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Running Head: SHARED VISION & RATIONALE

Shared Vision and Rationale

Patrick Collins

ITEC 7410: Instructional Technology Leadership

Spring 2020

Dr. Angela Bacon

Keywords​: shared vision, technology, education, 21st century skills, student-centered

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Shared Vision and Rationale

Shared Vision Statement

The vision of Gwinnett County Public Schools is to be a system of world-class

schools focused on helping students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be

successful in college and careers. Aligned with the vision of the district, the vision of

Lanier High School is to ensure students reach their full potential so that they can be

world-class citizens who positively impact their community and are prepared for college

or the workforce. We believe that technology is integral to ensure that all of our students

acquire the skills necessary to be professionals and citizens in the 21st century, and it is

our vision that technology is used to create meaningful and authentic learning

experiences that encourage critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and

creativity. Within the next five years, we will ensure that our teachers receive adequate

training so that they can effectively use technology within their classrooms to improve

teaching and learning. We will also purchase enough devices so that every classroom is

one-to-one, further ensuring equitable access to all of our students. Our teachers will

ensure that they are using technology to help provide student-centered learning

experiences that are authentic and meaningful. Our teachers will also ensure that students

are acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century. We

believe that by improving the use of technology within our school, our students will be
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better prepared for what challenges they may face in college and their career during the

21st century.

Rationale

Following a needs assessment by administrators, instructional technology coach,

teachers, and community members, it has been deemed necessary to develop a shared

vision for technology use at Lanier High School. While the district does have a strategic

plan which includes a vision technology use (“Strategic Direction”, 2010, p. 9), Lanier

High School does not currently have a vision for technology use and there is little to no

mention of technology within the school improvement plan (“Local School Plan for

Improvement”, 2019). Teachers have expressed interest in better utilizing technology to

improve teaching and learning, but they feel lost on how to begin. They feel as though a

defined vision for technology use would not only provide direction for those teachers

interested, but would also encourage apprehensive teachers to try implementing

technology. In conjunction with the administration, instructional technology coach, and

community leaders, the teachers developed the following goals regarding technology use

at Lanier High School. These goals serve as a guide for all stakeholders in ensuring that

our students are acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to be a citizen and

professional in the 21st century.

The students in our schools today do not remember a time without smartphones,

with the class of 2020 being, at most, six-years old when the iPhone was released in

2007. Today’s students have grown up immersed with knowledge and entertainment a

simple swipe and touch away. Roblyer and Hughes (2019) found that many teachers are
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feeling the demand from students for lessons that are more engaging with highly visual

and interactive resources, and while it does not matter if teaching is directed or

constructivist, technology integration is the key to increasing the motivation of 21st

century students (p. 57). The luxury of technology, and in particular the internet, is that it

opens the classroom to a variety of these tools and resources that students are seeking,

with many of them coming at little to no cost to the teacher. At Lanier High School,

teachers will begin the journey towards digitally enhanced lessons by integrating digital

formative assessments throughout lessons. Not only will these tools provide teachers with

the ability to assess learning within the classroom, they also empower students to reflect

on their own learning as well (“Top Tech Tools”, 2019). We know that students learn

quicker and more deeply the smaller the feedback loop is, and these assessment tools

provide that through instantaneous feedback. As teachers become more comfortable with

integrating technology, they will begin to utilize more advanced tools, such as

simulations, augmented reality, and virtual reality. These tools can provide students with

experiences that they might not be able to have otherwise. While many experiments in

subject areas can be cost or time prohibitive for students to experience, simulations can

provide a way to remove material cost and allow for the manipulation of time. While a

class could not reasonably take a trip to see the Colosseum in Rome, augmented and

virtual reality can provide a way for students to experience the magnitude of it. These

tools provide a unique way of making the internet an experience for students that can

evoke feelings of presence, embodiment, agency, and empathy (Yaakov as cited in

Roblyer & Hughes, 2019, p. 222). The goal of emphasizing technology integration is to
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enhance the learning experience of our students by allowing them access to opportunities

impossible without.

With the wealth of knowledge located on the internet accessible to us from

anywhere and at any time, simply knowing something is no longer a desirable skill in the

21st century. “Framework for 21st Century Learning” (2019) asserts that, in order to

prepare students for 21st century problems, teachers need to emphasize the development

of learning, innovation, information, media, and technology skills. As society becomes

more complex and connected, students need to be prepared to learn a variety of topics

independently, and then be able to synthesize all that they have learned to create solutions

to the world’s complex problems. As part of the district’s “Strategic Direction” (2010), a

direct investment was made in a learning management system so that teachers could

extend teaching and learning beyond the walls of the classroom (p. 9). To promote this

vision and emphasize the skills described within the Framework for 21st Century

learning, the teachers at Lanier High School will utilize our learning management system

to flip their classroom and create a student-centered learning environment. Nouri (2016)

surveyed students learning through flipped classroom and discovered that the students’

reactions were generally positive this method of learning citing the level of

individualization it provided for each learner as the main rationale. The study found even

greater positive reactions among the low-achieving students, in comparison to the

high-achieving students, due to the fact that this teaching model allowed them to

consume the content at their own pace (Nouri, 2016), whereas in a face-to-face lecture,

the content might move too quickly for these same students (Young et al., 2009).
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Teachers will develop a variety of introductory materials for their lessons, such as videos,

simulations, slide decks, or exploratory research, to provide students with the initial

knowledge required to participate in a class activity. These materials are not intended to

provide complete instruction necessarily, but enough to encourage curiosity and a

working knowledge on the topic. This will make coursework among multiple subjects

each night manageable for students. Teachers will host these materials on the learning

management system so they are accessible to anyone at any time, including parents and

administrators. These stakeholders will be encouraged to access these resources, as they

provide an overview of what students are working on in class. By moving content

consumption online for independent study, students will receive more ownership of their

own learning, and class activities can focus more on high-order thinking skills that

deepen student learning.

One of the defining characteristics of the 21st century is how connected our

society has become due to the internet. Web 2.0 tools, such as social media applications,

provide us with endless connections to those near and far and have redefined what it

means to collaborate. Since the early 1990s, companies' expectations of what skills

professionals should have has continued to shift towards greater focus on collaboration

and teamwork, in addition to the ability to adapt and learn quickly (Kane, Berryman,

Goslin, & Meltzer, 1990, pp. 5-6). In order to prepare students for this environment,

Levey and Sidhun (2013) assert that schools should aim to provide students with

project-based learning experiences that allow students to solve real-world problems and

utilize collaborative technology to ensure professional success over the long-term. With
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this in mind, the teachers at Lanier High School will focus on creating project-based

learning experiences where students will work together to solve real-world problems.

Paired with the flipped classroom, students can explore introductory content on their own

outside of class, and then utilize class time to work together to apply what they know to

solve real-world problems related to the content. Students will work together to further

explore the issue and related topics, using social media and research tools. The students

will then synthesize this information and utilize a variety of tools, such as graphic design

software, audio/video software, and web development software, to demonstrate their

understanding and create a solution. By utilizing project-based learning, students are not

only receiving an authentic learning experience by solving real-world problems and

working with others, they are also learning to take ownership of their own learning,

which promotes lifelong learning (“Why Is Project-Based Learning Important”, 2007).

As an added benefit, project-based learning also gives teachers the opportunity to

introduce industry professional and technology tools to students for them to experience in

an authentic setting. This leads to greater digital literacy, as well as deeper, more engaged

learning.

Diversity Considerations

When considering increased technology integration in Lanier High School, it is

important for us to consider the implications that it may have on our diverse population.

The goal of our shared vision for technology use is enhance teaching and learning, but

also to help reduce the digital inequity within our community through the responsible

implementation of that vision. For the 2018-2019 school year, 35% of our students were
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of low socioeconomic status (“Accountability Report,” 2019). According to Steele

(2019), these students are ten-times less likely to have a computer and twenty-times less

likely to have internet when compared to high-income households. By increasing

technology use within the classroom and implementing teaching methodologies that

extend beyond the classroom, we would be increasing the digital divide for our students

of low-income households. In an effort to combat this, our vision commits to ensuring

that all students have access to a device (Chromebook or similar) at all times, with the

end goal of purchasing and providing equal devices to all of our students. This initiative

would mitigate any additional issues that might arise from increased technology use

school-wide. With these devices, students will not only be able to actively participate in

day-to-day school activities, but also at home; however, the divide would still exist in

relation to internet access. In an effort to rectify this, our school will offer hours outside

of the school day where students and parents can come utilize the media center for access

to the internet via the desktop computers, or the public Wi-Fi network. Outside of school

hours, our school already serves as a community center for public use, so this initiative

would be easy to implement, and would further position the school as a community hub

and public resource. Not only would this help students acquire access, but it would also

provide families with access to the internet. The eventual goal is to be able to provide

each low-income family with a mobile hotspot that could be checked out from the school

to provide access to the internet from their home as well as from school. By putting these

initiatives in place, Lanier High School should be able to help reduce the digital divide

among students of low socioeconomic status.

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In addition to considering students of low socioeconomic status, we must also

consider how we are going to ensure the digital equity of our female students. Beede et.

al (2011) points out that only 24% of STEM workers are women (with the majority being

in the healthcare field), while they are 48% of the entire workforce. Fortunately, this is

not true for our STEM program, which has an almost equal representation of men and

women. Our program does an excellent job of bringing in female professionals to serve

as guest speakers and role models for STEM careers. While this is great for those select

students, we are undeserving the rest of our female student body that might not be

interested in the STEM program, which receives the majority of technology funding.

Brenston (1989) notes that part of the digital divide among women relates to how each

gender approaches technology. She goes further to say that men tend to approach

technology with the goal of mastering the process, while women tend to approach it with

a focus on the final result. This leads to men becoming labeled as “experts” of

technology, while women are labeled as simply “users” of technology; this creates a

divide by establishing stereotypes of who uses technology and for what reasons. To

address this issue, we will ensure that all courses, regardless of content, receive fair and

adequate funding to purchase appropriate career-specific technology in addition to

inviting female professionals to talk about technology in their career. This will lead to

more female students being exposed to a variety of technologies that are applicable to

their interests. By taking these steps, we can reduce the divide in how genders perceive

and utilize technology and ensure equitable access among all students.
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Stakeholder Roles

In order for our vision for technology to succeed, we need the contributions and

support of all members of the Lanier High School community. Each person serves a

purpose within our vision and it is imperative that they do what they can to ensure that

our vision is not only relevant, but also viable for our local community, as well as the

global community. If we are to guarantee the success of our students in the 21st century,

we must work together.

Administrators

The “ISTE Standards for Education Leaders” (n.d.) challenges leaders to use to

increase digital equity, establish a plan for technology implementation, empower teachers

to innovate with technology, build a system to support technology, and model technology

use. Our administrators play an important role as they ensure that our teachers and

students are supported on their journey to increased technology use. Prior to the start of

each school year, they will ensure that teachers and students have the technology needed

to implement the vision. At the beginning of each year, they will speak to the students to

clearly define what appropriate technology use looks like at school. Throughout the year,

they will also ensure that teachers receive the appropriate professional development

necessary to effectively implement the various technologies available into their

classroom. The administrators will frequently reference the shared vision and assess the

school’s progress towards that vision by talking to teachers and students about their

thoughts on the effectiveness of technology use.

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Instructional Technology Coach

​The “ISTE Standards for Coaches” (n.d.) challenges them to be an advocate for

technological change, model technology use and citizenship for stakeholders, collaborate

with colleagues on the design and implementation of technology, and provide meaningful

and data-driven professional development for technology use. The role of the

instructional technology coach is to ensure that all stakeholders have the knowledge

necessary to effectively achieve the shared vision. At the start of the year, they will

introduce teachers to the new technology available and current research-based strategies

related to technology use. As the year progresses, they will attend course team meetings

to aid in the design of technology-enhanced lessons. During this time, they will also

establish a coaching program and be available for teachers throughout the day.

Additionally, they will take note of how teachers are using technology in their classroom

so that the coach can provide relevant and meaningful professional development sessions

to aid in the success of the shared vision. The instructional technology coach will stay

informed on emerging technology tools and pedagogy, and then relay that information to

the stakeholders as needed.

Teachers

​The “ISTE Standards for Educators” (n.d.) challenges them to be life-long

learners of technology, lead others in technology use, inspire students to be responsible

digital citizens, collaborate with others to better design technology-infused lessons,

facilitate technology use, and analyze data to drive instruction. The role of each teacher is

to inspire students to think critically and creatively with how they utilize technology.
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Teachers will utilize technology to enhance their teaching and their students’ learning.

They will take advantage of the learning management system as a tool to not only

provide instructional materials to students, but to keep all stakeholders informed of what

is happening in the classroom. They will utilize technology to connect with the

community to design authentic learning experiences that will expose the students to a

variety of tools and resources. Additionally, they will continue to develop their

understanding of technology tools and pedagogy through professional development

opportunities to ensure they are implementing research-based best practices. It is the goal

of teachers to create an environment where students can cultivate the 21st century skills

necessary to be successful in college or career.

Students

Since this vision for technology is designed for the students of Lanier High

School, they serve an important role in ensuring its success. Students will adhere to the

technology use guidelines set forth by administration to ensure an effective learning

environment for all students. Students will make sure to complete assigned content for

flipped lessons prior to class, so that class time can be used for collaboration. Students

will remember to bring their devices to school so that they can actively participate in

class. While in class, students will focus on using technology to learn and demonstrate

what they have learned. Students will work collaboratively to explore the technology

available to them. Most importantly, students will take advantage of these resources to

their fullest extent to cultivate critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and

creativity.
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Family

For the vision to be completely effective, it is important that the families also

know the role that they play. One of the main goals of the shared vision is to extend

learning beyond the walls of the classroom, and we want families to be a part of this.

Families will make sure that they are receiving communication from the school in

addition to reading the weekly newsletter. They will look at the learning management

system from time to time to see what their student is learning and to ensure that their

students are keeping up with their assignments. They will communicate any concerns

they may have related to academic progress or technology usage as soon as they appear

so that adjustments or accomodations can be made. They will also communicate any

expectations for technology use to the school so that it can be considered for the shared

vision.
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References

Accountability Report: Lanier High School. (2019). ​Gwinnett County Public Schools.​

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-108bdbe7582e/LanierHS.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Beede, D., Julian, T., Langdon, D., McKittrick, G., Khan, B., & Doms, M.. (2011,

November 26). Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation [PDF]. ​U.S.

Department of Commerce.​ https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED523766.pdf

Brenston, M. (1989). Worlds Apart: Women, Men and Technology. Media & Values, 49.

Essential Conditions (n.d.). ISTE. https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions

Framework for 21st Century Learning [PDF]. (2019). ​Battelle for Kids.

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ISTE Standards for Educators. (n.d.). ​ISTE.​ https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

Kane, M., Berryman, S., Goslin, D., & Meltzer, A. (1990, September 14) The Secretary’s

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Higher Education,​ ​13(​ 1). doi:10.1186/s41239-016-0032-z

Roblyer, M. D., & Hughes, J. E. (2019). ​Integrating educational technology into

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Steele, C. (2019, February 23). What is the Digital Divide? ​Digital Divide Council.​

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