Contribute to the development, communication, and implementation of a shared vision for the comprehensive use of technology to support a digital-age education for all students. (ISTE 2011)
Developing a vision requires one to reflect on what is currently done while considering what is possible. A shared vision for using technology in education requires that educators and administrators to work together. Educators are responsible for sharing details on how technology is currently used in the classroom. This sometimes leaves educators with little to no time to explore new and upcoming technology in education. Administrators can contribute in this area by investigating new education technology and evaluate the possible benefits to the education institution.
In order to come up with a shared vision, educators and administers have to agree on a what represents a step in the right direction. I came across a great example of the importance of this agreement in my post on a 21st-century lesson plan in computer science about interactive textbooks. A few of my fellow instructors had explored interactive textbook solutions for computer science instruction. However, a great many had not explored specific solutions, but also did not see the need or benefit of using the technology. Many instructors believed interactive textbooks to be just online versions of the hard copy editions – providing some benefits to students, but few to instructors. Many instructors even viewed such online solutions as more work, as the online versions did not seem to keep up with the latest edition of a the paper version.
Administrator’s focus on textbooks is almost completely on how to reduce the textbook cost to students – which is still one of the biggest issues raised by students at my school. Thus, administrators were very keen on figuring out how students could replace hard copy textbooks with ebooks at little to no cost. This led administrators on the path of figuring out how the school library could gain access to the sources of online textbooks.
My research into the ZyBooks interactive textbook gave both groups something to ponder. Instructors were able to see how an interactive textbook could go beyond what is possible with a printed textbook by providing interactive and participation activities. The ability to also measure the student’s participation also excited instructors, as most had experienced the difficulty in getting students to read material before a class. Likewise, administrators got excited as they saw an opportunity to make the online textbook subject-specific, and still reduce the cost to the student. Many of the solutions were even available for mobile devices.
The shared vision began to appear when instructors and administrators worked on a solution that provided benefits to everyone. It is through such communication and collaborations that schools can build shared visions that use technology to build next-generation learning experiences.
References
- International Society for Technology in Education. (ISTE; 2011). Standards for Coaches. https://id.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-C_PDF.pdf.