Friday, February 28, 2025

Technology Purchasing

Purchasing educational technology, especially a large purchase for a school or even a district, can be a daunting task. There must be a plan in place to guide leaders in the most effective way to do so. This is important because you definitely do not want to waste money, especially in the education world where money can be very hard to come by. The picture below lays out the steps that can be used to purchase educational technology (McLemore & Rae, 2024). 

NEEDFIND

According to McLemore and Rae (2024),  step one is to identify a specific need that can be filled using educational technology by doing a needs assessment. Hearrington (2024) discusses the fact that planning for anything new always requires data to support the reason for decisions that are made. As a part of the needs assessment, it is important to consider the edtech that the school or system already has and decide if it is still meeting a need or if it would be better to find something more useful that would fulfill that purpose. It is also very important the decision makers involved in this process are well aware of what is available and how any of it could possibly be a solution. To make all of this possible, data from current technology can be used, feedback from teachers and students should be considered, and there are conferences that can be attended with expo halls that allow for a chance to learn first hand about new educational technology that is available. The annual ISTE conference is a great example (McLemore & Rae, 2024). 

EVALUATE

The next step is to evaluate the potential technology and try to decide if it will meet the needs that the school or the system found that it had during the needs assessment. According to Miller (2020), it is important to consider the following:

  • Efficacy 
  • The student experience
  • Intrinsic motivation
  • Zone of proximal development
  • The teacher experience

PILOT

Piloting the chosen educational technology is an extremely important step. It is imperative to seek feedback from the students and teachers who will be using the edtech the most. After a trial period, there are several ways that feedback can be sought; surveys can be completed, interviews can be done, and observations can be utilized as well. All of this should provide the data needed to make decisions about whether to purchase the educational technology or not (McLemore & Rae, 2024). 

PURCHASE

The final step in the process, according to McLemore and Rae (2024), is to purchase and implement the educational technology. There are many sources of funding that could be available to help with a large purchase such as this, including government funding as outlined below. The processes for purchasing vary from district to district, but there are always very important steps to follow to make the process as smooth as possible. 



References

Frazier, M., Hearrington, D. (2024). Technology coordinator's handbook, Fourth edition: A guide to edtech facilitators and leaders. Portland, Oregon: International Society for Technology Education. 

McLemore, C., & Rae, J. (2024, June 24). How district leaders make EDTECH purchasing decisions - edsurge news. EdSurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-06-24-how-district-leaders-make-edtech-purchasing-decisions

Miller, S. (2020, November 12). What matters most when you’re evaluating Edtech Tools. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/what-matters-most-when-youre-evaluating-edtech-tools/

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Administrative Role In Technology

     In today's classroom, technology plays a vital role. Technology can make a positive impact on education if teachers implement it in the correct way. 



    Administrators play a huge role in how technology is viewed and used within their building. According to Frazier and Hearrington (2024) administrators must can support by, "offering professional development opportunities, allocating resources, creating a supportive culture, and establishing clear expectations and guidelines." 

    When administrators have a positive view of technology and display that in their words and actions, that trickles down into how their teachers view it as well. If technology is valued and used in front of them, teachers are more likely to feel the need for it to be used in their classrooms as well. Administrators can help change the perception of technology being viewed negatively all by how they talk about it and use it. According to Ellickson (2023), administrators need to encourage teachers to be innovative with technology as well. Giving teachers the freedom to explore and experiment will help spark excitement and promote its use. 

    In order for teachers to feel confident in the use of technology, professional development is key. Administrators must find a way to push and provide professional development so that teachers can keep up with and learn all about the ever changing world of technology. Professional development is a huge help when trying to find ways to implement technology into their classrooms. Even if this PD is as simple as having teachers within their own building share how they are using technology in their classrooms. Frazier and Hearrington (2024) point out that PLCs are a great place for teachers to share their experiences with technology with each other. 

    Funding is extremely important when it comes to technology. Administrators need to be intentional about growing a budget to support the technology needs within their building. Teachers will see that technology is important to an administrator when they witness their administrator actively seeking funds to purchase technology needs. Ellickson (2023) mentions that administrators can also help promote technology use by providing funding for professional development from outside resources that may be helpful for teachers.  

    Ellickson (2023) discusses the importance of having rules and procedures in place and how administrators need to set clear expectations for how technology is used at their school. Hopefully the system in which the school is in has an acceptable use policy in place. Administrators are responsible for making sure that the AUP is enforced. Frazier and Hearrington (2024) explains the importance of teachers having a clear understanding and respect for FERPA and CIPA as well as the need for teaching digital literacy.       

    Education is all about making decisions and doing what is best to meet the needs of all students. It is important that students have experience with technology and understand digital citizenship as they leave high school and move into either the workforce or on to college. It is the responsibility of the school administrator to make sure that this happens inside the classroom and that teachers are equipped to meet the needs of their students. 



References

Ellickson, A. (2023, July 21). 4 ways admins can support teachers’ technology use. eSchool News. https://www.eschoolnews.com/educational-leadership/2023/07/28/4-ways-admins-can-support-teachers-technology-use/

Frazier, M., Hearrington, D. (2024). Technology coordinator's handbook, Fourth edition: A guide to edtech facilitators and leaders. Portland, Oregon: International Society for Technology Education. 

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