I always tell my students not do to what I’m about to write, but it serves an important purpose in this piece.
If I asked you these questions, would you be able to answer them?
What is the technology vision for your school district? School? Classroom?
Could your building principal answer these questions? How about your superintendent?
If you do not know the district’s or the school’s technology vision, how can you create one for your classroom? If the principal cannot tell you the district’s vision, how can he create one for the building? These are serious questions as teachers look to integrate technology into the classroom. What is the goal or the purpose of using technology in the classroom? I think there are teachers who can forge a path in using technology in their classroom, but there are many teachers who need guidance, and they should be looking to a building technology vision, which should be supporting the district vision.
No matter how much money your district has, a vision for the future is important to allow for planning. I’m starting to see school districts make purchases without establishing a long-term vision, and that is a recipe for disaster and wasted dollars.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to ask leaders in your district whether there is a vision for technology use. If not, ask them when it will be ready. If they can’t answer that, then you have a bigger mission to possibly undertake.
Does your district, school or classroom have a vision? Want to share it here? Leave it in the comments section.
Nicholas Provenzano is a high-school English teacher and a technology-curriculum specialist for the Grosse Pointe Public School System in Michigan. He has a master’s degree in educational technology from Central Michigan University and is a regular presenter for the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning and ISTE. When he is not writing on his blog or tweeting @TheNerdyTeacher, he is working on an educational e-zine and a free “unconference,” Edcamp Detroit. He also blogs for Edutopia on the value of technology in education.