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Running Head: TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Technology Leader of the School

Adam Jernigan

Coastal Carolina University

EDIT 760, Section D1

June 14, 2019

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TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Introduction

Standard one of the NETS-A standards for the implementation of technology by

administrators delves into the concept of the visionary leader. The visionary leader is one that

establishes practices for the educational body that they are a part of. This leader will bring about

positive change in the educational body incorporating the growth and employment of needed

technology practices. The key to this standard is “positive change” meaning that successful

completion of standard one does not simply incur the use of technology within the educational

body, it requires the incorporation of positive changes that further develop the learning

opportunities of the students involved with said educational body.

The subject for this discussion is Horry County Education Center, an educational body

that focuses on alternative forms of education for students that do not fit the mold of general

education. This evaluation will focus on the levels of application for standard one of the NETS-

A technology standards and the following indicators:

• Educational leaders facilitate the shared development by all stakeholders of a vision for

technology use and widely communicate that vision.

• Educational leaders maintain a cohesive process to develop, implement, and monitor a

dynamic, long-range, and systemic technology plan to achieve the vision.

• Educational leaders foster and nurture a culture of responsible risk-taking and advocate

policies promoting continuous innovation with technology.

• Educational leaders use data in making leadership decisions.

• Educational leaders advocate for research-based effective practices in the use of

technology.
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The above indicators will help to divulge the level of technology leadership present at Horry

County Education Center.

Indicators

The first indicator states that the educational leader will develop and facilitate the unified vision

for technology in the educational body. The administrator at Horry County Education Center,

Mr. Jimmy McCullough, has created an educational body that embraces this indicator with

research-based initiatives to incorporate online curriculum programs to aide students by offering

a wider array of courses to which students can achieve credit in. Upon conducting this interview

Mr. McCullough has spent many hours conducting research on the use of online curricula and

settled on Edgenuity as it fit the niche for his educational body. Part of the vision for Horry

County Education Center is that each student will be provided with “… a personalized learning

plan” (Our Schools/Our Mission, 2019). Achieving this vision has been more easily

accomplished with the incorporation of the new technologically based model.

Between the policies for Horry County Education Center and Horry County Schools it

appears to be a collective effort that facilitates the dynamic, long range, and systematic plans for

technology. Horry County Education Center along with all Horry County Schools is classified

as a one-to-one school that incorporates a digital device for every student. This classifies as both

a systematic and long-range plan, as this plan is equipped with refresh time frames for replacing

technology for more updated versions. Horry County Education Center also has more dynamic

plans involving the growth of the Edgenuity online curriculum. The administrative team

including the curriculum coach, Ms. Kendal Hughes, have been working together to create a plan

to efficiently implement Edgenuity. In her interview Ms. Hughes stated that they are making
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constant adjustments and providing more training for teachers to best serve their students and

provide a quality learning experience. As part of the Horry County Schools Strategic plan for

2016-2021 the district demonstrates its dedication to developing technology use in the classroom

by setting a goal to “provide professional development on the intentional use of technology,

digital content, and engagement structures in teaching and learning”. (2017)

The interview with Mr. McCullough demonstrated a level of risk-taking on his part, as he

was a new principal he decided to completely change the learning model for Horry County

Education Center. This opportunity included making a transition from a more traditional style of

classroom environment with outdated technology that barely worked and a technological

network that was failing and turning it into one that is technology centered and providing more

opportunities for students. This is a posture that he appears to take continually while fighting to

keep the new model for Horry County Education Center efficient and up to date during his tenure

as he continues to perfect the technological infrastructure for his educational body.

As stated by Earl Lorna administrators are “faced with the daunting task of anticipating

the future and making conscious adaptations to their practices, in order to keep up and to be

responsive to an ever-changing environment” (2003) and lends itself to the employment of data

within the educational body. When the administrative team for Horry County Education Center

was asked about the use of data in decision making, the answer was a resounding YES. They

followed the statement up with the comment that every decision is backed with data including

teacher performance data, disciplinary data, student performance data, and research data to make

sure that the changes being presented are warranted and, once made, effective. Video evidence

was shown of faculty meetings as the data was being presented to faculty to show how the
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technology heavy model was being effective as well as some areas of deficiency that showed

room for adjustment and growth.

As presented earlier Mr. McCullough and his administrative team have been advocates of

research-based technology advancements in the school and classroom. During his interview Mr.

McCullough presented that he spent months researching the new direction for Horry County

Education Center. This research included reviewing data and previously discovered research,

along with visiting similar programs and judging their effectiveness. Included in this was a

sampling of different programs to pick the one that best fit the needs for Horry County Education

Center and its needs. The culmination of this data and research has led Horry County Education

Center to the effective educational body that it is today.

Summary

Horry County Education Center is classified as an alternative education school that is in

the process of undergoing a massive shift in paradigm. The administrative unit for this

educational body has taken the role as technological leaders in the school and have helped to

better meet the needs of its students with incorporation of Standard 1 of the NETS-A standards

and incorporating its indicators. This is being done by being a visionary leader, developing and

implementing plans for improvement, developing policies that nurture technology innovation,

employing data towards the decisions of technology, and the advocation of research-based

practices. Each of these indicators have been met and are continuing to grow and change within

this educational body.

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REFERENCES

Earl, L., & Fullan, M. (2003). Using data in leadership for learning. Cambridge journal of

education, 33(3), 383-394.

Horry County Schools Strategic Plan 2016-2021. (2017, April). Retrieved June 16, 2019, from

https://www.horrycountyschools.net/cms/lib/SC02209139/Centricity/Domain/2858/HCS_Strateg

ic_Plan_SDE_Update_2017.pdfnet/domain/1251

Our School / Our Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2019, from

https://www.horrycountyschools.net/domain/1251