Assignment #4

One to one devices are a challenge and opportunity that almost all school districts are currently faced with. The attempt to integrate technology into classrooms is perceived as the best way to provide students a 21^st century education, however many teachers still use paper pencil resources, or, as stated in the “Cuban Part 2” article, misrepresent how often technology is used in their classrooms.

As a digital leader, it is important to recognize and learn from past attempts, both successful and unsuccessful, in regards to 1:1 or BYOD policies and practices in schools. When I first think about this technology I am immediately struck by the potential inequity in this system- particularly as many students from low-income families go home to work without internet access and thus would not always have access to internet based platforms that often accompany this approach to learning. This inequity is something that I witnessed first-hand two years ago when I implemented a flipped classroom approach. During that year, it became apparent to me that (1) not all of my students had access to a device at home and (2) even those students who did have a device did not necessarily have internet. My teaching partner and I even informed all of our students about the promotional deals from Comcast and similar providers to give internet access to families of poverty, however the restrictions placed on this type of “deal” eliminated many of the families we worked with for issues that directly relate to their lack of income. While I believe that 1:1 devices/BYOD can be a successful model, I still fear that it opens the door to widening the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.

This being said, knowing what we know about the potential for good that is found in 1:1 devices or a BYOD policy, I believe it IS something to explore in schools today. I believe that as a leader, pushing for this access is important for our students. This includes searching out grants, allocating funding from the year to year building budget, and making the access to technology a priority within your building’s SIP plan.

In doing this, as stated in the articles, it is important to learn from the past success and struggles of others. I believe that, when implementing policies like this, there needs to be money set aside to provide teachers training and time to truly develop a plan to integrate the technology into their classrooms. I believe that the misrepresentation of use discussed is a direct product of a lack of time to plan for that use. When I reflect on my experience with the flipped classroom, there was a tremendous amount of work that had to go into using the technology within our classroom. I believe that often times we provide the technology to use in classrooms, but we lack the time to allow teachers to develop a concrete plan for integration. I believe that this time is an invaluable resource if we desire effective instructional practices that incorporate technology in this way.

As I read Standard 1 of the NETS A I am drawn to the ideas of an “ongoing process to develop, implement, and communicate technology infused strategic plans” and the idea of advocating for funding. As an administrator who wishes to be a digital leader, it is my responsibility to support the staff I serve in developing ways to implement this technology into their classrooms and reaching out and advocating for funding to support this technology integration. It is also my responsibility to consider the needs and circumstances of each of my students and ensure that the implementation of technology does not disadvantage and of the students we serve. 

http://wsu521.blogspot.com/2015/06/assignment-4-connectedness.html