Technology Has Changed Everything

Below is the rough draft of my almost 500 word essay for my application to grad school.  Let me know what you think!

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.