01+Vision+Statement


 * A Vision Statement Defending the Use of Technology in Private Schools**

To the tech-savvy, private school teacher or administrator, it hardly seems possible in this day and age that the use of technology in schools would be a notion that would require defending. This notion would seem even more far-fetched to private school students, students who are for the most part, digital natives. These students access email, social networks, and other digital media from handheld devices. They readily manipulate data and organize presentation information using blogs, wikis, videos, etc. They take class notes either on their handheld devices or on some form of i-Pad or laptop. They upload their class notes and other class material to forums or blogs, and collaborate with one another in ways that were simply not possible a decade or two ago.

Yet technology in private schools does indeed need to be justified and defended. Hardware and software systems are often quite expensive, and these expenditures must necessarily be written into 3-5 year plans as well as yearly budgets. As such, these large expenditures are scrutinized and must be defended. Technology in schools brings about new problems for private school teachers and administrators. Families and students have privacy concerns about the safety and security of their private information stored on school servers. Cyber-bullying on social networking sites is often a situation that schools must confront and manage. Schools must consider acceptable use policies and then be capable of effective enforcing those policies, managing the violators with due process and in an efficient, dignified manner. Easy-to-access information can cause problems, and schools must be prepared for students researching in an environment where it has never been easier to plagiarize. Technology use in private schools can be costly, and therefore requires an adequate defense.

There are at least four compelling reasons for technology use in private schools.

Given the degree to which learners of today have access to technology, students expect technology to be a part of their educational experience. Students are more motivated to learn when they are actively engaged as opposed to when they are receiving only passive instruction. Engaged students comprehend more of the instructional material presented to them. Schools with engaged learners experience few behavior problems that detract from the learning experience. Roblyer and Doering (2010) report that the highly visual qualities of many technology-based instructional components motivates students and shapes more positive attitudes toward learning. [|Doering, Beach, & O'Brien] (2007) report that students completing a variety of deep instructional tasks requiring various outputs - written reports, multimedia presentations, video productions, etc. felt more engaged in the learning process compared to students completing more traditional forms of assessment.
 * Technology Use Promotes Higher Levels of Student Engagement**

Student engagement and student productivity are highly linked. Engaged students, almost by definition, are productive students and vice versa. In today's world where high-stakes, external tests like APs, IBs, SATs, and graduation proficiency exams are important, classroom efficiency and productivity are two qualities that have never been so necessary. Company executives are likely looking for engaged, productive workers. For example, the American Management Association's (2010) [|survey] of leading national employers indicated that firms are looking for employees that are creative, critical thinkers able to collaborate and communicate effectively. In short, firms want creative, productive employees now more than ever. Both [|Twigg] (2003) and [|Nelson Laird & Kuh] (2005) suggest a link between technologically sophisticated college courses and higher levels of student engagement and output. In fact, Twigg (2003) found the 30 college institutions that participated in a course redesign program with Pew Charitable Trusts (Program in Course Redesign) reported not only increased levels of student engagement and productivity, but also reduced institutional costs.
 * Engaged Students are More Productive Students**

The most successful, most productive firms and organizations today, organizations like Google and Apply for example, are businesses that place a premium on collaboration. In preparing students for the careers of today and tomorrow, teachers and administrators must design and implement curricula with collaboration in mind. With on-line forums, instant messaging, wikis, blogs, educationally oriented-social networks, etc., technology can deliver an extremely collaborative learning environment. School that embrace technology become collaborative institutions like Apple and Google, and support students in their endeavors to master technological skills and their interpersonal/collaborative skills.
 * Technology Use Promotes a Greater Degree of Collaboration**

Most private schools accept students with low to moderate learning disabilities. Some private schools even specialize in students with moderate to severe learning disabilities. There are private schools that specialize in teaching students with autism or dyslexia, for example. Technology can vastly improve the "academic quality of life" for students with learning disabilities by providing them with the means to develop into more productive, more organized and more efficient learners. In her overview of assistive technologies for example, [|Karen Forgrave] (2002) found that students with reading and writing disabilities perform significantly better in schools when they have access to text-to-speech software, organizational software, and voice recognition software. Technology can raise levels of student engagement, which allows for better comprehension of learning material and few behavior problems in schools. Engaged students are productive students, and given the competitive nature of today's jobs market, firms are demanding engaged and productive employees. These same firms are also looking for employees that have finely tuned collaborative skills, the kind of skills that technologically sophisticated schools tend to cultivate. Finally, technology can make schools more accessible to students with learning disabilities. Although the costs of technology in private schools can be high, the use of technology in private schooling seems more than justified.
 * Technology Use Supports Students with Learning Disabilities**

Works Cited American Management Association. (2010). //AMA 2010 critical skills survey: Executive summary//. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/documents/Critical%20Skills%20Survey%20Executive%20Summary.pdf

Doerling, A. Beach, R. & O'Brien, C. (2007). Infusing multi-modal tools and literacies into an English education program. //English Education, 40// (1), 41-60.

Forgrave, K. E. (2002). Assistive technology: Empowering students with learning disabilities. The Clearing House //75// (3), 122-126.

Nelson Laird, T. F., & and Kuh, G. D. (2005). Student experiences with information technology and their relationship to other aspects of student engagement. Research in Higher Education //46// (2), 211-233.

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2010). //Integrating educational technology into teaching.// Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Twigg, C. A. (2003). Improving quality and reducing cost: designs for effective learning. //Change 35// (4), 22-29.