Blog #1 EDLD 5352 Instructional Leadership

In the key area of Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support campus leaders must provide all the necessary support needed to both students and staff in regards to technology. Support such as providing on-going professional development to the staff to make certain that the staff is continuously kept up to date with our changing world of technology. “Today’s workforce demands a high level of knowledge and skills, and high degree of technology, competency, so students must be equipped with 21st Century skills.” (p. 29) This creates environments to enhance technological growth, and offers various opportunities for students to use and learn from technology. In order for this plan to be carried out a campus needs to have a technology committee made up of all important stakeholders to ensure that all members are collaborating and having a shared vision in working towards this goal.
Unfortunately, at my campus, we are not meeting the needs of 21st Century learners at this time. Due to the size of our district and the budget issues that we are facing with the state funding, the district doesn’t allocate the funds to retrofit the older schools with current technology equipment. While this is an area of weakness for us we do have teachers that are efficient in the area of technology and are open to being innovative and are willing to incorporate technology on a daily basis. However, the lack of updated equipment presents a road block for the teachers to carry the expectation to incorporate technology on a daily basis.
According to the STaR chart our campus has held steady at a developing tech level from 2006-2009. The specific area of budget went from a 2 to a 1 between the years of 2006-2008. Again, we are addressing the area of budget. Although, each classroom isn’t equipped with all of the technology tools that we need to provide technology on a daily basis we do make the best of it by sharing the equipment that is available.
My recommendations would be to have campus leaders find creative ways to fund technology to provide updated equipment. This year my principal collaborated with the PTA to get lumens and projectors for every classroom. After our annual carnival the PTA contributed $28,000 to help purchase the equipment. With the impending budget cuts that my district is likely to see in the years to come, we will have to continue to find creative ways to fund our technology.

Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/EktronAttach/FinalCombinedLRPT2020.pdf