Media Selection Process
Competency 5.05
Kristin Hokanson
Selecting technology, hardware and software, for school districts
is a very sensitive procedure. With budget constraints ant the need to
meet NCLB requirements, the decisions made about appropriate selections
have educational, network, and budgetary implications that must be
considered to ensure successful adoption. In 2006 the Software &
Information Industry Association (SIIA) issued a checklist for
educators implementing software to provide guidance to educational
institutions that need to plan for and carry out the large-scale
technology implementation. SIIA found that “Technology can
improve teaching and learning, but just having technology doesn’t
automatically translate to better instructional outcomes especially
when bias occurs with regards to gender and culture. Whether a given
school experiences the potential benefits of technology depends on the
software it chooses, what students actually do with the software and
computer hardware, how educators structure and support technology-based
learning and whether there is sufficient access to the
technology.”
It is important that he evaluation procedure explore the potential use
of the media, from both an instructional and a technological
perspective. Research data has revealed a lower level of used of
technology by some minorities. This issue is in part driven by
the socio-economic factors, but other factors that should also be
addressed include potential software bias and the lack of
technology-using role models. Strategies to address multicultural
inequities include assessing minority student use of technology,
analyzing software from a multicultural perspective during
curriculum analysis and
software acquisition process, connect minority students with minority role models, direct all students to the positive multicultural materials available and develop technology-related learning activities that allow students to present their own cultural heritage stories. There are many open source softwares that can be used to achieve thse objectives.
Setting objectives must involve all stakeholders in the planning process to some degree. There are gender gaps and gender bias in technology and these are complicated issues. Equal accessibility of technology for girls can only come when parents, school districts, and manufacturers work together for equal accessibility. Parents need to participate both at home and schools to ensure their girls are computer literate. School districts, through the administration and teachers, must actively encourage young girls' interests in computer science.A good plan should also include an evaluation component and criteria for determining success for all students. This plan should serve as a framework to ensure that all system modules will work together in an integrated manner, and allow all stakeholders to see the global cost/benefit contribution of information technology. The plan will define system requirements and priorities for software selection and implementation.
It is important to match software use to learning standards as well as to connect software use to other resources. The third step is to consider the logistics, prepare timeline and budget for technology readiness, software purchase/installation, professional development, monitoring, and program evaluation. Because of budget constraint it is essential to anticipate the need for multiple use cycles.
software acquisition process, connect minority students with minority role models, direct all students to the positive multicultural materials available and develop technology-related learning activities that allow students to present their own cultural heritage stories. There are many open source softwares that can be used to achieve thse objectives.
Setting objectives must involve all stakeholders in the planning process to some degree. There are gender gaps and gender bias in technology and these are complicated issues. Equal accessibility of technology for girls can only come when parents, school districts, and manufacturers work together for equal accessibility. Parents need to participate both at home and schools to ensure their girls are computer literate. School districts, through the administration and teachers, must actively encourage young girls' interests in computer science.A good plan should also include an evaluation component and criteria for determining success for all students. This plan should serve as a framework to ensure that all system modules will work together in an integrated manner, and allow all stakeholders to see the global cost/benefit contribution of information technology. The plan will define system requirements and priorities for software selection and implementation.
It is important to match software use to learning standards as well as to connect software use to other resources. The third step is to consider the logistics, prepare timeline and budget for technology readiness, software purchase/installation, professional development, monitoring, and program evaluation. Because of budget constraint it is essential to anticipate the need for multiple use cycles.
Analyzing and preparing the technical environment
is critical as is professional development. The staff involved in
the implementation must receive adequate training in all aspects of
use. The end users of the software must have the prerequisite knowledge
and skills specified for the product’s use. The entire
implementation must be monitored and the resulting issues resolved.
Each stage of implementation must be informed by the evaluation
results from the previous stage. Technology can be a very
powerful part of instruction. However only with a full evaluation
and proper implementation can the media truly support teaching and
learning for all students.
References
Education Leadership Tool Kit: Change and Technology in America’s Schools http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/index.html
Education Leadership Tool Kit: Change and Technology in America’s Schools http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/index.html
Picciano, A. (2002) Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology, 3rd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
SIIA Software Implementation Checklist for Educators www.siia.net/education/pubs/pp_Checklist.pdf
