Educational Goals and a Vision of Learning Through Technology
Before technology is purchased or teachers participate in their first
professional development session, the educational goals for students
should be determined. What do students need to learn, and how can
technology promote those learning goals? To answer these questions, the
school can convene a technology planning team comprising administrators,
teachers, other instructional staff, technology coordinators, students,
parents, and representatives of the community. This team first develops
a clear set of goals, expectations, and criteria for student learning
based on national and state standards, the student population, and
community concerns. Next, it determines the types of technology that
will best support efforts to meet those goals. The viewpoints of parents
and community members are helpful in presenting a broader perspective
of skills that students need to succeed after school. In fact,
communitywide involvement in determining the school's technology goals
benefits the entire educational process (Byrom & Bingham, 2001;
Panel on Educational Technology, 1997). Rather than using technology for
technology's sake, the planning team ensures that particular
educational objectives are achieved more efficiently, in more depth, or
with more flexibility through technology. Cuban (cited in Trotter, 1998)
states, "The obligation is for educators, practitioners, and
educational policymakers to think about what they are after. Only with
clear goals can educators be intelligent about how much they want to
spend for what purpose and under what conditions." If there is a clear
understanding of the purpose of and type of technology used, evaluating
the impact is easier and more valuable. According to Hawkins, Panush,
and Spielvogel (1996) and Byrom & Bingham (2001), school districts
that successfully integrate technology show a clear and meaningful
connection between technology and larger educational goals. Next, the
planning team develops a vision of how technology can improve teaching
and learning. Without a vision, lasting school improvement is almost
impossible (Byrom & Bingham, 2001). Team members come to consensus
in answering the question How Will You Use Technology to Support Your
Vision of Learning? Essential to this vision is an emphasis on
meaningful, engaged learning with technology, in which students are
actively involved in the learning process. Educational technology is
less effective when the learning objectives are unclear and the focus of
the technology use is diffuse (Schacter, 1999). The school's vision of
learning through technology also emphasizes the importance of all
students having equitable access and use of technology—females,
special-needs students, minority students, disadvantaged students,
students at risk of educational failure, rural and inner-city students.
All students need opportunities to use technology in meaningful,
authentic tasks that develop higher-order thinking skills. (For further
information, refer to the Critical Issue "Ensuring Equitable Use of
Education Technology."
