ISTE Coaching Standard I

“Contribute to the development, communication, and implementation of a shared vision.” Educators are instrumental to a shared vision in providing technology-rich education. However, educators cannot do it alone. Technology coaches can provide meaningful professional development (PD) geared towards that vision, but the work of administrators in supporting PD models that gives agency is crucial . In this post, I explore the role of an administrator in determining and implementing professional development where an educator turned administrator challenged the concept of professional development by offering continuing education aligned with adult learning principles. This administrator encouraged her educators to peer-coach and engaging in social learning.  By actively engaging with technology on a regular basis, educators built digital literacy which in turn, helped students build 21st century skills.

“Create positive changes to create plans for technology implementation in classrooms.” Technology coaches may offer professional development as a peer coach. As part of a larger project, I investigated the idea of ideal length of peer coaching sessions.  Although this doesn’t inform larger district or school-level changes, understanding this process on a smaller-scale scale can serve as an example to create elements of successful technology implementation plans on a larger scale later.  What I learned through my investigation is that there isn’t a “gold standard” in terms of session length. As a best practice, length is dictated by the needs of educator that is being coached and the individual goals set for technology implementation.

Contributing to technology-infused plans also can include sharing resources. One best practice I’ve learned through my studies is that technology platforms and apps are constantly changing.  Therefore providing app lists as resources are not helpful. Instead, teaching educators how to build technology criteria checklists helps them investigate technology on their own. The process ensures that technology fits the pedagogy and not the other way around. When applied to a larger scale, using similar criteria can be a strategic method for school-wide technology implementation.

 “Advocate for policies, procedures… to support implementation of the shared vision represented in…technology plans and guidelines.” During the second year of my masters studies, my department was undergoing a revision in departmental goals and program outcomes. Our director asked faculty to evaluate what was important for our students to learn and/or demonstrate prior to leaving the university.  As part my contribution, I suggested we included elements of digital citizenship as part of shared vision components for each program.

Previously, I had conducted an informal assessment of our department digital citizenship readiness and identified that digital communication was an area our students needed to improve.  Therefore, as part of our digital citizenship policies, each program made a commitment to hold students accountable to digital etiquette.  

“Implement strategies for initiating and sustaining technology innovations and manage the change process in…classrooms.” I was fortunate to coach a colleague that was looking to innovate and explore technology solutions to a new program they had created.  I reflected upon that coaching process and learned that as a technology coach merely giving ideas, offering support and accountability, may seem simple and un-innovative, but can be crucial keys to support the change process for classroom models. Successful peer coaches understand that good communication skills help manage expectations, set clear goals, and build rapport between the two peers.  To build good communication, it was important for me to understand what barriers or miscommunications were common in coaching.  What I learned was that collaborative communication involves just as much listening as clear delivery and perception of information. My peer-coaching experience was successful because I established these communication expectations early on in the process.