The EdTech Advocate's Guide to Leading Change in Schools

by Mark Gura

Overview

New and emerging tech coaches and technology leaders will get guidance in making decisions and taking the right steps to effectively manage change in a shifting education landscape.

The education field is in the midst of a complete digital transformation. Accordingly, tech coaches and other school leaders must shift from simply bringing technology into schools to identifying how the various elements of this changing landscape fit together to form an improved version of education.

These changes affect everyone in the school, and as entire school communities are impacted, informed individuals who can guide the transformation are needed. The problem is that there are not nearly enough certified tech coaches in schools, and those who are in place are not always adequately prepared to handle this new mission.

This book aims to address these issues by offering:

• Advice on planning and guiding change in digital age schools.
• Examples of digital age schools and advice from “change agents” in the field.
• Activities, action plans, templates, checklists and other planning tools to help tech coaches and other leaders put what they learn into action.

This book helps tech coaches and school technology leaders embrace their roles and guides them as they make important decisions and take meaningful steps to effectively participate in this education transformation.

Audience: Technology coaches, technology directors, educators

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781564843944
Publisher:	International Society for Technology in Education
Publication date:	02/27/2018
Pages:	132
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 18 Years

About the Author

Mark Gura has been an educator for more than three decades. He works with Touro College, Fordham Universityand other organizations to promote the use of technology to provide highly motivating, relevant activities for students. Gura is the author of the ISTE books Make, Learn, Succeed and Getting Started with LEGO Robotics, and is the editor of Teaching Literacy in the Digital Age.

Table of Contents

Preface 1

Introduction 3

Chapter 1 Digital Transformation in Education 7

That Was Then. This Is Now 8

The World is Deeply Involved in Digital Transformation 9

What's Happening and Why? 10

What This Means for Schools 10

The Journey Ahead 12

Chapter 2 The New Classroom 15

From Traditional Classroom to Digital Learning Environment 16

Resources That Support Learning in the Digital Age 17

Devices and Infrastructure 20

Features of the Digital Learning Environment 22

Changing to a Digital Platform for Teaching and Learning 27

Removing Barriers to Meaningful Technology Integration 31

Chapter 3 Digital Transformation Tools and Frameworks 33

Microsoft's Education Transformation Framework 34

Education Transformation Technology Adoption Blueprint 36

Using the SAMR Model to Guide Digital Transformation 36

Using the TPACK Framework 38

Using a Digital Transformation / Technology Adoption Model 40

Chapter 4 The Digital Change Agent 41

Guiding Transformation 42

Many Hats 43

School Leaders and the Digital Transition 45

The Coach as Change Agent 46

Teacher Leaders 47

Growing into the Role and Offering Support 49

Chapter 5 The Vision 55

The Big Picture 56

Successful Technology Programs Begin with a Vision 56

Ask, Where Is the School Going? How Will It Get There? 57

Purpose and Function 58

Creating the Vision and Vision Statement 59

Chapter 6 From Vision to Reality 67

Assessment 68

Next Step Planning and Goal Setting 70

Curriculum Planning 71

Professional Development and Support 71

School Technology Advocacy 75

Alliances 77

Continuous School Improvement (CSI) 78

Achieving the Goal 79

Chapter 7 Change and Resistance 85

What's Changed and Is Changing? 86

Digitized Traditional Learning vs. Digitally Transformed Learning 86

Shifting Paradigms 90

Create a "Big Picture" Representation 92

Resistance to Change and Overcoming It 93

Why Do Teachers Resist Using Technology in Their Classrooms? 96

Edtech Myths and How to Debunk Them 97

Chapter 8 Going for It! 103

Get Informed, Stay Informed! 104

Take a Webinar 106

Get Connected 107

Motivate Your School Community 110

Conclusion 111

References 113

Index 115