Dive Brief:
- According to a MDR EdNET insight report, while 90% of principals surveyed believe in technology's power to improve student learning, only 67% feel their school tech infrastructure is strong, and just 45% feel teachers are using tech effectively, EdTECH:Focus on K12 reports.
- While there is a significant gap between the promise of technology and classroom implementation, principals and administrators can boost tech effectiveness by being mindful of the demands of the classroom and providing proper support to educators.
- School leaders need to keep educational goals and classroom limitations in mind as they make tech purchasing decisions in order to employ technology most effectively.
Dive Insight:
Technology offers a great many benefits to education. It can expand horizons, provide more equitable access to instruction and content, and improve the collection of data to allow teachers to track student progress more effectively. Technology also offers new ways to personalize learning and implement project-based learning models.
However, the technology is only as effective as its implementation. School leaders are now tasked with decisions about the purchase of appropriate technology for the classroom, a decision that requires research, teacher input and an analysis of resources available to keep that technology functioning. School leaders also need to provide sufficient support and professional development, and to overcome the initial reluctance of some educators.
While it is easy to get swept up in all of the new tech advances, school leaders need to also make sure they reinforce sound pedagogy so that the educational foundation remains secure. Technology can support and enhance sound instruction, but it cannot replace the relational aspects of teaching. School media specialists can also provide supports for teachers and help them curate Internet resources that will support classroom instruction. And school district tech support staff can keep the technology operational. Working together as a team, the power of technology can be fully realized in the classroom.
