Technology is a constantly changing entity that is essential in the school setting to reach today's learners. I feel that the best way to sustain technology in our schools is to provide continuing professional development in combination with monitoring from technology coaches and administrators.
After technology is acquired at the school, it is important that professional development is administered on that piece of technology. If the teachers do not know how to use the technology, it will be kept in a closet to collect dust. The professional development should be easy to follow, provide teachers time to practice with their device, and be ongoing. It is simply not enough to have one session on a technology tool, several sessions are needed throughout the duration that the technology is being used to ensure that everyone knows how to use the technology and are using the technology. At our school, we have Technology Tuesday. Once a month, the Technology Committee provides professional development on different technological tools. This helps teachers stay up to date, provides them with a time to ask questions, and teaches them new ways to use the technology they have.
In a perfect world, each school would have a technology coach. This person would help teachers troubleshoot problems with the technology and also plan lessons with the teachers integrating the technology. The technology coach could also teach model lessons in the classrooms so that the teachers could see the technology in action. Along with the administration, the technology coach could perform walk throughs looking for technology use.
On going professional development, technology coaches, and walk throughs from administration all are things that could help a school sustain technology innovations.
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