EDUC 5373: Blog Week #4 (Innovative Leadership Digital)

1.The STARSS-LS Framework will be used to evaluate your Technology Integration Plan. Staff (Professional Development) is a component of the framework.

• How might you structure this component of your plan? Refer to research provided (articles listed above) to support your work.

Regarding the STARSS-LS Framework for Staff Development (Learner centered, Ongoing, Relevant, Just-in-time), a few things are evident from the readings provide for this week:

• Professional development is VITAL
• "Integrating relevant technologies with best practices to support content instruction is supported by current ISTE and national content standards, but in order for these standards to be realized there must be ongoing, meaningful conversations by relevant parties to make the changes that improve learning outcomes for students" (Shannon & Marculitis, 2019).
• Professional learning communities are VITAL
• "Professional Learning Community engagement is key to realizing alignment between content and ISTE standards and the development of lessons and units that meet the needs of students and achieve rigorous learning" (Shannon & Marculitis, 2019).
• "In order to support comprehensive adoption of the rigorous framework, participants assert that communications and expectations for use of the framework should be consistent. Additionally, structures to support PLC groups are needed. Teachers must have adequate time to meet on a regular basis to focus on the use of the rigorous instruction framework in order to realize broader implementation" (Shannon & Marculitis, 2019).
• Time spent with new tech and frameworks is VITAL
• "Some teacher leaders and administrators acknowledge the necessity of introducing each piece of software and hardware, but most agree the technique frustrates teachers who try to follow along with limited time to explore and practice" (Shannon & Cate, 2015).
• Support, guidance, and collaboration from informed admin, leaders and colleagues is VITAL
• "All interview participants asserted that due to collaboration with colleagues the rigor of their lessons increased and they felt more comfortable and confident about the embedded technology integrations (Kelly, Margo, Martin, & Mindy, personal communications, June, 20, 2019)" (Shannon & Marculitis, 2019).
• "When teachers have time to meet professionally, reflect on practice, share expertise, and collaborate with colleagues inside and outside of the building, democratic professional practices are enhanced (Tenuto, 2014)" (Shannon & Cate, 2015).
• Goals (TIP) are VITAL for the success of the program
• "While admirable, several teacher leaders and administrators assert that the district and school sites must extend their vision for technology integration beyond providing equity of access by developing tangible goals that nurture the integration of technology to address the variety of individual student learning needs" (Shannon & Cate, 2015).

Each of these points (Learner centered, Ongoing, Relevant, Just-in-time), with evidence from the articles this week, are fully aligned to what can make a Tech Integration Plan successful for a school who creates an implements it. I will use the evidence from the articles to connect to their points of the STARSS-LS Framework to create a foundation for my TIP. 

• What connections will you make between teacher learning and connected student learning? What must teachers be able to do in order to support their students?  How does this work align with your vision and goals from week 3?

The connections I can make between teaching learning and student learning is that there is much overlap between what students need to learn and grow as there is for educators. Teachers need clear, defined instructions, guidance, goals, objectives and so do students. Teachers need time to process and hands on work to fully grasp new concepts as do students. Teachers need consistent repetition to learning new objectives in order to show mastery as do students. Teachers need to enjoy and find the content interesting, applicable, and relevant to their content as do students. By teachers buying into the idea that tech integration can and will improve them and their students learning through their professional learning and training, they will see gradually see the results. 

Vision:

Technology, and the continued development of hardware and software in our 21st century, has the power to advance and excel the learning potential for modern day educators and scholars. When used appropriately and consciously, integrated classroom technology can expand the depth of learning and increase the mental, social, and emotional areas of all stakeholders involved. With an equitable training, learning, teaching mindset placed forward, IDEA Public Schools’ hope is for 100% of their classrooms to understand the power tech can have in their lessons and how to harness that power given to them, to pass down to their students. 

Goals:

1. IDEA Public Schools will ensure current and equitable resources such as professional development, trainings, resources, hotspots, and other materials are distributed to all involved stakeholders (admin, teachers, students, guardians, etc).

2.  IDEA Public Schools will ensure buy in from 100% of teacher and staff on the benefits of a large-scale technological integration plan with consistent and aligned:

• Updates and informed trainings

• Teacher evaluation system (the GET)

• Equitable access to all tech items

With my vision and goal in mind I believe it aligns fully to the work done this work through evidence from the research and articles provided. There is an emphasis on the power of tech integration through the alignment of high quality professional learning, equitable resources, and consistent check in and trainings to further the mission. 

2. What structures are in place within your district, school, or organization already exist to support professional learning? 

On majority of the campuses in the IDEA district, there are weekly staff meetings/professional developments and quarterly content meetings/professional developments. This structured has been in place since before I joined the organization in 2017. If you were to ask if there has ever been a professional development regarding technology integration into the classroom, I would not be able to tell you the answer to that question. IDEA loves the idea of professional development, yet many are focused on more day to day campus logistical items in comparison to completely radicalizing our classroom, teaching methods and mentalities through new and interesting outlets. 

"Professional development is most successful when it is designed to meet the needs of adult learners and is ongoing rather than one and done, (Knowles, et al. 2005; Marculits, 2017; Merriam, Caffarella &Baumgartner, 2007; Drago-Severson, 2009; Drago-Severson, 2012)" (Shannon & Marculitis, 2019).

Professional learning is not something our district lacks; it is the relevancy, trained leadership, and buy in that continues to lack from all the years I have been employed. I'm optimistic that if hypothetically this TIP were to be implemented onto my campus, that there may be a slight shift into radically changing the improving the way teachers teach and students learn. 

3. How will student/community learning and assessment be transformed by the TIP you are developing?  What changes should be tackled to address International technology-mediated assessment expectations like the PISA?

If our admin, leaders, and PLC have bought and are confidently and competently trained in the TIP, then teachers will walk away confident and competent as well to lead their classes and students to successful tech results. 

"The collaborative work accomplished due to the PLC structure within the district has yielded a library of standards-aligned lessons" (Shannon & Marculitis, 2019).

The transformation will take lots of time for scaffolding, trial and error, and unlearning previous methods that were not time effective or engaging to student centered learning. The community will benefit as we are more deeply training and enhancing the tech competency of our students who are the future workers of tomorrow. They will share their knowledge with those in their life and further the process of a competent and informed 21st century community. 

Changes to be tackled addressing International technology-mediated assessment expectations like the PISA should be focused on more student centered learning (via ISTE and other frameworks like Kolb) and problem solving. Real world integration and students taking charge of their learning and education is the pathway that is envisioned for the 21st century scholar with a proper tech integration plan. 

References

Shannon, K. E. & Cate, J. L. (2015). Democratic professional practice for technology integration. In Tenuto, P.L. (Ed). Renewed Accountability for Access and Excellence: Applying a Model for Democratic Profession Practice in Education. Lexington: Lanham.

Shannon, K.E. & Marculitis, T.J. (2019). Professional learning to support ISTE-aligned technology integration practices in ELA and math. Poster presentation for the International Society for Technology in Education Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.