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 * Technology Facilitator Standard V **, Productivity and Professional Practice, deals with the responsibility of leaders to assist others in using technology to help improve productivity and professional practice (Williamson & Redish, 2009). This chapter discussed how an educator’s use of technology to perform tasks related to their job makes her more effective. According to Williamson et al. (2009), “…students can also benefit indirectly when educators use technology to enhance their own productivity and professional practice.” For example, most school districts use specialized grading software, such as Grade Speed, to enter grades. This system is much more effective and less time consuming than the paper pencil method in the recent past. Because this software is faster and more effective than the older methods, the teacher has more time available for planning and preparing lessons that directly affect students.

For a portion of my field experience I took on the task of including technology in a presentation for the district. All of the schools participating in the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) three-year program were required to present their accomplishments for the year. Although the presentation was a requirement, the use of technology was not. At our first meeting about the about the presentation, I suggested making some sort of video. All but one teacher was against it. They thought it would be too much work. So I offered to make a video on my own. One teacher offered to help and this is when the project began. The other teacher and I collaborated very well together. We planned out what we wanted to accomplish and proceeded to split up the tasks. I took charge of still picture and moving videos, while the other teacher took charge of the PowerPoint presentation. However, we updated each other daily and served as each other’s advisers. Our principal served as a great supporter by provided us with the tools and time we needed to complete the project. The other team members did not show a lot of interest until the project was almost complete. Once the final product was done, the other team members began talking about how to make next year’s project better. They now show interest in collaborating in a technology project for next year. This field experience overlapped in standards, however I chose to include this as a performance task for standard V, because it truly shows that modeling the use of technology to develop professional products is contagious. However, I’m concerned about how many times teachers rejected a great opportunity due to lack of time or disinterest. How will we ever create 21st century schools, when teachers are not willing to take a chance?

Furthermore, this standard basically says that proper use of technology in the course of professional practice should make teachers more productive. If this is so, what explains a grade-level that uses little to no technology outperforming grade-levels that use it on a daily basis? Both of them use technology within their professional practice, such as Grade Speed, but that is all they have in common.

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.