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Running Head: SHARED VISION & RATIONALE

Shared Vision and Rationale

Lauren Pittman

Instructional Technology Leadership

Summer 2021

Dr. David Beeland, Jr.

Keywords: shared vision, technology

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Shared Vision Statement

Gwinnett County Public School’s vision is to “become a system of world-class

schools where students acquire the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and

careers” (GCPS, 2021). As a reflection of this vision, Creekland Middle School is

committed to using technology as means for all students to demonstrate the skills and

knowledge necessary for higher education and careers of the 21st century. This vision

will be accomplished through the implementation of a 1:1 device implementation so all

students have access to equitable technology. In addition, Creekland Middle will employ

the use of the 4Cs necessary to participate in today’s global community; critical thinking,

creativity, collaboration, and communication. This model will compliment GCPS’s

existing Quality Plus Teaching Strategies instructional model. By blending the 4Cs and

QPTS, Creekland aims to create an engaging and personalized learning environment for

all.

● We value each student for their individual talents and contributions to the

Creekland community

● We value the investment in acquiring, supporting, and implementing technology

to support student learning

● We value our teachers and strive to provide continuous learning

opportunities to support their efforts of effective and meaningful technology

integration

● We value the efforts of our school leadership to model and demonstrate

research-based technology practices

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● We value our parents/guardians and community members and their

support of our goal of increasing student learning and personal growth.

Rationale

Creekland Middle School’s SIP and current vision/mission statement, there is no

mention of technology integration. This is in contrast to Gwinnett County’s

StrategicVision 2020-2030 which lists technology and digital resources specifically as a

tool to “facilitate teaching and learning, enhance communication, and strengthen the link

between home and school” (2020). In addition, the GCPS Strategic Vision also suggests

that the use of technology in the classroom will “incorporate emerging technologies into

classroom instruction, making learning real and relevant while preparing students to

compete globally after high school” (2020). These statements directly support GCPS’s

Vision to become a “ system of world-class schools where students acquire the

knowledge and skills to be successful in college and careers” (GCPS, 2021). As a school,

it is important that our vision supports the overarching statements distributed by our

school system. In addition, we need a vision statement that our teachers, staff,

administration, and community stakeholders can use as a communication piece to inform

them of the strategic plan of our goal to increase student learning. The vision statement

needs to consist of a common direction of growth that announces to our community

where we are going as a school and inspires our staff to reach these goals (Gabriel and

Farmer, 2009).

Creekland’s 1:1 technology model is designed to give all students equitable

access to broadband and hardware necessary to fully participate in digital learning. With

our diverse student population and approximately 50% of students receiving free and
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reduced lunch, it is necessary to recognize that not all students possess the same quality

of tools necessary to fully participate and receive the benefits of technology infusion. In

order to bridge the equity gap between our low SES and mid/upper SES, we need to

assist in providing our families that need assistance with the necessary tools for learning

at school and at home.

In order to fully support the 1:1 initiative, teachers need to be trained in student-

centered instructional models such as blended learning or flipped classrooms in order to

fully take advantage of the tools presented. Additional training on the TIM or SAMR

models to evaluate existing lessons for the opportunity for technology infusion. Matthew

Heifeld (2018) suggests a newer form of digital inequity is the lack of qualified teachers

who can offer technology-powered learning opportunities. Effective teacher training will

be pivotal if we want to encourage the creation of culturally relevant, engaging, and

meaningful learning for all students. In Sutton’s (2015) research on 1:1 implementation,

she notes that technology is a resource and not a viable solution without the support and

training of the teachers. How the tool is embraced and used by teachers is the ultimate

variable in successful 1:1 adaption.

Creekland’s 8th Grade STEM class has about 50/50 enrollment of boys to girls.

However, our Computer Science class only has about 10% female enrollment. The same

can be said for our Lego Robotics team. The introduction of a Girls Who Code club is a

possible solution to the gender gap felt in some of Creekland’s CIT classes. The creation

of this organization can demonstrate to girls that they do have opportunities in a

traditionally male-dominated field. The implementation of a Girls Who Code club, led by

a female teacher or female community member, would be an asset to the school. . By

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addressing this population we can empower girls by “recognizing the role of women and

girls not as users and consumers of technology, but also as developers and creators, too”

(Plan International, 2021).

The roles of the stakeholders will be relative to their roles within the Creekland

community. The Local School Technology Coordinator will be the primary leader and

organizer of technology implementation. This person will collect data on student access

to devices at home, facilitate and collect data regarding teacher professional development

opportunities, research and demonstrate instructional strategies related to technology

implementation, and work in tandem with school administration to make sure that all

efforts are aimed towards meeting our strategic goals and shared vision. In addition, this

person will work with the Technology Specialist Technician (TST) to make sure that

hardware and infrastructure are adequate to meet the instructional needs of the teachers.

The administration will serve as leaders and models of implementation. The

expectation of technology infusion needs to be clearly communicated by the

administration. Atkins and Vassau (2010) as cited by Waxman et. al (2013, p.188) states

that “teachers perceive that school principals’ attitudes toward technology are crucial in

promoting technology integration in schools”. If technology integration is not specifically

addressed in the SIP and shared vision then it will not be viewed as a goal for all parties

involved. Teachers will work collaboratively and have the opportunity to serve as

teacher-leaders for technology implementation. This group will assist the LSTC in

regards to areas and topics that classroom teachers are either struggling with or finding

success. Because this group is collaborating with their peers on a daily basis, they can

address any stresses that could possibly affect teacher morale.

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Student voice will also be included when considering activities and technology

integration. Through data collection, students will be able to provide feedback on their

personal experiences to assist in driving integration and forms of assessment to measure

their learning. The opportunity to create culturally relevant learning, and to develop

student leaders who can assist in making learning more relevant via student voice will be

a valuable tool in establishing the shared vision.

Parents are our students’ biggest cheerleaders and may feel disconnected from the

“new” way of learning. It is important that parents are communicated with on platforms

that are easy to use and that can be personalized. Using parents as our primary audience

of student learning outcomes can assist in closing the home-school gap. Demonstrating to

parents examples of student learning via social media, emails, websites, etc, can give

them a tangible view of how digital literacy and technology can assist students in our

goal of creating students for higher education and career opportunities. Minero (2017)

states “ digital outreach can help parents stay informed, become more involved, and be

better positioned to help with kids’ schoolwork—all factors driving better student

engagement and performance”.

In closing, the collaboration of the stakeholders can assist in driving the strategic

plan for meaningful technology integration for our students and reinforce the principles

of Creekland’s Shared Vision.

References

Gabriel, J. G., & Farmer, P. C. (2009). Developing a Vision and Mission. In How to help
your school thrive without breaking the bank. ASCD.
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Gwinnett County Public Schools (2020, March). Gwinnett County Schools Strategic
Vision 2020-2030. Suwanee, GA

Gwinnett County Public Schools. (2021). Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies..

https://www.gcpsk12.org/domain/11887.

Gwinnett County Public Schools. (2020, March). Gwinnett County Schools Strategic
Vision 2020-2030. Suwanee, GA
https://www.gcpsk12.org/cms/lib/GA02204486/Centricity/Domain/12274/Strategi
c-Direction-2020-2030_FEB_28_20.eq.pdf

Heifeld, M. (2018, October). [web log]. https://www.iste.org/explore/theres-more-digital-

equity-devices-and-bandwidth

Minero, E. (2017, November 22). Parent Engagement in the Digital Age. Edutopia.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/parent-engagement-digital-age.

Plan International. (2021). 4 steps to advance digital equality for girls. https://plan-
international.org/education/4-steps-digital-equality-girls.

Stauffer, B. (2020, May 7). What Are the 4 C's of 21st Century Skills? Digital Curriculum
for CTE & Elective Teachers. https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/four-cs-21st-
century-skills.

Sutton, N. (2015, March 26). What the Research Says about 1:1. Edutopia.
https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/what-research-says-about-11.

Waxman, H. C., Boriack, A. W., Lee, Y.-H., & MacNeil, A. (2013). Principals'
Perceptions of the Importance of Technology in Schools. Contemporary
Educational Technology, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/6102
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