Leadership magazine March/April 2017 V46 No. 4 | Page 24

Tech integration :

WHAT ’ S NEW FOR SCHOOLS

24 Leadership
Sitting at a conference room table for a meeting is old school .
Technology is here and it ’ s time we began using it .
Technology can expand learning beyond the normal school day by allowing students to travel into worldwide locations with collaboratively designed activities . The ubiquitous nature of technology can enhance and deepen self-expression , global accessibility , personal and professional productivity , and the search for information . So what is new for schools in the area of tech integration in 2017 ?
Planning to be Future Ready
In 2014 , President Barack Obama introduced the ConnectEd Initiative to help schools become “ Future Ready ” at a time when college and career readiness moved from school-based conversations to actionable district goals . The initiative helped school leaders both plan and implement research-based digital learning strategies with rigorous personalized learning environments .
The work around Future Ready Schools ( FRS ) focuses on comprehensive plans with identified student learning outcomes transforming instructional pedagogy and leverage technology for personalized learning in each classroom . The initiative is now focusing on the use of technology in everyday practices , starting with best practices on how districts address and design policies around biases and prejudices .
As districts expand their digital environments , equity and accessibility are of paramount importance . Rowland Baker , Executive Director of the TICAL Project said “ Future Ready Schools is one of the most exciting initiatives for school and district leadership that I have seen in over 30 years . It has hundreds of resources , with planning tools that align perfectly with our California LCAP . The fact that it is developing in thousands of districts across our nation makes it a very powerful reformation .”
Resources
With the 2016 release of the updated United States Education Technology Plan ,
By Lisa Gonzales and Geoff Belleau