about what instructional approaches take best advantage of the technology we have. And good for you! By simply reading this ar- ticle, you’re on your way.
9.
B.Y.O.When you did your technol- ogy inventory, there was probably a huge cache of equipment you over-
looked. That’s the technology that belongs to your students and staff. Many respondents urged schools to find ways to take advantage of this huge resource.
“I think we need to encourage schools to
develop policies that allow students to bring their own devices to school,” opined one respondent. “Schools could work with ven- dors to offer one or two standard models to be purchased at discount. Require standard software. Set up guest accounts so security issues don’t get in the way.” Benefits of such a program would include the fact students would have their technology 24/7 and the money saved “could then be used to level the playing field by providing devices for stu- dents who aren’t able or don’t wish to pur- chase their own.” Perhaps a less ambitious suggestion is
simply to start looking at smartphones as an educational tool rather than an annoying distraction. Yes, said one respondent, “This is a real stretch for many schools” who fear students will spend their time texting and visiting their social networking sites. “But many teachers already admit to allowing a student to Google something in class during a lesson.” Why not embrace the smartphone and make it our friend? “This includes al- lowing teachers to access their own devices rather than have a policy that prevents it. Part of the learning curve for all of us in the 21st century is how and when to use these devices appropriately.”
10.
Enlist the kids. One of the most underutilized tech- nology resources, said one
respondent, is students! “Talk to your stu- dents and ask what they would like to do. Many students already use technology far more than their teachers.” Let students sug- gest methods and ways to put your technol- ogy to work. As another put it, “Kids are great at finding out what works and what
September/October 2011 11
doesn’t for themselves. By turning the tech- nology over to the kids, you can harness their creativity!”
Programs are available to help students
join your technology efforts in structured ways. One is MOUSE Squad, a student- driven technical support help desk program
that addresses the technology needs of ele- mentary, middle and high schools. Another is GenYES, a program in which students help teachers use technology in classrooms, supporting effective technology integration school-wide. Research studies have found that GenYES actually changes the way teach- ers integrate technology in their lessons. There you have them: 10 ideas distilled
from 126 enthusiastic responses to a simple question, “How can schools get more value out of the technology they already have?” To find links to the various programs and refer- ences above and to see the full text of all the replies, visit
http://portical.org/getmore. n
A former elementary school principal, Michael
Simkins has directed large-scale educational tech- nology projects, including the nationally acclaimed Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project and TICAL. Currently, he is a consultant for clients such as
Silicon Valley Education Foundation and ACSA. He also directs the annual Leadership 3.0 Symposium.
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