It is well known that teachers implement educational technology into their everyday teaching. However, if teachers are to be successful at using and advocating for educational technology, the administrations should have the same feelings and experiences.
As administrators of a school, it is essential to be on the forefront of progressive changes for education. That means implementing educational technology into everyday work as well. Administrators won’t be using it to teach or help students with homework, but there are certainly many ways to use educational technology for the duties of administrators.
Some administrators may be nervous about using new technology when they already have a tradition and routine set for their responsibilities. They may not feel confident in encouraging or training their teachers in how to use technology. But, there isn’t reason to fear. There are many easy-to-use educational technology resources for administrators.
#1 Google Drive
The ever-formidable Google Drive can be a life-saving resource for administrators to use. Administrators can use Google Docs to create memos and flyers to send directly to teachers’ emails. Google Spreadsheets can be used to organize data; Google Forms can be used to collect information from teachers; Google Slides can be used during staff meetings.
#2 DropBox
Instead of bogging down shared drives with resources for the teachers, administrators can use DropBox for the entire staff. Administrators can keep meeting minutes, photos from school events, school-wide curriculum rubrics, etc. in the DropBox.
#3 edWeb.net
For administrators who feel they need a little extra support with educational technology, there is the website edWeb.net. This website is a free professional social and learning network. Blogs, files, calendars, live chats, links, webinars, forums, etc. are all available for administrators across the nation to support and teach each other in educational technology uses, practices, and characteristics.
#4 Parent Portal
Having an online program for teachers to input grades and attendance is crucial in today’s educational culture. It makes it so much more easy for counselors, administrators, teachers, and parents to work together for the students’ benefit since all the information is in one place. One critical part of this is to have a parent portal—a way for parents to log in and can see their student’s progress, as well as an easy way to contact the teachers and administrators if needed.
#5 Education World
Education World is another necessary resource for administrators. Daily, this website updates educational news, lesson plans, educational technology tips, ideas, and reviews, and has a library of professional development resources.
#6 Eduwonk
This website helps administrators with educational policy, especially policy concerning educational technology. Policy and political news mentioned on this site include the Common Core, high school rankings and accreditation, and tips to improving your school’s success.
#7 National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators
The National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS) was developed through the Technology Standards for School Administrators Collaborative (TSSA). This group identifies the core knowledge and skills that every PK-12 administrator should know and can do with technology regardless of job role. Administrators can use this resource to see what they need to improve on in helping their school achieve success with educational technology.
#8 Instapaper
Available on Android and Apple devices, this app provides a mobile-optimized Text view making internet content easier to read. It can also save up to 500 articles or web pages as text on smart devices and can store unlimited amounts on their website. Administrators can use this resource to share professional development sites and articles with the teachers of their school.
#9 Skype
Many school districts just don’t have the funds to send teachers or administrators to out-of-district conferences or professional development summits. However, by implementing Skype, administrators can attend these conferences without leaving their office, saving the budget and staying available to their school. Skype can also be used for principals to connect with other principals in district meetings.
#10 Pocket Cloud
Administrators are hardly ever in their office: they are in meetings, visiting teachers, and managing the hallways. They can’t be expected to lug around their laptop with them everywhere. But, to quickly access a file or document that is on their laptop, no matter where on school campus an administrator may be, Pocket Cloud is the best program to use. This Apple or Android app allows your smart device to be connected to your computer (Mac or Windows desktop) to access files, pictures, games, or programs such as Outlook, Word, or Photoshop.
For schools to fully enter the future of education, they must be led by technology-savvy administrators. According to Betty Kistler, the computer technology coordinator at Tuckahoe School in Southampton, New York, “The most effective way school administrators can promote technology use is to themselves be knowledgeable and effective users of technology.”
These listed resources are only ten of the thousands of resources out there. There are also many blogs and sites give advice and instruction on how administrators can implement other educational technology for their schools.