EDUC 5373: Week 1 Leadership

 

    In this week’s blog, I will be focusing on the writings of Stachowiak and McClay in their book, “Igniting Your Leadership with Technology.” While I thought all of their interviews were very interesting, the interview with Erin English in Chapter 7 stood out to me the most.

What do you notice about the experiences and path(s) taken by the interviewee(s) that result in their elevation to decision-making roles and educational technology experts?

Dr. English has worn many hats in her leadership journey, from teacher, coordinator, informational technology director to school principal. Her journey to becoming an educational technology expert and decision-maker reveals a deep commitment to both innovation and equity, with an underlying theme of continuous growth and adaptability. Her leadership path showcases how thoughtful technology integration combined with equitable access and continuous training can revolutionize educational settings while empowering learners along with educators.

What connections if any are made by the interviewee to the ISTE Standards or Essential Conditions to support technology use and decision-making?

The interview with Dr. English highlights multiple connections between the ISTE Standards and Essential Conditions that promote technology integration and educational decision-making processes. Both frameworks closely match Dr. English's focus on equity, access and professional development. I love her work with the Tumble Books program. She found an inexpensive online book repertoire so students, and the families of students, have access to thousands of books. As the administrator she was able to keep track of usage. This aligns with ISTE Educator standard 2.5 Designer. 

What is the role of professional development within the initiatives or strategies implemented?

When Dr. English was an IT director and later a principal, her main focus was helping teachers get comfortable with using technology in their classrooms. It wasn’t just about handing out devices; it was about making sure teachers felt confident and knew how to use those tools effectively in their teaching.

Parents received important training from Dr. English as part of her programs whenever students took Chromebooks to their homes. She recognized that parents living in low-income communities often lacked knowledge about technology and internet use. She established required training sessions to educate parents about device usage and enable them to assist their children in their educational activities.

What real-world challenges do they share as they describe the work they are engaged in (or have completed) and how do they address these challenges?

The major obstacles Dr. English faced involved providing technology access for all students while encouraging parental participation and shifting teacher and leader mindsets. She addressed these challenges by implementing training programs and equity-focused initiatives along with collaborative leadership which resulted in significant positive changes in her communities.

What critique might you offer?  Do you see any concerns? Are you inspired?  Tell me about your perspective informed by research from this week.

I am very inspired by Dr. English’s work. The fact that she did not just focus on getting technology into schools, but also prioritized giving families the tools and knowledge to support their students’ learning at home shows a deep understanding of how technology can bridge gaps. A concern that I have when thinking about putting a similar plan into place in my district is the funding. Things such as providing Chromebooks and internet access to all students, not to mention the maintenance and firewalls for those devices, can be very costly. Another concern I have is how to get teacher buy-in. The demand on teachers to learn new tools and adapt to integrated technology can lead to feeling overwhelmed and can add stress to a teaching position instead of alleviating it.  I know this from experience. When the district I was working in, prior to my position now, integrated SmartBoards I was very excited, but our Professional Development consisted of a couple days training before the beginning of the school year, and a couple of trainings after school, other than that, it was up to us to learn all the ins and outs of the Smartboard. I absolutely loved it after I became acquainted with it and used it in every lesson, including how to take my attendance and lunch counts at the beginning of the day. 

Dr. English's work inspires me due to her dedication to equity alongside community participation and leadership strength. It's crucial to consider both sustainability of these changes and how technology can best fit into schools. Moving forward, it is important to continue studying and developing efficient methods to sustain these technology projects without overwhelming both teachers and schools. 

References

ISTE. (2024). ISTE standards: For educators. ISTE. https://iste.org/standards/educators

Stachowiak, B., & McClay, J. (2019). Igniting Your Leadership with Technology. Amazon Digital                      Services LLC - KDP Print US.