In response to the post: If the leaders don't get it; it doesn't happen.

In response to the post: If the leaders don't get it; it doesn't happen.

Recently, I was involved in a discussion about the following questions: Are some teachers talking about using technology because it is the expectation, but not actually using it because they either are unsure of its value or insecure about implementing it in the classroom? What do leaders do about this situation?

I see where '"just" a teacher' is coming from when professional development opportunities are denied for teachers to learn about how to better integrate technology due to budget or concerns about inconsistencies in the classroom. Perhaps administrators who can do something should question the real reason for the request denial. If a plan of action was in place for a teacher to participate in training, plan for implementation and/or gather resources, implement, reflect, and share, the long term benefits would be exponential. However, personally, it has been my experience that training, in general, is not thought out to this extent. Often times it occurs, but there is no time for proper implementation or follow through which is probably why it 'seems' like a waste of money, and if a school is only looking at the immediate benefits of training, many schools/districts see a loss which yields denial of request for training and extreme frustration for the teacher.

So, I completely agree with Scott, that we need to better educate administrators with regards to how to assist teachers in effectively integrating technology into schools.