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Running Head: SHARED VISION & RATIONALE

Avery Elementary School’s Shared Vision & Rationale

Caitlin Lyons

ITEC 7410: Instructional Technology Leadership

Spring 2021

Dr. David Beeland

Keywords: shared vision, technology, collaboration, integration, implementation, 1:1

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Avery Elementary School’s Shared Vision & Rationale

Shared Vision Statement

Avery Elementary School takes pride in being innovative and collaborative.

Teachers at the school work to ensure all student needs are met and are given the best

quality education possible. One way they make this possible is through the use of

technology. Like education, the world of technology is constantly evolving with new

tools, resources, and devices being introduced into the classroom setting frequently. It is

our vision to provide students and teachers with equal access to technology teachers and

coaches, updated equipment, and relevant tools and resources. Through this vision, we

can continue to provide students an engaging, innovative, and collaborative environment

in which they can learn and explore.

Rationale

Cherokee County School District is a strong supporter of improving schools with

technology resources and professional learning. Avery Elementary School (AES) has at

least five desktops in each classroom, two dedicated computer labs, and almost enough

computers, laptops, or iPads for every student. Every school year, the district allocates

funds for teachers to receive direct Professional Learning on technology tools and

resources once a month from a district-appointed Technology Coach. This is a great

opportunity for teachers to grow their knowledge of effective technology usage in the
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classroom outside of the usual instructional presentation model. While this is a good start,

I believe there is room to grow and improve for Avery Elementary.

Avery Elementary is not a Title I School, therefore, it does not get specific federal

funding to help improve academic achievement and enhance learning opportunities

("Title I Schools - Cherokee County School District", n.d.). Although the school has

many technology resources, the school does not currently have an enhanced budget to put

towards updating our digital equipment or purchasing enough technology for 1:1. By

successfully implementing the shared vision, AES can provide equitable access for

“robust and reliable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources,

with connectivity for all students, including those with special needs, teachers, staff, and

school leaders” ("Equitable access | ISTE", 2021). The school’s principal, Dr. Lisa

Turner, illustrated in her School Improvement Plan the desire to create an enriching

learning environment with the use of technology and collaboration in order to inspire

life-long learners (Turner, 2021). This can be achievable by equipping teachers and

classrooms with the necessary technology to deepen student thinking and learning

opportunities. By providing Avery Elementary School with equitable access to

technologies and digital resources, we can begin bridging the digital divide where it

matters most: in the classroom.

One of the best qualities of an Avery educator is how driven they are to continue

to learn and grow in their profession. With new digital resources becoming available or

evolving, it is important now more than ever to provide ongoing professional learning to

the teachers and staff. According to ISTE, ongoing professional learning is defined as,
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“technology-related professional learning plans and opportunities with dedicated time to

practice and share ideas” ("Ongoing professional learning | ISTE", n.d.). In order for

educators to push for deeper learning, they first need to know how to effectively use the

technology and digital tools that they are provided with. After surveying the AES staff, a

majority of teachers agreed that they would benefit from ongoing professional learning

with tools and digital resources that are relevant to them. Many stated that with consistent

professional development, they would feel more confident in successfully using the given

technology, therefore, be more willing to try it. It is important to equip educators not only

with the hardware, but also with the tools and skills to effectively use the technology. I

also believe it would be more beneficial for teachers to receive technology-focused

professional learning more frequently and in a setting that they are more likely to put

what they are learning into practice, such as their own classroom. Through this model,

teachers are able to see the tools and resources in action, be able to ask questions, and

provide their students with effective training from a technology coach.

Diversity Considerations

All students at Avery Elementary School have access to technology such as

desktops, laptops, and iPads in the classroom. However, due to being shy of 1:1 devices,

not all students get to touch these digital tools daily. When students get consistent access

to technology, their digital literacy becomes more fluent and their ability to effectively

use digital tools and resources gets stronger. This is extremely important for students of

low socioeconomic status because school may be the only opportunity for them to use

digital devices. By implementing this Shared Vision, these students will have daily access
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to practice and use the technology they need such as Office 365 tools, iReady instruction,

interactive classroom instruction (Nearpod), learning games, and more. Furthermore,

with more learning devices available, low SES students are able to continue to the Device

Check-Out program to give them reliable access to technology at home. Just over the past

year, it has become more imperative for students to be able to access internet and learning

devices at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has sent countless Avery students

home for virtual learning. The digital divide also causes problems for students wanting to

continue their learning outside of school hours (“Digital Divide”, 2021). When students

have available technology at home, they are given countless opportunities to learn, grow,

and succeed that they may not have had otherwise.

Traditionally, the concept of technology is very male focused. Even in an AES

classroom, the boys are more likely to run towards a computer-based activity than the

girls. This is an issue because digital equity starts in elementary school and grows

exponentially throughout the remainder of a student’s education. However, we can help

to bridge the gap by providing equal access not only to digital devices, but also programs

targeted towards educating elementary girls on a variety of tech classes such as

programming, coding, multimedia studies and graphic design (Ring, 2008). We can also

educate these girls on safe internet practices. Plan International (n.d.) states, “Ensuring

girls are aware of the risks associated with using technology and being online and know

what to do and who to contact if anything makes them feel uneasy is a crucial part of

closing the digital gender gap”. Parents and teachers want their students to be safe when

they are on the internet and girls are more likely to get harassed than boys. Therefore, by
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providing them with an opportunity to learn internet safety and explore digital tools, girls

can feel more confident in the technology world as they get older knowing they are

educated on safe internet practices.

Stakeholder Roles

Avery Elementary School is a collaborative environment. All stakeholders work

together to ensure the success of our students both inside and outside the classroom. This

is extremely important with technology because in order to continue to be successful,

everyone must play a role to ensure our students are continuing to grow their learning.

All stakeholders will work together to effectively implement this Shared Vision of

equitable access to technology equipment, training, and digital tools and resources.

Teachers

Teachers play a vital role in the implementation of this Shared Vision. Teachers

will actively participate in Professional Development on effective practices for digital

tools and resources. They will use this knowledge to create engaging and meaningful

lessons and activities for the students using the chosen technology. They will be equipped

with knowledge about troubleshooting, personalized learning opportunities for students,

differentiation, and assessment analyzing solutions.

Technology Coach

A Technology Coach is an imperative piece for the success of the Shared Vision. In order

for the chosen technology to make an impact in the classroom, teachers first have to have

the knowledge of how to utilize it in the classroom to leverage deeper learning (“Ongoing

professional learning | ISTE”, n.d.) The Technology Coach will work directly with the
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teachers to provide Professional Development on effective practices for engaging,

authentic learning opportunities and assessment uses. They will also work with the

teachers in the classroom to provide modeling and direct technology instruction for the

students. Some examples of the coaching that could be provided involve Nearpod,

Canvas, BrainPop, Quizizz, Adobe Spark, and Office 365. With the help of a Technology

Coach, teachers will be able to move their practices into the digital age. Finally, they will

check-in with teachers on a regular basis to assist with any rising needs or questions, or

provide further Professional Development one-on-one.

Administrators

Everyone looks to administration for guidance and approval. With administrators

supporting and participating in the Shared Vision plan, all other stakeholders will feel

encouraged to implement the plan to the fullest potential. Admin will work with the

teachers and Technology Coach to develop a plan of action for implementing the Shared

Vision, as well as create a list and schedule of top priority Professional Development

topics for the teachers. Administration will ensure all stakeholders are familiar with the

plan and understand the steps needed in order to put it into practice, and will also educate

the families on the topic. Finally, they will monitor teacher engagement and

implementation of digital resources.

Students

Students at Avery Elementary School are the reason this Shared Vision is so

important. They are directly affected by the implementation of this plan and will benefit

the most from it. Students will participate in meaningful, engaging learning tasks that are
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both teacher and student led. They will use digital tools and resources daily to enhance

learning opportunities and participate in personalized learning. They will continue to

work towards excellence in all they do and maintain a growth mindset as they learn these

new tools and resources.

Families

Families have a large influence in the success of this Shared Vision. Families will

continue to stay in communication with the school and their students’ teachers through

Canvas and email. They will encourage their students to actively participate in learning in

and out of the classroom. Parents will have opportunities to attend learning sessions on

the digital tools and resources that are used in the classroom in order to be able to assist

their student with home projects and assignments.

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References

4 steps to advance digital equality for girls. Plan International. Retrieved 29 March 2021,

from https://plan-international.org/education/4-steps-digital-equality-girls.

Digital Divide. Close the Gap Foundation. (2021). Retrieved 29 March 2021, from

https://www.closethegapfoundation.org/digital-divide?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oCDBh

CPARIsAII3C_Hc5TcRtKJbAvIUP5fbv6EMEYXs_ujU22MLoNU_5afZwQPISv

kvVCEaAp__EALw_wcB.

Equitable access | ISTE. Iste.org. (2021). Retrieved 24 March 2021, from

https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions/equitable-access.

Ongoing professional learning | ISTE. Iste.org. Retrieved 27 March 2021, from

https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions/ongoing-professional-learning.

Ring, S. (2008). Tech gURLs: Closing the Technological Gender Gap. Edutopia.

Retrieved 29 March 2021, from

https://www.edutopia.org/computer-science-technology-gender-gap.

Title I Schools - Cherokee County School District. Cherokeek12.net. Retrieved 27 March

2021, from

https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/divisions-curriculum-title-i-schools.

Turner, L. (2021). 2020-21 School Improvement Plan Executive Summary [Ebook]. Avery

Elementary School. Retrieved 23 March 2021, from

https://www.cherokeek12.net/userfiles/24/my%20files/2020-21%20sip%20for%2

0avery%20es.pdf?id=21188.