Our School’s Utilization of Technology as a Vehicle for Growth | Connected Principals

Our School’s Utilization of Technology as a Vehicle for Growth | Connected Principals:

Our School’s Utilization of Technology as a Vehicle for Growth

September 20, 2013

By Jonathan VanderEls

When I walk into our kindergarten classrooms now, seeing a five-year old moving her avatar to the “School Lunch” or “Home Lunch” box does not seem like a big deal. This not only provides this information to the teacher regarding her lunch preference, but also simultaneously takes attendance (if someone’s avatar has not moved, he or she is either absent, or they have forgotten to move it!) But when I recall how far we have come as a school in a fairly short period of time, I realize that the growth we have made has been significant, and was not accidental.
Eight years ago I sat in a room with a group of fellow administrators deliberating which of the many “initiatives” we were undertaking were most crucial to our district’s success moving forward. I remember choosing “technology” as being in the top three (along with our district tech director). I had been taking classes at the University of New Hampshire for my Ed. S degree, and had been involved in a hybrid course, and my strong feelings regarding the importance of maximizing available technologies had begun to form. I am pleased that technology is no longer an “initiative”, but a vehicle by which we are able to make learning opportunities more engaging, timely, and accessible