Leadership and Vision
I’ve recently been looking around the Web for information on electronic assessments. In the process I’ve run across several interesting articles:
The Top Ten Technology Districts
Although this article from District Administration Magazine is nearly 2 years old, there are some predictable themes that one can pull from the descriptions of what they consider to be the top ten technology-using school districts. Many of the districts were working in the area of one-to-one computing, providing certain sectors of the school population with laptops, even tablet PC’s in some cases. The importance of professional development is mentioned in every district summary.
From Advice to Other Districts:
Careful planning is important, but don’t be afraid to take a risk occasionally, says Edinger. “It’s crucial that there’s enough support personnel, both in the building and at the district level. In technology, the key words are staff development, staff development, staff development.”
“Our children can’t wait and the future is now,” Edwards says. “We need to be preparing them for a future that few of us can even visualize.”
“You can buy all the technology you want, but you need training, support and coaching. The human being, not the technology, is what you invest in,” says King.
This article is a brief bio of the Superintendent of the Western Heights Public Schools. It demonstrates the importance of vision and leadership. At the same time, it also shows that you don’t have to be an ‘expert’ to have that vision or leadership.
Case Studies: Western Heights School District
Vision is necessary to work out the solutions to problems in our schools. Technology can play a part in that solution. What advice does Superintendent Joe Kitchens have for other districts?
Learn all you can about the technology out there and what it can do for your school. Educate your staff. Western Height’s staff went from being almost totally computer-illiterate to being technology pros. But it took some work. Teachers have volunteered for an average of 60 hours of training annually on everything from videoconferencing to using Microsoft Office. Engage the public. Western Heights schools aggressively cultivate public support of the JetNet program. They even offer training for parents to help them learn how to use the same technology their kids are using. This opens the door to parents’ participation in their kids’ education. Parents will soon be able to log on to the Internet and find out what their kids studied in school that day, what their homework assignments are, and what’s going to be on next Friday’s test. Implement the most advanced technology you can afford. Technology moves fast, so put in the latest, greatest gear today in anticipation of tomorrow’s needs.
The importance of vision and leadership cannot be overstated! Vision for what? Is it a vision just for technology, or is it a vision for learning and technology?
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