I really enjoyed the content in the latest learning module. Part of the reason why I liked it so much was because there was some collaboration involved both with my colleagues at school and peers in the course. Through the creation of a staff survey on technology to the feedback from the my peers, I learned quite a bit about what it means to be a lead technology teacher. The position not only involves solving technical problems and troubleshooting--though I'm sure those who are currently in such a position feel as though that is all they do--but also includes forwarding thinking and planning in order to best support the students' learning. Technology moves so fast that without someone staying current, a school could quickly fall behind the latest improvements, or they could be spending their money on technology that is out of date.
One issue that really hit home emerged from David Jakes paper Strategies, Solutions and Innovations for Technology Leaders. In his paper, he mentions that when technology leaders consider which types or examples of technology to integrate, they should also consider the option that impacts the most students. This statement made me rethink my position that every classroom should have a SMARTBoard. The reason why I have changed my perspective is because though a great interactive, novel tool, it is still teacher-centred, meaning the teacher decides the content, the resources, the process. For the same amount of money, a school could purchase a number of tablets, iPads, or other similar devices that allow the students to determine the direction, the source, and the content of their learning, making the impact of technology on the students in the classroom that much greater. Having these devices in the classroom also allows the teacher to design and present lessons and units that are teacher-centred because they can broadcast the lesson through Wi-fi, and maintain student autonomy by allowing them opportunities to revisit and work at their own pace.
I am interested in learning more about how a lead technology teacher receives funding, support, and/or attention from his/her board. More specifically, what does the teacher need to do other than send encouraging emails. I would like to know the process and required information to make a pitch to the board to have a technology-focused classroom with a large amount of computer technology integrated in to the programming. This would be an interested endeavour to undertake, especially considering they are few mainstream classrooms in my board which are technology focused.
One issue that really hit home emerged from David Jakes paper Strategies, Solutions and Innovations for Technology Leaders. In his paper, he mentions that when technology leaders consider which types or examples of technology to integrate, they should also consider the option that impacts the most students. This statement made me rethink my position that every classroom should have a SMARTBoard. The reason why I have changed my perspective is because though a great interactive, novel tool, it is still teacher-centred, meaning the teacher decides the content, the resources, the process. For the same amount of money, a school could purchase a number of tablets, iPads, or other similar devices that allow the students to determine the direction, the source, and the content of their learning, making the impact of technology on the students in the classroom that much greater. Having these devices in the classroom also allows the teacher to design and present lessons and units that are teacher-centred because they can broadcast the lesson through Wi-fi, and maintain student autonomy by allowing them opportunities to revisit and work at their own pace.
I am interested in learning more about how a lead technology teacher receives funding, support, and/or attention from his/her board. More specifically, what does the teacher need to do other than send encouraging emails. I would like to know the process and required information to make a pitch to the board to have a technology-focused classroom with a large amount of computer technology integrated in to the programming. This would be an interested endeavour to undertake, especially considering they are few mainstream classrooms in my board which are technology focused.
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