School Administrators Technology Leadership and Teachers Technology Integration

Romeo A. Pilongo

To be a principal in the 21st century school demands leadership of technology. To be a leader of technology requires a willingness to learn, flexibility, and the capacity to accept change as a constant factor. Adaptability and acceptance of ambiguity are essential. Because technology changes continuously, there is no menu of technology must dos and must haves. Instead, leaders of technology must be lifelong learners and explorers of the new, the exciting, and the useful in technology (Grady 2011).

Leaders of technology encourage implementation of technology in instructional strategies. Principals note teachers’ use of technology integration in the lessons they observe. They help teachers establish goals for implementation of technology in instructional strategies. Teachers are the key to implementation of technology in the classroom.

Principals note that time to innovate and resources to support innovation are essential. In some instances, principals have been able to use incentives to stimulate “early adopters” to integrate technology in their instructional practices. Principal visibility and support of teachers are essential. Monitoring the attainment of school goals is the principals’ responsibility. Principals must work to remove roadblocks to technology use to assure that teachers do not lose interest or become frustrated by technology expectations. (Grady 2011).

What important is that leaders must also know what they do not know, and know how to get that missing knowledge by mobilizing their own social networks. This will requires the skills, attitudes and knowledge of the school head to become successful digital leaders. It all begins with trust and confidence that they can do it. Digital leadership is about establishing direction, influencing others, and initiating sustainable change through the use of different technology, access of information in social network, in order to anticipate changes that are so important to school success in the future.

More so, competence with technology integration is the basis for effective change. Teachers will need to lead by modelling effective ICT skills and lifelong learning strategies. Students will need to see their teachers applying technology in authentic and integrated ways that will enable them to engage in problem solving, project collaboration and in creatively extending their abilities and capacities to acquire and construct knowledge. The successful integration of ICT into the classroom will depend on the ability of teachers to structure the learning environment in new ways, to merge the new technology with a new pedagogy, to develop socially active classrooms, encouraging co-operative interaction, collaborative learning and group work. This requires a different set of classroom management skills.

The teaching skills of the future will include the ability to develop innovative ways of using technology to enhance the learning environment, and to encourage technology literacy, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation. Teacher’s professional learning is a crucial component of this educational improvement. However, professional learning has an impact only if it is focused on specific changes in teaching.

The key individual in helping students develop those capabilities and skills is the classroom teacher. The teacher is responsible for establishing the classroom environment in preparing and learning opportunities to facilitate students’ skills and competencies in order to learn and communicate. Consequently, it is important that all classroom teachers are prepared to provide their students with such opportunities.

The Philippine Government has shown serious commitment to ICT in education by announcing a series of initiatives to apply ICT in teaching and learning. These were aligned to the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All movements. They have provided a global policy environment for the directions and nature of interventions towards the achievement of improved access to and quality of basic education. Other key policy documents have identified the need for ICT reform within the education sector and these have resulted in more prioritizing from regions, schools and teachers regarding the incorporation of ICT into the education system.

Consequently, DepEd (2019) stipulated that the secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones highlighted the challenges of technological advancements confronting today’s education leaders during the Third National Assembly of Education Leaders (NAEL) last September 24 in Marriott Hotel, Pasay City.

Speaking before 4,000 leaders from the Department of Education (DepEd), composed of directors, superintendents, supervisors, and principals, Briones discussed the challenges that Philippine teachers must hurdle: to change the way teachers teach the learners; to produce a new breed of learners; to upgrade the capacity of teachers; and to improve the educational facilities and equipment. Briones said that the rise of artificial intelligence has changed the way people learn as educational materials have become accessible to all through smart devices and computers. She added that the Department must respond to these changes as it continues to propel an educated human society.

Citing the realities of genetic engineering, robotics, and brain implants, she stressed the possibility of immortality when artificial intelligence harmonizes and integrates with humans. “We are going beyond the Fourth Industrial Revolution as we are moving from homosapiens to home deus brought by scientific and technological advances. We are not talking about what is to come, but what is now, and our response to the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution which transforms institutions and industries,” Briones stated.

She also challenged the participants on how to teach in the 21st century with all the changes and new discoveries: “You know how your parents and your professors taught? You know how to teach in the present. But how are you going to teach in this time of 21st century and of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?”

Mentioning the scarcity of data in the past when the books were the only source of information, Briones cited the internet and artificial intelligence as useful sources of information.

“You have enormous amounts of data which are useful, which make the life of learners satisfactory, but we need to teach especially the SHS [learners] to discern and differentiate what data is relevant and important, how to synthesize data, and what do these data mean to us. Artificial knowledge has increased access to education and it is replacing knowledge teaching. All our future narratives involve algorithms, but if we are not careful, they could replace us altogether,” she said.

Briones said that in this digital age, learners are often more exposed to different environmental technologies that could influence their behavior: “This is not to say that the youth’s values are failing, but the world is changing, the values of society, and the grown-ups are also changing.” the Secretary then challenged the education leaders to influence the learners in shaping their values: “Our institution should hone our learners to contribute to a more inclusive, just, peaceful, and sustainable world.”

Additionally, Estopace’s article posted in the Philippine Star Global stated that there is a consensus among educators that enhancing 21st century skills will allow nations to prepare the future workforce to succeed in a fast-paced, highly competitive global economy. This was the opening statement of Gordon Payne, divisional director of i21 Events Group-UK, at the opening of the second Bett Asia Leadership Summit in Singapore on Wednesday. Payne welcomed 100 speakers from 30 countries and over 600 conference delegates to the annual gathering of top educators, policymakers, and school leaders across Asia to discuss technology’s evolving role in education.

Indeed, there was a consensus among speakers and presenters that transformation is happening across society, not just in education, and the challenge for educators is to be able to gaze into the looking glass with a clear sense of purpose and adapt to the sweeping changes.

Thus, The Department of Education (DepEd) (2016) has always underscored the importance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) not only in governance and management but also in enhancing the teaching and learning process. DepEd recognizes that ICT is a vital tool in transforming basic education to ensure that our students are equipped with the needed 21st century skills to become successful and productive members of the digital global community. ICT undertakings at the Department started in the 60s with the introduction of radio broadcast in education and by the 70s, educational programs were being produced for television.

What DepEd Official Statement last May 5, 2020 stated that “It is our ultimate goal to facilitate the safe return of our teachers and learners to schools without the worry for COVID-19 but until such time is already possible, we will do everything in our capacity to carry on so that basic education will still be available despite the crisis. We expect a grueling transition and we will need the help and support of all our stakeholders. There will be birth pains in this path but we look forward in having our teachers, our parents, our learners, and our communities as allies who will work with us to provide valuable insights and contributions. We reiterate the importance of education to bring normalcy to the lives of our learners but their health and safety, ultimately, is most important.”

In conclusion, what matters most is that we need to adopt a change in this new normal system in our education. With the help of the administrators who equip with knowledge and skills in technology and the teacher’s integration in the classroom (using different platforms), it is possible to produce quality learners. At first, it’s difficult and lots of struggles and challenges arises but if we help each other, the impossible will become possible. Like what John C Maxwell said that “A leader who produces other leaders multiplies their influencer.”

References:

DepEd (2016). Building the digital infrastructure bridging the education divide. Department of Education, Central Office, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City

DepEd (2019). Briones: Rise of artificial intelligence, challenge to education leaders. https://www.deped.gov.ph/2019/10/09/briones-rise-of-artificial-intelligence-challenge-to-education-leaders/

Estopace, E. (2015). Wanted: Smarter use of technology for education. Philippine Star Global. https://www.philstar.com/business/technology/2015/11/22/1524753/wanted-smarter-use-technology-education

Grady, M Grade Inflation 2005-2008 in the Institute of Technology Sector: Declining Standards, Paper 8, Network for Irish Educational Standards. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309242895_O'Grady_M_2011_Grade_Inflation_2005_2008_in_the_Institute_of_Technology_Sector_Declining_Standards_Paper_8_Network_for_Irish_Educational_Standards_Available_at_httpwwwstopgradeinflationieIoT_2005_2008

About the Author:

Dr. Romeo A. Pilongo is Master Teacher I (SHS) at SDO Marikina- Sta Elena High School