School administrators need strong technology skills to support teachers and students, but many lack these skills due to factors like growing up before the technology revolution and limited training opportunities. To improve their skills, administrators should self-assess their abilities, seek out available training programs, stay up to date on technology changes, and lead by example through their own technology use. They can then help provide technology professional development for teachers and help the whole school integrate technology effectively.

1. School Administrators & Technology UseAmy Caldwell

2. What they need, don’t have, and must doPrincipals need to have the same or more computer skills that their staff and students haveMany do not, unfortunately, have technology skills so they cannot integrate it successfullyEffective leaders must educate themselves to stay current and ready to support their teacher and student bodies

3. Hear comments from the executive director of the International Society for Technology in Education

4. Why don’t they know?Grew up before technology revolutionLimited professional developmentGeographic isolationLack of training in professional degree programs

5. What can they do?Stay up to dateUtilize programs currently availableGet familiar with technologyLead by example

6. Where do they start?Self-assessUse self-assessment rubrics available online:http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/rubric-for-administrative-technology-use.htmlBe aware of state technology standards for administratorsEnlist or attend training from professionals

7. What comes next?Provide professional development in technology to staffModel the new technologiesSupport teachers

8. Are they ready? Technology is always changingAdministrators must progress with technological changesRemain aware & prepared

9. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•A) and Performance Indicators for Administratorshttp://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForAdministrators/2009Standards/NETS-A_2009.pdf

10. ReferencesAwalt, C., & Jolly, D. (1999). An inch deep and a mile wide: Electronic tools for savvy administrators. Educational Technology and Society, 2(3), 97-105.Bishop, P. (2001). Information and communication technology and school leaders. Paper presented at the Seventh World Conference on Computers in Education, Copenhagen, Germany. Retrieved from http://www.acs.org.au/documents/public/crpit/CRPITV8Bishop.pdfJohnson, D., & Bartelson, E. (1999). Rubrics for leadership. The School Administrator. Retrieved June 17, 2010 from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/rubrics-for-leadership.htmlJohnson, D. (2007, June 16). Rubric for administrative technology use. Retrieved from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/rubric-for-administrative-technology-use.html Kincaid, T., & Feldner, L. (2002). Leadership for technology integration: The role of principals and mentors. Educational Technology and Society 5(1), 1-8.Morote, E., Inserra, A., Bolton, J., Manley, R. & Brucia, J. (2006). K-12 School business administrators and technology, what they use; what they want?. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (pp. 3517-3523). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved from http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:ra-2ZNCQsqIJ:scholar.google.com/&hl=en&as_sdt=10000000000000