School Administrators Technology Leadership and Teachers Technology Integration: A

Fundamental Approach in the New Normal System

by Romeo A. Pilongo
Master Teacher I (SHS)
SDO Marikina- Sta Elena High School

To be a principal in the 21st century school demands leadership of technology.

To be a leader of technology requires a willingness to learn, flexibility, and the capacity
to accept change as a constant factor. Adaptability and acceptance of ambiguity are
essential. Because technology changes continuously, there is no menu of technology
must dos and must haves. Instead, leaders of technology must be lifelong learners and
explorers of the new, the exciting, and the useful in technology (Grady 2011).
Leaders of technology encourage implementation of technology in instructional
strategies. Principals note teachers’ use of technology integration in the lessons they
observe. They help teachers establish goals for implementation of technology in
instructional strategies. Teachers are the key to implementation of technology in the
classroom.
Principals note that time to innovate and resources to support innovation are
essential. In some instances, principals have been able to use incentives to stimulate
“early adopters” to integrate technology in their instructional practices. Principal visibility
and support of teachers are essential. Monitoring the attainment of school goals is the
principals’ responsibility. Principals must work to remove roadblocks to technology use
to assure that teachers do not lose interest or become frustrated by technology
expectations. (Grady 2011).
What important is that leaders must also know what they do not know, and know
how to get that missing knowledge by mobilizing their own social networks. This will
requires the skills, attitudes and knowledge of the school head to become successful
digital leaders. It all begins with trust and confidence that they can do it. Digital
leadership is about establishing direction, influencing others, and initiating sustainable
change through the use of different technology, access of information in social network,
in order to anticipate changes that are so important to school success in the future.
More so, competence with technology integration is the basis for effective
change. Teachers will need to lead by modelling effective ICT skills and lifelong learning
strategies. Students will need to see their teachers applying technology in authentic and
integrated ways that will enable them to engage in problem solving, project collaboration
and in creatively extending their abilities and capacities to acquire and construct
knowledge. The successful integration of ICT into the classroom will depend on the
ability of teachers to structure the learning environment in new ways, to merge the new
technology with a new pedagogy, to develop socially active classrooms, encouraging
co-operative interaction, collaborative learning and group work. This requires a different
set of classroom management skills.
The teaching skills of the future will include the ability to develop innovative ways
of using technology to enhance the learning environment, and to encourage technology
literacy, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation. Teacher’s professional learning
is a crucial component of this educational improvement. However, professional learning
has an impact only if it is focused on specific changes in teaching.
 The key individual in helping students develop those capabilities and skills is the
classroom teacher. The teacher is responsible for establishing the classroom
environment in preparing and learning opportunities to facilitate students’ skills and
competencies in order to learn and communicate. Consequently, it is important that all
classroom teachers are prepared to provide their students with such opportunities.
The Philippine Government has shown serious commitment to ICT in education
by announcing a series of initiatives to apply ICT in teaching and learning. These were
aligned to the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All movements.
They have provided a global policy environment for the directions and nature of
interventions towards the achievement of improved access to and quality of basic
education. Other key policy documents have identified the need for ICT reform within
the education sector and these have resulted in more prioritizing from regions, schools
and teachers regarding the incorporation of ICT into the education system.
Consequently, DepEd (2019) stipulated that the secretary Leonor Magtolis
Briones highlighted the challenges of technological advancements confronting today’s
education leaders during the Third National Assembly of Education Leaders (NAEL) last
September 24 in Marriott Hotel, Pasay City.
Speaking before 4,000 leaders from the Department of Education (DepEd),
composed of directors, superintendents, supervisors, and principals, Briones discussed
the challenges that Philippine teachers must hurdle: to change the way teachers teach
the learners; to produce a new breed of learners; to upgrade the capacity of teachers;
and to improve the educational facilities and equipment. Briones said that the rise of
artificial intelligence has changed the way people learn as educational materials have
become accessible to all through smart devices and computers. She added that the
Department must respond to these changes as it continues to propel an educated
human society.
Citing the realities of genetic engineering, robotics, and brain implants, she
stressed the possibility of immortality when artificial intelligence harmonizes and
integrates with humans. “We are going beyond the Fourth Industrial Revolution as we
are moving from homosapiens to home deus brought by scientific and technological
advances. We are not talking about what is to come, but what is now, and our response
to the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution which transforms institutions and
industries,” Briones stated.
She also challenged the participants on how to teach in the 21 st century with all
the changes and new discoveries: “You know how your parents and your professors
taught? You know how to teach in the present. But how are you going to teach in this
time of 21st century and of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?”
Mentioning the scarcity of data in the past when the books were the only source of
information, Briones cited the internet and artificial intelligence as useful sources of
information.
“You have enormous amounts of data which are useful, which make the life of
learners satisfactory, but we need to teach especially the SHS [learners] to discern and
differentiate what data is relevant and important, how to synthesize data, and what do
these data mean to us. Artificial knowledge has increased access to education and it is
replacing knowledge teaching. All our future narratives involve algorithms, but if we are
not careful, they could replace us altogether,” she said.
 Briones said that in this digital age, learners are often more exposed to different
environmental technologies that could influence their behavior: “This is not to say that
the youth’s values are failing, but the world is changing, the values of society, and the
grown-ups are also changing.” the Secretary then challenged the education leaders to
influence the learners in shaping their values: “Our institution should hone our learners
to contribute to a more inclusive, just, peaceful, and sustainable world.”
Additionally, Estopace’s article posted in the Philippine Star Global stated that
there is a consensus among educators that enhancing 21st century skills will allow
nations to prepare the future workforce to succeed in a fast-paced, highly competitive
global economy. This was the opening statement of Gordon Payne, divisional director of
i21 Events Group-UK, at the opening of the second Bett Asia Leadership Summit in
Singapore on Wednesday. Payne welcomed 100 speakers from 30 countries and over
600 conference delegates to the annual gathering of top educators, policymakers, and
school leaders across Asia to discuss technology’s evolving role in education.
Indeed, there was a consensus among speakers and presenters that
transformation is happening across society, not just in education, and the challenge for
educators is to be able to gaze into the looking glass with a clear sense of purpose and
adapt to the sweeping changes.
Thus, The Department of Education (DepEd) (2016) has always
underscored the importance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) not
only in governance and management but also in enhancing the teaching and learning
process. DepEd recognizes that ICT is a vital tool in transforming basic education to
ensure that our students are equipped with the needed 21st century skills to become
successful and productive members of the digital global community. ICT undertakings at
the Department started in the 60s with the introduction of radio broadcast in education
and by the 70s, educational programs were being produced for television.
What Deped Official Statement last May 5, 2020 stated that “It is our ultimate
goal to facilitate the safe return of our teachers and learners to schools without the
worry for COVID-19 but until such time is already possible, we will do everything in our
capacity to carry on so that basic education will still be available despite the crisis. We
expect a grueling transition and we will need the help and support of all our
stakeholders. There will be birth pains in this path but we look forward in having our
teachers, our parents, our learners, and our communities as allies who will work with us
to provide valuable insights and contributions. We reiterate the importance of education
to bring normalcy to the lives of our learners but their health and safety, ultimately, is
most important.”
In conclusion, what matters most is that we need to adopt a change in this new
normal system in our education. With the help of the administrators who equip with
knowledge and skills in technology and the teacher’s integration in the classroom (using
different platforms), it is possible to produce quality learners. At first, it’s difficult and lots
of struggles and challenges arises but if we help each other, the impossible will become
possible. Like what John C Maxwell said that “A leader who produces other leaders
multiplies their influencer.”
References:
DepEd (2016). Building the digital infrastructure bridging the education divide.
Department of Education, Central Office, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City

DepEd (2019). Briones: Rise of artificial intelligence, challenge to education leaders.

https://www.deped.gov.ph/2019/10/09/briones-rise-of-artificial-intelligence-
challenge-to-education-leaders/

Estopace, E. (2015). Wanted: Smarter use of technology for education. Philippine Star
Global. https://www.philstar.com/business/technology/2015/11/22/1524753/wanted-
smarter-use-technology-education

Grady, M Grade Inflation 2005-2008 in the Institute of Technology Sector: Declining

Standards, Paper 8, Network for Irish Educational Standards. Retrieved from
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_2005_2008_in_the_Institute_of_Technology_Sector_Declining_Standards_Paper_8_N
etwork_for_Irish_Educational_Standards_Available_at_httpwwwstopgradeinflationieIoT
_2005_2008