1.1 Shared Vision
Candidates facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision for the use of technology in teaching, learning, and leadership.
Artifact:
The Possible Dream: A Vision for Griffin Middle School
Please click on the above title to read the Vision.
Please click on the above title to read the Vision.
Reflection:
The artifact that I have selected for this particular standard is the Vision Statement for Technology that we were to write early on in our program. It was in the first semester of the class that we were asked to write this vision for technology, when frankly, I knew very little to be able to formulate much of a response. However, based on the information we researched and the articles and literature we read throughout the course of that first semester, I was able to create an impactful vision statement for our school.
I feel that this vision statement, "A Possible Dream," demonstrates mastery of the "Visionary Leadership" standard, because without a vision, one cannot have a mission, and without a mission, one cannot provide leadership or direction. By researching what it meant to develop a vision for technology, and by investigating both the national and district technology plans, I was able to understand the importance of having a vision for technology in place. From this vision and with the support of my administration and staff, I was able to begin implementing the technology I deemed fruitful to our school, and it has paid off handsomely in empirical data reflecting increased student achievement on our Criterion Referenced Competency Tests.
From completing this artifact I have learned that implementing new ideas is very difficult at times and can be a very slow process. Since different people have different approaches to adapting to new ideas, it is important to allow them time to adjust. In the past year, we have accomplished a great deal of technology integration because we had some ideas in mind about where we wanted to go. The goal, interestingly, was not to "increase technology integration" as much as it was to use technology to achieve increased student engagement, participation, and achievement. Technology became the vehicle which drove our success this past year. While it was fruitful to think about a vision for technology at the beginning of this Masters program, I think embedding some review of our vision throughout the coursework would be beneficial. As I have learned more about technology, my ideas have changed and grown. I almost think having candidates revisit and revise their vision at the end of the coursework would be a fruitful endeavor.
Developing a vision for technology for my school enabled me to see the possibilities about how to impact school improvement. Creating this artifact forced me to become familiar with a bigger picture of what it means to plan for an entire school, and broaden the scope of my understanding about how schools run beyond the walls of my own classroom. Having a vision for technology enabled me to create concrete ideas, like building a Blackboard shell to facilitate the implementation of Common Core, that made a difference in facilitating teachers' responsibilities while also increasing student achievement.
I feel that this vision statement, "A Possible Dream," demonstrates mastery of the "Visionary Leadership" standard, because without a vision, one cannot have a mission, and without a mission, one cannot provide leadership or direction. By researching what it meant to develop a vision for technology, and by investigating both the national and district technology plans, I was able to understand the importance of having a vision for technology in place. From this vision and with the support of my administration and staff, I was able to begin implementing the technology I deemed fruitful to our school, and it has paid off handsomely in empirical data reflecting increased student achievement on our Criterion Referenced Competency Tests.
From completing this artifact I have learned that implementing new ideas is very difficult at times and can be a very slow process. Since different people have different approaches to adapting to new ideas, it is important to allow them time to adjust. In the past year, we have accomplished a great deal of technology integration because we had some ideas in mind about where we wanted to go. The goal, interestingly, was not to "increase technology integration" as much as it was to use technology to achieve increased student engagement, participation, and achievement. Technology became the vehicle which drove our success this past year. While it was fruitful to think about a vision for technology at the beginning of this Masters program, I think embedding some review of our vision throughout the coursework would be beneficial. As I have learned more about technology, my ideas have changed and grown. I almost think having candidates revisit and revise their vision at the end of the coursework would be a fruitful endeavor.
Developing a vision for technology for my school enabled me to see the possibilities about how to impact school improvement. Creating this artifact forced me to become familiar with a bigger picture of what it means to plan for an entire school, and broaden the scope of my understanding about how schools run beyond the walls of my own classroom. Having a vision for technology enabled me to create concrete ideas, like building a Blackboard shell to facilitate the implementation of Common Core, that made a difference in facilitating teachers' responsibilities while also increasing student achievement.