Upon Reflection

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• As a third grade teacher deeply invested in technology, as a contributing member of my district's technology committee, and as a student of technology integration, I already possessed a lot of background knowledge. I had been involved in developing technology plans and policies for almost nine years. I have also been piloting different technologies for my district, including a classroom Chromebook pilot this year. Though I already knew much about technology integration and how many aspects must align for successful integration, I still learned a lot that will guide me in my own practices.
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• Analyzing the ISTE NETS for Administrators and Educators was extremely powerful. It was important to see how the standards are designed to create a progression, beginning with the administration and trickling down to the student level. When administrators have a clear vision and are invested in technology integration, teachers will be better positioned to achieve their ISTE NETS and ultimately promote student achievement. The vision to me seems key; administrators need to clearly communicate their vision for technology integration so that teachers can buy into it and play an active role in making that vision a reality. All stakeholders must be a part of the process. As a technology integration specialist, I feel that I could help create that bridge for communication.
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• The vision is also important when considering professional development. What professional development is relevant and timely for the teachers? For supporting the students? Administration with clear goals can set timelines for certain benchmarks and plan appropriate professional development to meet their needs. As a technology integration specialist, I would work closely with administrators and teachers to build a reasonable timeline and professional development schedule to guide them as they work toward achieving their vision.
• Finally, why is it so important to continue to perfect the technology integration craft and develop professional development to support this?
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•      The ultimate goal of any classroom or school-wide endeavor should be to improve student learning and prepare students for life beyond school. This population of students is unique; they are digital natives. Students today have technology embedded into their daily lives (Shrum & Levin, 2009, p. 27) and they shouldn’t have to “power down” or feel demotivated when they come to school (Prensky, 2001, p. 3).  Rather, we should be capitalizing on students’ interest and experience with technology. THIS is why technology integration is so important. We are creating learning opportunities for our students that didn't exist before, yet are authentic and relevant to today's learners. We need to stay abreast of new technological developments and teach our students to be 21st century learners and 21st century citizens. As the picture above states, technology use in school should be second nature. Therefore, we must continue to perfect the technology integration craft and support teachers through consistent, timely, and relevant professional development.
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• References
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• Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from 
  http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/
  
  
  
  
  Shrum, L. and Levin, B.B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools.