My recommendations

My school is a private Catholic School in Glenview. Based on my knowledge of our school, we scored in the low tech range. With that in mind there are four recommendations that I would make to my principle about improving our school’s use of today’s technology.

First we must come up with a 2 part shared vision. To start this process we need to have a vision that takes our teachers opinions and needs into consideration since they will be the ones to learn and use this technology. In order to do this, we need to ask all of our teachers that if money was no object what types of technology would they like to see us have for them and their classrooms. It is very important that we include the teacher’s opinions here so that they feel that they are part of the process. It should also insure us that they will strive to use this technology. Finally, it will help us to make all these teachers into strong allies for when we get to our fourth recommendation.

The second part of this vision must be one that factors how we see the new technologies that we wish to add effecting our students abilities to learn and grow. We can’t complete this part of our vision until we have decided what types of technologies are teachers are interested in getting for their classrooms and which of these we are going to try to get first. This will also be important to our overall process as we work toward our fourth recommendation.

My second recommendation would be to then make sure that we have implementation plan in place for getting these new technologies up and running in the classroom. It’s not enough to tell the teachers that we are going to get them these new technologies if we can’t assure them when they will be ready and available for them to use with their classes.

A third recommendation that I will make is for the principle to map out a plan for the coming school year that would include using teacher institute days as an opportunity to provide the teachers with some really useful ongoing professional learning on these new technologies. At this time I think I would recommend that the principle try to use some of current staff to help with this education process. This will allow teachers to learn who in the building may be a good resource tool for them during the school year when questions or problems arise concerning the use of the new technology.

At this point having gotten our teachers on board through our vision along with a solid plan of implementation plus showing them that we plan on providing them with opportunities to learn more about these technologies we would be ready for my fourth recommendation.

As we are a private school my fourth recommendation would for us to create consistent and adequate funding program so that perhaps we can add a few new technologies over a period of several years. Having gotten the teachers solidly behind him/her our principle can begin by sharing her vision of how this new technology can help the teachers to do their jobs better and more effectively with this new technology with the school board. Then they can share the plan for implementing this new technology to put to rest any fears of things not getting off the ground. They would then follow this up by sharing with the board how they have a plan for providing the teachers with several opportunities for ongoing professional learning opportunities. Finally, they would circle back to their vision of how this technology will help facilitate and inspire the students ability to learn and be more creative.

While the cost of this technology may be rather high in most peoples minds, if there is one thing I have learned in my time working in and with Private Catholic Schools it is that if the cause is for the best and there is a well defined vision then these schools families will move mountains to help get whatever funds are needed to provide the best opportunity for their children.