Ten Pillars of Successful Technology Implementation

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/poole/poole011.shtml

As the title suggests, this article is a list of ten key components for successful technology implementation.  The first is that leadership must provide active and committed support.  This includes school board, superintendent, principals and teachers and includes things such as release time and training.  The second is that everyone needs to buy into this change.  According to the author, this happen successfully when teachers are enabled to become "the best they can through consultation, collaboration, communication, support, respect, and encouragement" rather than as something that is forced on them.  The third, as we have talked about in class, is investing in and training a core team of teachers.  These individuals should be given release time to work with other teachers and administrators.  Number four is to recognize that technological change is fast and schools must keep up to date.  Lesson prep that involves technology take more time and thus districts need to provide teachers with opportunities to stay current on technology and time to integrate these strategies into their classrooms.  Number five also deals with professional development and the fact that teachers must receive ongoing training because tech integration cannot happen without sufficient knowledge and skill.

To start the second half, Poole states that technical support (Instructional Technology Specialist) should be onsite and readily available for teachers to access.  The seventh is that there is no point in purchasing technology for teachers who are not going to use it.  Number eight is to include students and parents in the process.  Technology allows for much greater communication.  Pillar nine is that districts must plan for the financial future in budgeting for technology and that even though budgets are tight the technology budget shouldn't be trimmed.  The final pillar is that because children are growing up in a technological world they should not be denied access to technology.  Learning needs to continue beyond the classroom and technology can make that happen.

A lot of the topics we have discussed in class are covered in this article.  This article just seems to have them in one concise list.  I think the second pillar of getting everyone on board is very important and really appreciated the atmosphere it described that is necessary for this to happen.  I also think number three, training a core team of teachers, is important because that can help number two happen.  Number four is one that I haven't heard mentioned as much, but is one that is true for me any way.  It talks about the fact that planning lessons with technology that are student centered take longer to plan and that teachers need to be given appropriate time to make this happen.  I know for me it definitely takes longer to plan lessons with technology.

I wouldn't say that I disagree with any of these.  I think some of them are more critical than others, but technology integration would benefit from all of these.  The bottom line I think is the last pillar makes the rest of them necessary.  That because we live in a technology driven world and are preparing our students for this world, we can't afford to push technology integration aside.