Implementing a Website Portal Using PortfolioVillage.com to Evaluate Professional Credentials

This chapter offers suggestions and discussion on implementing a website portal to create e-portfolios and Web portfolios. The need to evaluate professional credentials is evident in academia and business, especially for technology leaders assessing whether learning has occurred through professional development. The e-portfolio/Web portfolio has promise as a platform for assessment of students, employees, faculty, and job applicants. Navigating decisions on Web portal solutions and systems can be difficult due to the varying needs of administrative and academic stakeholders. This chapter includes a brief case study discussion of a portfolio portal project and an overview of the various tools available, which is focused on providing insight to technology leaders.

Evaluation, Management, and Support

A technology leader’s day-to-day responsibilities and tasks can be divided into three basic categories: evaluation, management, and support. Evaluation involves making informed decisions and planning tasks when considering new technologies. Management not only maintains the infrastructure of technology systems, but also the data that flows through the system. Finally, support covers the responsibilities related to customer service for the technology leaders’ end-user environment. Each category poses a unique challenge to technology leaders and requires them to be both adaptable and consistent. This chapter explores these three areas giving detailed insights into topics and concerns within each.

Evaluating and Funding the Professional Development Program

Professional development programs must have an organized process of evaluation, either formally or informally. The evaluation needs to be delivered in both micro and macro settings. In the micro setting, the evaluator monitors the overall atmosphere of the learning environment and the performance of the participants while training is taking place. In the macro setting, which consists of the teacher’s classroom, the evaluation needs to determine whether the teacher is actually using the knowledge gained during professional development to improve /impact student learning outcomes. In order for professional development to be effective, professional development programs should never be delivered and then forgotten. Further, locating funding and support are important due to the state of economic crisis and budget cuts. School districts have to look for creative ways to fund and support successful professional development programs. Some of these include developing technology resource centers, looking for federal and state funds, and looking toward individuals and corporations to help support and fund programs.

Development of a Technology Plan

The composition of a technology plan is a complex process composed of many parts. The integration of curriculum instruction, levels of technology across the curriculum, the establishment of technology standards, and strategies for the development of equity along with administration and support staff are just a few of the components that assist in the creation of a successful technology plan. A technology plan encompasses other plans, which provides the necessary support for the technology plan’s development. For example, there are professional development plans and technology support plans that have completely different goals. This chapter focuses on components, strategies, and information that comprise the foundation of a technology plan. The technology plan is a basic tool that can be modified to suit the situation, and used to outline and identify the basic needs for the development of a technology plan.

New and Emerging Technology Purchase Considerations

Periodic waves of new challenges almost always await those who are or seek to become school system technology directors. None are more apparent than when school or district personnel decide to purchase technology hardware or educational software for which no one is prepared, or at best, ill-prepared. In other words, there is sometimes an overwhelming tendency to “buy technology stuff now, then catch up later.” The chapter discusses issues that technology leaders in the school system may face when making technology purchasing decisions. The narrative account addresses some relevant considerations that this particular technology director had to confront in terms of technology acquisition. The author hopes that the narrative will enlighten future technology directors and coordinators on the mechanics and ramifications of technology purchases.

Leadership Issues Concerning Instructional Technology

The exponential development of technology has brought people boundless possibilities. But, at the same time, technology also imposes great pressure on people because they need to learn and remain updated about the various technologies in their lives. The field of instructional technology has always been exceptionally thrilled about novel technologies or the innovative use of traditional technologies. This enthusiasm places leaders of instructional technology in a very challenging position. Besides dealing with regular leadership issues, technology leaders also need to face technology-related roadblocks and issues. In this chapter, both general and technological issues of instructional technology leadership are introduced. Following these issues, the authors of this chapter also discuss strategies for dealing with these issues and offer suggestions for effective instructional technology leadership.

Overview of Technology Plans

The incorporation of technology into the classroom is intended to have a positive impact on teaching and learning. Technology planning is a necessary component of this process to make certain all technology benefits are realized. Technology cannot be an add-on component in education; it needs to be fully incorporated into the entire educational process. This requires the development and implementation of a comprehensive technology plan. This plan is created by a technology planning committee and supports all related vision and mission statements, including those for the school, district, and municipality. A needs assessment will be used to determine the current state of the technology and infrastructure. Budgetary considerations, including total cost of ownership, are evaluated to help verify feasibility of the plan. A technology plan is a working document that is evaluated and updated on a continual basis. The development, implementation, and revision of the technology plan help ensure the effective implementation of technology in the educational institution.

Roles of a Technology Leader

Technology leaders facilitate and influence the development of diverse fields and disciplines including business, mass communication, computer science, and technology education. This chapter reveals the roles and responsibilities of technology leaders in education, administration, business, government, and other organizations. The focus of technology leadership should be on technical content knowledge, the dynamics of complex organizations, and soft skills/emotional intelligences that include interpersonal skills, work ethic, and attitude. The chapter discusses technology leaders’ roles in the advancement of technology & the responsibilities of building standards for education, training, and professional development purposes.

A Reflection on the History of Educational Technology and Evolving Pedagogies

Educational technology has developed from five basic approaches toward technology use: (1) the technical perspective, (2) the objectivist perspective, (3) the constructivist perspective, (4) the collaborative perspective, and (5) the social-ethical perspective. Each perspective has distinctly impacted educational technology. Every one of these threads has roots in a related field and no single thread can form the foundation for educational technology. The unique element of online instruction is the potential for a truly non-sequential model of learning. This is the only element that can be better designed online; all the other characteristics that have been reviewed can be implemented by other methods, or as adaptations of other methods used in other formats. For this reason, it is recommended that future efforts at designing pedagogy for online learning make non-sequential instructional design central to the theoretical model. This is an issue that technology leaders must consider when planning technology integration.

Introduction to Technology Integration and Leadership

An effective technology leader is a public advocate of the mission-driven use of technology, capable of providing guidance in various aspects of using technologies such as technology plans, professional development, dissemination of pertinent information, and other related responsibilities. This chapter defines technology integration and technology leadership that support the central themes of the book, followed with a synopsis of the issues described in the proceeding chapters. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce readers to the discussions that will emerge throughout the book and link the topics raised back to the central themes of effective technology integration and its leadership.