Technology has changed
everything. It has changed the way
we live, communicate, and most importantly, learn. First as a teacher (6 years) and currently as an assistant
principal (3 years), I have witnessed the effects of this transformation first
hand. And even though the technology
revolution is evident, generally, it has
not changed classroom instruction.
Children in schools
today have never known life without technology, yet, they are asked to leave
their devices at home and pick up the two things they use the least (paper and
pencil). They are then forced to
listen to a classroom teacher talk about dormant, non-relevant information that
a child could easily access via Google or Youtube in a matter of seconds. As a result, the teacher is frustrated
that students are not engaged in learning and are typically off-task. The teacher concludes: “kids nowadays cannot stay focused and simply
don’t care.”
As an assistant
principal and employee of a public school, I am part of this problem. I am also, however, in a position to
initiate change and be part of the solution. Research by Marzano has indicated that, “more can be done to
improve education by improving the effectiveness of teachers than by any other
single factor.” The implications
of this statement provide a vision that every educational leader should
embrace. Imagine a classroom in
which every individual student’s academic needs are being met? Think of a day when the “fragile” low
performing student is experiencing as much success as the perpetually high
achieving student? Visualize your
child waking up in the morning with a contagious enthusiasm in regards to what
he/she is learning in school. A
multitude of issues in the public education arena could be solved if we as
educators can tackle the simple task
of improving the quality of classroom instruction and making our subject matter
relevant. This is why I desire to
see the infusion of technology and enhanced instructional strategies used by
every teacher in America. I
believe this is the solution to our
current educational woes. These
visions have stirred deep convictions in my heart, which is why I intend to
pursue a doctor of education degree in educational leadership at Lamar
University.
My professional goals
are as follows: 1.) To improve teacher
effectiveness by improving classroom instruction and 2.) To incorporate the use
of technology, social networks, and web 2.0 as tools to improve classroom
instruction.
These are things a
doctorate degree cannot accomplish in isolation; however, furthering my learning
will provide an opportunity to attain the tools to begin to ignite a paradigm
shift in education. We are in
desperate need of change and I intend to be a pillar on the forefront of an educational
revolution.
