VANGUARD+Spring+2014

VANGUARDFEATURESTORY
impact of classroom lessons.
On the most basic level, educators’
advice also includes ensuring the
district has the infrastructure necessary
to implement new technologies,
including wireless Internet access and
wide bandwidths. Rossitto brings in
an independent consultant each year
to conduct a network assessment.
“You can align that assessment with
the instructional initiatives that central
office is asking for and perhaps
identify any infrastructure needs,” she
explained.
THE DIGITAL CRYSTAL BALL
When gazing into their digital
crystal balls, today’s technology leaders
see exciting opportunities in the
future. “I think we’re going to become
even more mobile,” Rossitto said.
“Students will be able to collaborate
outside the school and in the community
– the real community, not just
the institutional walls of the school
community.”
“I see the role of teachers changing
even more,” Perry predicts. “In
many cases, the [technology] literacy
level of students is far surpassing
that of many professionals in the
field. That makes it important
to focus on the process of
finding the answer, not just
having the answer – especially
in an age when most
students can just Google an
answer on their cell phones
or iPads. The emphasis has to
be on the process of how to get to that
answer rather than the rote memory
of the answer itself.”
Tejedor concurs, adding that the
sheer volume of information available
to students through technological
channels leads to another future
obligation. “We will need to model
strategies for our students on how to
work with information, to curate it
and to make sense of it all. This isn’t a
specific technology, but a skill to deal
with the growing body of information,”
she said.
“It’s been an exciting time to be in
education – to see students and faculty
interacting with technology – and the
future will be even more amazing,”
Tejedor concluded.
KIM M. SMITHGALL is an awardwinning
communications specialist
and freelance writer, designer, and
photographer.
SNAPSHOT OF RESULTS TO
SAANYS’ SPRING TECHNOLOGY SURVEY:
SAANYS members’ Top Tech Tools
for administrative functions:
1) Microsoft Office
2) iPhone
3) Twitter
4) Google Docs & Drive
5) Electronic calendar
(Google Calendar, Outlook, iCal)
What social media
tools are you using
for professional
growth and/or
school community
engagement?
Top Ed Tech Tools being used by
teachers in member schools:
1) Smartboard
2) iPad
3) Google Apps/Docs
4) Digital projectors, Document Cameras
5) YouTube, TeacherTube, & online
video content
(ie., Kahn Academy, National Geographic)
Does your district
embrace BYOD
(bring your own device)
for students?
Honorable mentions: Pinterest, Chromebooks,
smart phones, blogs, Adobe Creative, EdModo,
and Class Dojo.
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