Once again, I’m finding the work in my course aligning perfectly with my work at school. This time, it’s about technology planning. As it happens, it is time for us to update our technology plan for the district, so what better time to review the Essential Conditions as defined by ISTE?
I’ll write here generally– in terms of any school or district, rather than specific to ours. And rather than going through each, I will highlight a few that I think are worth noting.
In the area of consistent and adequate funding, it’s important for schools to remember the an initial outlay of money for a new initiative is not enough. There needs to be a plan for how the initiative will be funded once it becomes a regular part of the budget. How often does a team purchase, say, a set of tablets for student use, without thinking about how those tablets will be maintained and/or replaced when they begin to age? Having a process that recognizes this need from the outset is essential.
Engaged communities are another condition that may get overlooked as districts plan technology use. Schools need to do more than send home the occasional update newsletter. Parents and community members need to be at the table when planning (think of all the expertise missed out on otherwise). And parents need to understand and contribute to a shared vision of the use of technology in education. Inside of our schools buildings, we can sometimes forget that we are surrounded by community members who want to help and whose voices bring important perspectives.
A third condition is ongoing professional development. The key here is “dedicated time to practice and share ideas.” It’s no secret that so much is asked of teachers, so we need to be mindful to set aside time for trying out new ideas and tools and sharing the results. Many districts do this at the beginning and/or end of the school year, but not enough during. Of course, one obstacle can be what appear to be competing claims for teachers’ attention. However, with good planning, the whole of idea of technology integration is that it can be used to support whatever other goals are being targeted in in-service time.
I’ve written before about equitable access, so I won’t highlight again here, except to say that I’m pleased that ISTE includes this among the essentials.
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