Week 1

 Week 1     March 16-23

    A good mentor possesses qualities that facilitate effective teamwork. The mentor's response time should be commensurate with their ability to stay on topic. Yet a good mentor also teaches you things that you can't get in a textbook. As my mentor and I both have demanding schedules, the most challenging part of our relationship is that I record our conversations so that I may go back to them when I'm writing. Taking notes is time-consuming, and I wouldn't want to drag things down by asking him to repeat himself. Accessibility through email with prompt responses is also helpful. I'm hesitant to go elsewhere for a technology coach because our tiny district only has one. My pool of potential mentors is small, so I'm crossing my fingers that he approves of my pick. Vision and mission statements help organizations stay focused on their long-term purpose. The district's vision and mission statement should be developed or assumed by a technology coach. Given that I am not currently working as a technology coach for a school district, it will be interesting to see how closely my personal vision and mission statement match those of any potential employers. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is widely regarded as a leader in the field because of its "belief(s) in the ability of technology to alter teaching and learning" (ISTE, 2022). ISTE defines Visionary Leadership as follows: "Technology Coaches inspire and engage in the development and implementation of a common vision for the holistic integration of technology to promote excellence and support transformational change throughout the educational environment" (Gann, 2022). Because of this, it is my life's work to encourage the widespread use of the least-resisting, most cost-effective educational technologies that thoroughly address our most distinctive pedagogical approaches to fostering student engagement and originality in the classroom. Furthermore, it is a goal of mine to see all kids making use of readily available, engaging, and informative digital tools for learning in order to achieve academic achievement. Aligning with ISTE's description for technology coaches, these statements provide support for the role of a visionary leader and change agent outlined in ISTE-C Standard 1. Both advocate for the seamless use of technology in the classroom and work to improve teaching and learning. Our little district finished building its sole buildings—a brand-new elementary school, middle school, high school, and district office—last year. The visionary crew ensured that all students had access to and made use of cutting-edge digital learning tools. Thus, we will spend the next 12 months building a technology plan to investigate the tools at our disposal, select those we will employ, and map out a strategy to ensure that all students make optimal use of them in their pursuit of academic achievement. While fresh hardware is great, it's important to check in on the technology's replacement schedule in the life cycle plan. We need to provide induction and refresher training for instructors on the latest tools and platforms. As an added measure, we need to look into alternative funding options to maintain developing educational technology. Finally, we need to examine the processes and rules at the district level that govern the disposal of outdated equipment and the introduction of new pieces of hardware. For 2019, we intend to have our tech advice website updated with new content. Future strategic planning meetings should have set deadlines to ensure we continue to do our homework and keep our eyes on the prize.

Gann, K. (2022, June 9). ISTE. ISTE. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/explore/ISTE-Standards-in-Action/ISTE-Standards-for-Coaches-1%3A-Visionary-leadership

ISTE. (2022). ISTE. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/about/about-iste