Technology+Facilitator+Standard+V+Reflections

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The use of technology in education has many benefits. Obviously, the use of technology aids in student learning by engaging students and allowing them to learn in a global community while preparing for a digital work force. But, technology plays a large role in education aside from student centered instruction. Technology tools make our jobs as educators much simpler. Gone are the days of green grade books where teachers recorded each assignment and had to average grades by hand. Those have been replaced by spreadsheets and electronic grade books. What traditionally took hours to complete, now takes minutes. This frees up valuable time that can be utilized in developing quality instruction, thus enhancing the learning process for students. As Williamson and Redish (2009) state, “students also benefit indirectly when educators use technology to enhance their own productivity and professional practice” (p. 101). ======

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As a technology facilitator, it is my job to teach teachers to utilize software productivity tools to improve their efficiency and in turn yield more instructional time with students. Often, teachers become overwhelmed by all the technology out there and they don’t have time to become subject matter experts in their teaching area and in some technology tool. For example, during my internship, I conducted teacher staff development trainings on Microsoft Office 2007. Most teachers use Office but as a district we were merging to 2007 and most teachers were frightened by the changes in the interface of the new version. In addition, teachers wanted a quick and efficient training that would highlight how this software package could be used in their classrooms, and they wanted to leave with practical examples that they could immediately put into practice. Poor staff development trainings were the subject of many discussion board topics among my program colleague’s so I had learned that bombarding “digital immigrant” (Prensky, 2005, p.1) teachers with a ton of technical jargon, tips and tricks that they wouldn’t remember or find useful would not be productive. As Bransford and Cocking (1999), pointed out, teachers “are more likely to understand, retain and transfer this knowledge when it is embedded in a meaningful, authentic contexts” (p. 202).I devoted an entire section of the training to classroom best practices and gave time for each teacher to model those uses under my direction while in training. It made for a very successful training! ======

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Although my district remains on the cutting edge of technology and spends appropriate to get us up-to-date with technology, there is more that needs to be done. We have email, electronic grade books and attendance software, presentation machines and laptops but more time and resources must be spent working with teachers on best practices for the efficient implantation of all this technology in their classrooms. As I walk the hallways, on rare occasion I pass by a classroom with a teacher scribbling away on an old style overhead as the pricey projector sits unused above his/her head. Or I walk into an elementary classroom and the teacher is using the SmartBoard as an expensive chalk board because she isn’t sure how to work it and use it in her lessons and hasn’t had time to figure it out in the two years she’s had it. As technology facilitators we must become agents of change and guide our immigrants into the digital age with love, logic and best practices in hand. ======  **References **

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Bransford, J. & Cocking, P. (1999). //How People learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school.// Washington, DC: National Academies Press ======

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Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants: Part 1. //On the Horizon //, //9 //(5), 1-6. ======

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Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leaders Should Know and Be Able to Do. Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education ======