Technology for Administrators
Tools to Promote Learning
A Principal's Role
"The conventional wisdom in education is that any school reform--be it curriculum, instruction, assessment, or teacher professionalism--is most likely to take hold in schools that have strong leadership. The same hold true for technology. Any educator will tell you that the most successful implementation of technology programs take place in schools where the principal sees him or herself as a technology leader." --Jennifer Demski "7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-Leading Principals"
Communication
Communication is key in any workplace environment. Principals are charged with the responsibility to make sure all stakeholders are informed of important information. Using proper communication channels not only helps keep stakeholders informed, but also shows a value for their time. The following resources can be used to communicate with staff, parents, students, and the community.
Many parents and community members are avid users of Facebook and look to it for up-to-date information. A principal can create a building Facebook page to post pictures, create events, administer polls/surveys, and post timely communications, such as newsletters, blog posts, letters, etc. Check out an example here: https://www.facebook.com/bentleyschools/
Smore
Smore.com is an easy way to create a newsletter to share with students and parents electronically. Information, photos, events, surveys, and more can be posted on this newsletter and emailed, posted to the building website, or even shared through social media. Check out an example here: https://www.smore.com/60dd6
Building Website
Your building website is a great place to store information for all of your stakeholders to access. Important forms, newsletters, policies/handbooks, teacher and staff contact information, students resources, etc. should all be accessible on your website.
Electronic Calendars
Another excellent way to share information with stakeholders is using a shareable calendar, such as a Google Calendar and embedding it on your website. Not only will this allow viewers to see events happening in the school, but they can also sync it with their own calendars on their phones, computers, etc.
Another great social media tool is Twitter, especially if you want to reach more students. I've found that students are more likely to interact on Twitter than Facebook. If you're finding that juggling more than one social media site is cumbersome, check out Hootsuite: this aggregator will allow you to post once and send it to multiple social media accounts.
Blogging
If you have a lot of information to share--more than what fits in a Tweet or Facebook post--then maybe blogging is for you. There are many free blogging platforms available (Wordpress, Blogger) but there's more creative freedom than on social media or most websites. This can also be linked to the school website and shared on social media. Check out this example: https://bentley-schools.com/
Professional Development
It's time to be creative with professional development, too. We ask teachers to use technology to engage their students; administrators need to model this expectation and use it to engage their staff members.
Online PD
Free, online PD is the new thing! This honors your teachers' time and interests--since they can choose what to learn about and when. Edupaths is a free resources for Michigan teachers and offers a wide variety of topics for teachers to learn from.
Twitter Chats
A Twitter chat is an online Q&A conversation held at the same time each week for educators to collaborate and discuss various topics. A complete list of national chats can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar
EdCamp
Perhaps your teachers have ideas they could teach others? Perhaps there's MANY pockets of expertise in your own building. Think of offering an "EdCamp" style PD session where teacher submit ideas to discuss, vote on the ones they want to see the most, and then meet in a series of "sessions" with each other to discuss these topics. A great resource to collect ideas and vote is Dotstorming.
Blended Learning
In the classroom, encouraging teachers to use blended learning options will also help establish technology use and increase engagement with students. Here are a few ways to promote learning with technology:
Invest in an LMS
Learning Management Systems--there are may options out there. Some free, some not. But these allow teachers to house their course information online. While some are more limited than others, teachers may be able to not only put lesson plans, but course documents, assessments, calendars, resources, and more. Some great ones to check out are listed in this article: http://www.educationdive.com/news/8-learning-management-system-options-for-k-12-classrooms/270653/
Data Warehouses
While they can be expensive, a good data warehouse and the appropriate training and support can move technology and learning into a truly growth-based culture. Currently Illuminate is the "hot one" in Michigan right now. If used correctly and to its full potential, Illuminate can change how we use data in the classroom.
Online Assessment Tools
There are many amazing, engaging online assessment tools--for both formative and summative assessments--that teachers can utilize. I also like to use them for exit tickets during PDs or a pre-survey before a PD to guage interest and familiarity with a topic.
Check out this list: http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/assessment/26-teacher-tools-to-create-online-assessments/
Putting It All Together
There are a ton of tools out there for administrators and teachers to use to promote the learning environment. The key to using them is to model effective use. As the teachers get comfortable with new resources, they'll be able to start using them in their own classrooms. Teachers comfortable with technology can also help other teachers implement new practices in their rooms. Soon, teachers will reach a new comfortability with technology. Moreover, by utilizing the communication tools, you'll be able to build trust and rapport with your parents, students, and community members.
Elizabeth Buckhold
Supervisor of Professional Development and Digital Communication
Bentley Community Schools
Email: ebuckhold@bentleyschools.org
Twitter: @ebuckhold