In order to better prepare students for a changing world, schools must promote a more effective use of technology into the classroom, according to a new position paper by ACSA’s Technology Leadership Group.
The position paper, approved by ACSA’s Board of Directors, provides recommendations for educational leaders to promote integrated technology in the teaching and learning experience. It is the first in a series of four papers; upcoming papers will address the skills needed for 21st century leaders, effective technology policies and how to use technology beyond the school community.
The paper provides recommendations and implications of interest to teachers, site leaders, district leaders and state leaders. The goal is to help close the increasing gap between the information-rich society outside of schools and the pervasive forms of instruction within schools.
Specific recommendations call on teachers to utilize the vast array of reference materials and social networking available; site leaders to provide resources and training to assist teachers in implementing challenge-based learning experiences; district leaders to promote new tools of communication, including blogs, wikis, RSS feeds and others; and state leaders to revise content standards and assessments to better reflect digital-age learners.
“California is in the throes of a crisis in education, one that could jeopardize our future as well as our economy’s ability to remain competitive,” according to the paper. “We take pride in California’s role in promoting global interdependence and innovation. We understand that our educational system must respond to the increasing complexity that is evident in society.”
The paper goes on to say that the current education system is based on an assembly-line concept: each teacher along the way contributes a small piece to a final product, and the product – the student – will exit as a well-rounded individual.
But the modern, wired world emphasizes the opposite; namely, integration, speed, fluidity and customization. The dichotomy results in higher rates of student disengagement and disenchantment. To keep up, educational leaders must expand instructional materials, promote technology integration and challenge-based learning, and make changes at all levels of the system.
“Armed with anytime, anywhere access to the abundant interactive World-Wide Web, students should spend their time working with one another to master the updated standards and demonstrate their capacity through application of problem-solving on authentic projects,” according to the paper.
Click here to access the Technology Leadership Group position paper in its entirety.