Alex Facciponte's Blog Post Week 3 EDU 5373



Alex Facciponte's Blog Post Week 3 EDU 5373

    There are many practices that support learning gains from educational research. One practice that is effective is leveraging the technology into valuable experiences for students (Crompton, 2023). Sometimes teachers believe they are utilizing technology effectively by just putting their worksheet online, however, this defeats the purpose of incorporating technology to begin with (Crompton, 2023). Instead, students should be utilizing the technology to gain new experiences they would have never had in the first place such as going on virtual tours (Crompton, 2023). When I was teaching my students about the Diary of Anne Frank, I had my students go on a virtual tour of the secret annex the Frank family went into hiding with. It really interested my students and engaged them to ask questions to get them interested in the story they were about to read. Another practice that is effective through the ISTE Standards is empowering students (Crompton, 2023). It is important that educators utilize technology to give students a voice and a sense of choice (Crompton, 2023). Ultimately, students perform better when they are given choice through the utilization of technology (Crompton, 2023). During my student teaching last year, I had students creatively constrained for a project surrounding the culture of the 1970s. They were allowed to pick anything surrounding the culture of this time period (sports, cars, fashion, art, etc.) and make whatever they wanted out of it through the use of technology. My students had a fun time with this project and made so many amazing things. Another practice is through the buildup of cognitive factors (Crompton, 2023). The use of technology can be crucial in developing critical thinking skills (Crompton, 2023). This can be done by trying to understand the validity of sources (Crompton, 2023). Ultimately, all of these practices can be effective in supporting student learning gains. I think these ideas help to give me a clearer picture of a vision of what I would like to include for my project. I believe that the updating of devices can allow for these practices previously mentioned to ultimately be implemented.

    There are also many challenges to take into account when implementing a technology integration plan. One of the biggest concerns is on the budgeting and financing side of things (Gonzales, 2019). Ultimately, it is difficult to sustain a one-to-one initiative (Gonzales, 2019). That is the personal issue I find my district running into. Students are expected to have their same device given to them in elementary school all the way through high school. After time, devices break down and become outdated. I believe this concern can be addressed in my vision and goals section to state something along the lines of making sure technology is updated and sustained throughout the district. I would also make a mention about having safeguards in place to protect funding. The ISTE Education leader standards can provide guidance for me as I go along in this process because they provide advice on various topics (Gonzales, 2019). They touch upon things such as school and educational leadership by providing necessary professional development (Gonzales, 2019). If our leaders are not confident in the technology, then how can they expect the teachers to be (Gonzales, 2019). I will need to include some form of professional development to make my technology integration plan more effective.

    I will be utilizing the ISTE Standards for students, educators, and leaders when making my technology integration plan. One of the biggest standards I wish to accomplish is the 1.1 empowered learner standard for students (ISTE, 2025d). I want to make sure my plan allows for student choice and engagement in valuable learning experiences. As educators I think it is essential that we continue to be learners through the 2.1 educator learner standard (ISTE, 2025c). Technology is ever developing and we need to learn as it gets more sophisticated. There are so many valuable technological tools for the classroom that are not utilized because teachers are not taught how to use them. This creates an issue of confidence as well. As for educational leaders standards, I wish to utilize the 3.3 standard of the empowering leader (ISTE, 2025b). I want to have everyone confident and on the same page that we can utilize technology effectively through our updated devices. I can leverage the ISTE essential conditions to make these work by having a clear shared vision (ISTE, 2025a). I need to effectively utilize all stakeholders to make sure they have a voice in the technology plan. I am also looking for more equitable access (ISTE, 2025a). I want to make sure my students are not left behind from their lack of updated devices (ISTE, 2025a). I also think it is crucial that there is an ongoing evaluation (ISTE, 2025a). If the effectiveness of the plan is not being tested, then how would we know what is going well or not? It is crucial in any new implementation that it is being regulated and assessed.




References

Crompton, H. (2023). Evidence of the ISTE standards for educators leading to learning gains. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 39(4), 201-219. Retrieved from: Evidence of the ISTE Standards for Educators Leading to Learning.pdf

Gonzales, M. M. (2020). School technology leadership vision and challenges: Perspectives from American school administrators. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(4), 697-708. Retrieved from: School_technology_leadership_vision_and.pdf

Essential conditions for effective tech use in schools. ISTE. (2025a). Retrieved from: https://iste.org/essential-conditions-for-effective-tech-use-in-schools#:~:text=Create%20a%20shared%20vision%20for,align%20that%20vision%20to%20 established

ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders. ISTE. (2025b). Retrieved from: https://iste.org/standards/education-leaders

ISTE Standards for Educators. ISTE. (2025c). Retrieved from: https://iste.org/standards/educators

ISTE Standards: For Students. ISTE. (2025d). Retrieved from: https://iste.org/standards/students

Comments

  1. James RobinsonApril 4, 2025 at 2:28 AM

    Hi Alex,

    Once more, well done on another excellent blog post! I really enjoy following your journey each week through the course. The lesson you chose to teach with the virtual Anne Frank tour is really quite excellent. I've been through the Frank house twice, and it truly is such a gripping experience. To give your students a taste of that is amazing!

    It sounds like the readings this week were closely related to the challenges at your school, especially the research on the 1:1 laptop initiatives. I look forward to seeing how your blogs continue to evolve on your journey through this class.

    All the best,
    James Robinson

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brad ButtryApril 6, 2025 at 11:08 AM

    Hello Alex,
    A key component you've capitalized on is 'creative freedom'—that also aligns well with what I’m trying to do in training environments where 'choice' boosts engagement. Your point about outdated devices is something I’ve seen too. We struggle with the customer in realizing the concept of sustainability planning which must go beyond the initial rollout. Here's a thought — you might also consider how student feedback could inform future updates to your integration plan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chas BeelerApril 6, 2025 at 3:31 PM

    Alex,
    I absolutely agree that ongoing evaluation is critical for any district plan, technology integration or otherwise. District budgets are getting tighter every year in many states. Iowa hasn't set the state supplemental aid increase for next year yet, however, I anticipate that it'll be a minimal 2% - 2.5% like it has been for the majority of my career. Unfortunately, many of our realities circle around the fact that school districts are constantly being asked to do more with less spending power. Not taking the time to continuously evaluate your plans is an easy path to a hearing with your state's school budget authority.
    Best,
    Chas

    ReplyDelete
  4. sharon aliApril 6, 2025 at 5:35 PM

    Hey Alex

    Your vision for technology integration is both thoughtful and forward-thinking, especially in how it centers student empowerment, equity, and meaningful engagement. I appreciate how you connect specific ISTE Standards to your goals, particularly the emphasis on the Empowered Learner and Empowering Leader standards. Your experiences, like the Anne Frank virtual tour and the 1970s culture project, clearly demonstrate the kind of impactful, student-centered learning you envision. Most importantly, your commitment to ensuring updated devices and ongoing evaluation shows a realistic and sustainable approach to achieving your vision. By grounding your plan in equity and shared leadership, you're creating a framework that can truly transform learning experiences across your district.

    sharon ali

    ReplyDelete

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