Technology Usage in Schools

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Goal Statement

The proper statement of goals is vital for communicating a strategy associated with the policy change. A large number of teachers cannot adhere to the requirement of emerging technology use in schools because they are uncomfortable with applying it. Additionally, they experience pressure from authorities because no communicational channel between the two was established. Therefore, while educators are willing to participate in the initiative, they do not possess the necessary skills and knowledge, which was not discussed before policy implementation.

The school principal insists on technology application without investigating possible obstacles that may need additional attention. These factors result in a misunderstanding between staff members and the school administration. This paper aims to propose a goal for this technology policy that would mitigate issues and encourage teachers to explore the technology.

The primary goal of this change is to mitigate the adverse outcomes, for instance, educators are unable to integrate technology in their curriculums, and thus, students do not receive the required knowledge and skills. In addition, student learning can be improved by when using technology to explain certain aspects and engage individuals in interactive activities (“Teaching with technology,” n.d.). This issue may result from a lack of confidence in integrating innovation in classrooms, insufficiency of learning materials that would provide an understanding of application means, and no incentives for professional development.

The goal of this policy change is to enable all teachers to use emerging technology in their work. In this way, several objectives of change strategy will be achieved. Firstly, educators will be able to understand the positive outcomes that can result from using innovation. Secondly, their sufficient knowledge and confidence will allow them to use various technological approaches. Finally, students will benefit by receiving new skills that are vital for further education and work, because they will be taught through computers, smartphones, or other devices.

The goals statement implies that school leaders will have to re-evaluate their approach towards motivating their employees. According to Wang, Hsu, Reeves, and Coster (2014), one factor that influences the ability of teachers to educate using innovative technology is professional development. This component allows them to gain new knowledge in regards to new approaches and provide their students with various education methods. In the case of emerging technology policy, it is evident that teachers are experiencing difficulty because they are unsure about ways in which the strategy can be implemented in the school setting. Thus, it is necessary for policymakers to address the problem, which should result in a teacher’s sufficient knowledge and confidence in regards to emerging technology.

A clear understanding of technology as a tool for improvement of current practices should be present — Wang et al. (2014) state that educators who are willing to use innovation in their teaching process successfully should focus on the “use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools to shift their practices from traditional teacher-centered methods to constructivist, student-centered ones (p. 101).

This implies that individuals have to have an understanding of various technologies that can be applied and have practical skills that would help them facilitate the approach. For this reason, the professional development of school personnel was chosen as the primary goal of the initiative. It is due to the fact that technological developments can change approaches to education, and teachers should be able to adapt to these changes. In the case of professional development, leaders enable them to evolve and familiarize themselves with new practices regularly.

When considering the factors mentioned above, it can be argued that the chosen goal would imply close cooperation between staff members and school administration because the leaders would have to provide incentives for teacher’s professional development. Wang et al. (2014) state that an inclusive approach to technology from teachers can have a positive impact on the student’s information and communication technology (ICTs) skills. Thus, the chosen goal would mitigate the adverse effects of the existing policy that was previously mentioned.

The goal will ensure that a particular issue obstructing the adequate implementation of the discussed policy is targeted. Coherent policies should build sustainable systems that promote lifelong learning for both teachers and students (“Education policy and planning,” n.d.).

It would allow school personnel to use emerging applications effectively. Additionally, Akcaoglu, Gümüş, Bellibas, and Boyer (2015) state that the approach can help “prepare the youth for a technology-filled future” due to a connection between learning outcomes and methods used in lessons (p. 477). Several objectives were developed for this educational strategy to ensure its proper development. Those are implementing a learning course for teachers, assisting, and creating incentives encouraging teachers to explore new ways of using emergent technology in their lessons. Thus, this change goal will enable school leaders to create a system for the further professional development of their educators.

The learning course for teachers should ensure that they are comfortable with technological devices or applications and can use them in their practice. The course should be introductory and offer basic knowledge on how to integrate the policy requirement into lessons. According to Akcaoglu et al. (2015), most staff members in school were “not satisfied with the in-service training provided, especially in understanding ways to efficiently integrate the technologies into their teaching” (p. 477). Therefore, school authorities should dedicate more time to developing and implementing a training program that would prepare teachers and explain techniques they can use to integrate technology and make their lessons more interesting with it.

Providing assistance within a school would help teachers receive advice in cases when they are uncertain of particular aspects of technology. Davies and West (2014) state that future efforts within technology integration for learning should focus on providing access and training for both students and teachers. An essential aspect for teachers, in this case, is having a staff member that can answer questions or explain approaches to creating particular materials for a lesson. It would enhance the access because teachers would be able to use various tools with confidence and transfer their skills to their students.

In regards to creating incentives for teachers, those should ensure that they are encouraged to both use technology and explore new approaches to its application. According to Rushefsky (2017), those are crucial for both teachers and school principals; various programs developed to reward schools where students perform well in educational activities substantiate this. It would increase the confidence that teachers have with using multiple tools in their lessons. Preston et al. (2015) state that there is a necessity “for provincial and school district authorities to promote policies aimed at promoting e-leadership among teachers” (p. 989). This objective would help accomplish this by awarding outstanding individuals and highlighting their efforts.

Overall, to resolve the issue of teachers not being able to comply with the requirement of using emerging technology as part of their curriculum a new policy goal was introduced. It is aimed at improving the school personnel’s confidence and promoting the exploration of new approaches to applying the technology in classrooms. All school teachers should be trained to use technology in their classes to enable the change. Further research on the topic should focus on developing a specific plan tailored to these objectives. For instance, a training program should be designed, as well as on-site assistance within educational facilities. Additionally, the chosen incentives program should be introduced to teachers.

References

Akcaoglu, M., Gümüş, S., Bellibas, M., & Boyer, M. (2015). Policy, practice, and reality: Exploring a nation-wide technology implementation in Turkish schools. Technology Pedagogy and Education, 24(4). 477-491. Web.

Davies, R., & West, R. (2014). Technology integration in schools. In J. M. Spector et al. (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (4th ed., pp. 841-853). New York, NY: Springer.

Education policy and planning. (n.d.). Web.

Preston, J. P., Moffatt, L., Wiebe, S., McAuley, A., Campbell, B., & Gabriel, M. (2015). The use of technology in Prince Edward Island (Canada) high schools: Perceptions of school leaders. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(6), 989–1005. Web.

Rushefsky, M. E. (2017). Public policy in the United States: Challenges, opportunities, and changes (6th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Teaching with technology. (n.d.). Web.

Wang, S. K., Hsu, H. Y., Reeves, T. S., & Coster, D. C. (2014). Professional development to enhance teachers’ practices in using information and communication technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools: Lessons learned from a design-based research study. Computers & Education, 79, 101-115.

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Technology Usage in Schools

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