for accessibility, connectivity, and software. An important reading for the well-informed principal.
Principal as Instructional Leader
enGauge
Part of NCREL's (North Central Educational Regional Laboratory) information-rich site, enGuage attempts to answer three important questions: 1. "What is effective teaching and learning technology;" 2. "How can a school design a professional development program for technology in the classroom that does not take teachers away from their classrooms;" and 3. "What types of evaluation and assessment can track the effectiveness of technology funds in a school district?" The questions are answered by following the many links offered for each. There is also an extensive look at various Frameworks, including a detailed examination of digital equity (socioeconomic, racial, gender, etc.) issues.
EDvancenet
Although this site's listserv and forums, once part of its Community Center, are no longer "live," its Resource Center is still very useful. One segment, The Leader's Guide to Educational Technology, is a downloadable and editable PowerPoint presentation designed to introduce local stakeholders to the role of technology in student achievement, an ideal tool for the principal who must convince others. And two forums, one on children's Internet use and the other on laptops vs. textbooks, are archived and provide illuminating insights. There are also lists of statewide networks and other useful information.
An Educator's Guide to Evaluating The Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms
A very useful handbook to help district and school personnel who must evaluate local technology initiatives. The click-able chapter headings literally walk one through the evaluation process as they focus on: What is an Evaluation Anyway; What Questions Should I Ask; What Information Do I Need to Collect; What Are My Conclusions; and How Do I Communicate My Results? The Appendices offer worksheets and sample technology surveys.
Principal as Professional Developer
We won the Grant! Now what do we do? A WebQuest for k-12 Administrators
A very useful site cleverly done in the form of a WebQuest. By working through its multiple tasks administrators will learn how to show: (1) the grant-awarding entity that it is indeed getting its money's worth; (2) the superintendent that the technology is having a positive impact on both students and teachers; (3) parents that the technology is helping with standardized test scores; and (4) the professional development coordinator that training is impacting technology skills. An added bonus is that the site allows administrators to experience how a WebQuest can be a very powerful learning tool.
Plugging In: Choosing and Using Educational Technology
Based on a report entitled Designing Learning and Technology for Educational Reform, this site is a great starting point for group conversations. It offers links to a range of discussions, including: "New Times Demand New Ways of Learning," "Policy Issues in Using Technology for Engaged Learning," and "Recommendations for Policymakers and Educators." There are also links to tables such as: "Indicators of Engaged Learning" and "Indicators of High Technology Performance." The information is also available as downloadable PDF files.
Institute for the Integration of Technology Into Teaching and Learning (IITTL)
A content-rich site dedicated to Research, Projects, and Resources - all geared to "teaching and learning with technology." Each section offers a wealth of links. For example, under Research there are links to three online booklets: "Instruments for Assessing Attitudes Toward Information Technology," "Instruments for Assessing Educator Progress in Technology Integration," and "Refining Best Teaching Practices for Technology Integration." The Projects section offers links to "KIDS Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Evaluation," and two very important PT3 (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology) grant sites.
Portals for Principals
The National Regional Lab Network
All of the regional labs can be accessed from this site.
Regional Technology in Education Consortia
Many regional labs are linked to a technology arm, all of which can be reached from this site. All provide excellent resources, but take special note of HPRTEC (High Plains Regional Technology in Education Consortium (http://hprtec.org) where one can find a wealth of excellent teacher resources, including TrackStar, Rubistar, and Profiler.
Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL)
The site's stated goal is to be "A Portal for Administrative Leadership." It achieves that goal for all, even though it was originally developed for California administrators. The Briefcase area, designed to "improve administrative productivity," is especially useful in the areas of data-driven decision making, technology planning and productivity.
Email: Marianne Handler
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