Tech Integration Expectations

Our school district does not have any type of rules or steps regarding the integration expectations of technology into our lessons or classroom use other than making assignments available to students on Google Classroom.  The only information I could get from anyone in our district regarding the use of technology is from our Technology Department’s webpage.  On their page, they discuss how our school district is committed to integrating technology into teaching and learning.  They also discuss how they aim to improve student academic performance through technology literacy.  I find this interesting because in no way shape or form does the technology department in our district run any sort of training to help students use or demonstrate tech literacy.  Our district comprehensive plan doesn’t discuss the use of technology anywhere in detail.

Expectations:  The only explicit expectation for technology in our school is that we use Google Classroom to deliver assignments when needed.  I believe that our district’s implicit technology expectation is that we use it to help deliver content and help students research and construct projects that assess their learning.  

Usage:  All students and staff are equipped with their own laptop, Chromebook, or iPad.  Both teachers and students interact with technology throughout the school day in their classrooms.  Many of our newer curriculum programs can only be accessed with a one-to-one device such as Exact Path, Study Island, Read 180, and other various math and reading programs that are used by our Special Education teachers and students.  Much of this was integrated into our school plan because we were a failing school district and we are now on an improvement plan per the state.  That means that we have to provide data to the state on our students’ achievements and improvement levels throughout the school year.  All of the new programs that were implemented by our curriculum department and administration were chosen because they give great data points that we can use to help our student meet and exceed their current learning goals.  Technology is also used by many of our CTE programs and by teachers who

 are familiar and unafraid to try new things with technology in their classrooms.

Assessment:  At this time our district does not have any type of framework that they use to assess the technology that is being used in the classroom.

ISTE Connections:  I do believe that what we do have for “expectations” with technology use in our district does align with the ISTE standards.  Our portrait of a graduate only discusses technology in one section stating that students will “use digital media effectively and responsibly”.  This would align with the ISTE standard for Digital Citizenship.  I believe that the implicit expectations that the district has for tech use in the classroom strongly align with our Common Core and ISTE standards.  

Empowered Learner:  We are expected to make sure that our students know what their individual learning goals are.  We also have to make sure that we are giving our students a customized learning experience for each individual’s learning needs.  We are expected to have student reflect on their learning as well as learn how to help others on their learning journeys through feedback.

Digital Citizen:  Students at the high school level are taught through our SEL program about the importance of being responsible online, what their digital footprint is, and how to be safe in an online environment.  I believe that many other teachers discuss this in their classrooms with students, but it is not stated anywhere that we are required to do so.  

Knowledge Constructor:  Students are taught in some courses at the high school level how to effectively research using tech tools.  This is one area that we need to improve upon in our classrooms at the high school level.

Innovative Designer:  There are many courses, especially in our CTE programs that give students ample opportunities to use technology to test theories, plan projects, develop and test prototypes, and try to solve open-ended problems.  

Computational Thinker:  I am unsure as to which courses in our high school fall under this category as I do not teach any of them.

Creative Communicator:  Our digital media/video production courses and our music production/podcasting courses align with all parts of this standard.  These courses allow students to create productions in both the video and audio formats that are shared on our YouTube channels, the high school’s social media platforms, and on the school district's website and social media platforms.

Global Collaborator:  There have been many opportunities for our students to work with other students in other areas of the world, primarily in our world language and CTE courses.  They have worked on collaborative projects and research together and presented their findings at international competitions.

The expectations are not the same as current practice.  There are many teachers in our building that do not use tech to enhance their students’ learning experiences, but instead, as just a way to have students complete worksheets online through Google Classroom.  However, I truly believe that we are starting to come to a place in our high school building where we will start using more formal methods of assessing the technologies that we are employing in our classrooms with students.  Our new administration has begun relying heavily on teachers to start teaching professional development workshops in many different areas, and technology is one of the areas that we will be focusing more on next year according to their plan.  Many teachers in our building are still wary about using different tech tools in their classrooms, but I believe that with one-on-one training and built-in time to start practicing these skills, they will become more comfortable and confident in their practice.

References:

Crompton, H., Burke, D. The Nexus of ISTE Standards and Academic Progress: A Mapping Analysis of Empirical Studies. TechTrends (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-024-00973-y

Pottstown School District. (2022). Pottstown school district comprehensive plan. https://www.pottstownschools.org/Downloads/PSD-Full-Report-1-3.pdf

Pottstown School District. (2024). Pottstown school district technology department. https://www.pottstownschools.org/TechnologyDepartment.aspx