Vision for Technology

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Elizabeth Winslett Vision for Technology Kennesaw State University

Vision for Technology School Vision Statement

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Technology will be accessible to all students, teachers, and other stakeholders to create an authentic and engaging learning environment in which the students lead the conversation to learn and master state standards. Students will be able to safely navigate internet resources, affectively implement technology, and use their technology resources efficiently to promote career and college ready learning. Teachers, community members, parents, and student will collaborate to implement said technology to create a learning environment that lasts a life time. The focus will move from the hardware being used to focus on how the hardware is being used. (Creighton 2003) Students Students will be responsible for using the technology wisely and taking good care of the devices being used. They will use technology to create a positive footprint in the community and the world. They will use it to explore and master state standards, personal interests, and community needs. Students will use the technology to learn a wide variety of topics and see how they are connected. Students will use technology to develop cross curriculum skills. School Faculty Teachers and other school faculty members will ensure that effective technology methods are being implemented. Teachers will participate in technology sessions to learn about how to best implement technology in the classroom. Teachers will evaluate the technology they believe to be most effective in the classroom. Teachers will work collaboratively with parents, students, and community members to ensure that technology is being used in a positive manner. Teachers will work to close the digital divide that is between race, gender, achievement levels, education levels and wealth (Creighton 2003). Teachers will ensure that safe and research based practices

Vision for Technology

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are being used and taught to the students. Teachers will implement Project Based Learning. Project learning, also known as project-based learning, is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing crosscurriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups (Edutopia 2008) Teachers will also use Web 2.0 tools to create a collaborative environment for students to learn. (Richardson 2010) The principal design and implement strategies to help teachers recognize, understand, and integrate technology with teaching and learning in the classroom. (Creighton 2003) Parents Parents and other community members will use technology to stay in contact with the students, teachers, and administration. They will use technology to actively participate in the research, learning, and success of their students. Parents and other community members will engage in positive technology use to be role models for their students. Conclusion Teachers, students, parents, administrators, and community members all have a role to play when it comes to giving our students the best and most current education possible. With the constantly growing technology that is available and being used, it only seems logical to create effective methods for using it in the classroom to create socially responsible students. Research has shown that the integration of education technology provides students with 21st century skills. In using technology for instruction and learning, students gain more than just knowledge in core subject areas they also acquire skills necessary to be productive and competitive in the workplace, in higher education, and in military or community service. (Kadel 2008) By creating students that are technology proficient, we are enabling them to build futures for themselves that are promising and positive.

Vision for Technology Resources

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Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as technology leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc. Edutopia. (2008, February 28). Why Teach with Project-Based Learning. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning-introduction Kadel, R. (2008, June). International Society of Technology Education Policy Brief. Retrieved from http://www.k12hsn.org/files/research/Technology/ISTE_policy_brief_student_achieveme nt.pdf Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.