Standard+VIII+Reflection

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Standard VIII Reflection The focus of Standard VIII is leadership and vision. Williamson and Redish (2009) sum this up best when they say “Inspiring a diverse group of people to establish and accomplish common goals is a critical enabling factor in the success of any school improvement effort. Technology programs are no exception (Anderson & Dexter, 2000; Baylor & Ritchie, 2002)” (p.178). Technology leaders must envision what they want for their districts/campuses and work at ensuring that all stakeholders are involved and on board with this vision. We as leaders must forge the way, look to the future, and take action to create this future for the benefit of our 21st Century students.

My vision of technology in the classroom has always been one where each and every student has access to a computer and the internet at school as well as at home. Luckily part of my vision is a reality in that each one of my students does have access to a laptop and the internet at school. The majority of the activities I completed in relation to this standard revolved around how the campus teachers would integrate the new technology on campus. Back in May of 2010, my campus technology specialist and I met in order to discuss the new campus technology and some of the ways that we would be able to assist the teachers in integrating it into instruction and the curriculum. Built into the upcoming school year calendar were technology in-service days so we also discussed possibilities for what some of the content of the in-services could be. I was able to work with the campus technology specialist in creating and leading several of the campus technology in-service days.

Since that time I have worked with my campus technology specialist to gather feedback on the technology in-services so that they could be tailored for the teachers needs. By using surveys and informal interviews we have been able to assess what needs are not being met by the in-service sessions so that those issues can be addressed at the next technology day. All of this is being done in order to reach our campus vision of technology integration in the classroom and curriculum. The TEA states in the Long-Range Plan (2006) that “Implementing and sustaining school improvement and technology innovation depends on skilled and persistent leadership with the ability to share visions and consistent expectations” (p.29).

I must admit that in the beginning phases of the technology integration initiative, there were teachers who were not very willing to try something new simply because they did not know how to use the technology. Now however, after having a year worth of training on the various technology I can honestly say that almost every teacher on our campus has successfully integrated at least one piece of our new technology into their curriculum and classroom instruction. Solomon and Schrum (2007) verify that “In order for schools to prepare students for the future, leaders must help teachers make the transition to using new technologies and new methods” (p.118). This transition is not going to happen overnight, but with persistence and diligence it will happen eventually.

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, new schools//. Eugene, Oregon: International Society for Technology in Education.

Texas Education Agency. (2006). //Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020//. Retrieved from []

Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). //Technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do//. Eugene, Oregon: International Society for Technology in Education.