Old Education Policy on Technology Use, ISLLC Standards Pertaining to the Policy - Essay Example

Changing Out d Policy Introduction In the modern learning world, the education environment has been ed to technological innovations, some of which have been regarded as obsolete because most students are incapable of addressing them in an appropriate manner. It is because of this that most K-12 schools are struggling to adopt new educational policies that are affiliated with old technology, since the skills that the students are being forced to use are outdated. For instance, the Common Core State Standards policy plays a crucial role with respect to illustrating the huge shift based on what teachers teach and what the students who possess K-12 grades are capable of addressing. This policy mostly targets career readiness and college, especially those students who rely on using technology to serve as a mode of instruction, data analysis, assessment and collaborative learning (Benjamin, 2012). This paper will evaluate the Common Core State Standards policy which schools are adopting based on old technology that students and staff are using as mode of technological instruction. Discussion Old Education Policy on Technology Use Most schools across the globe have been noted to use old education policies. With respect to the Common Core Standards policy, most learning institutions, staff and students are in need of technology that can offer them with appropriate guidance on how to cope with it, especially with growth of internet to allow them to produce as well as publish high quality writing. Also, they are required to demonstrate appropriate skills in using the keyboard and type more than two pages in a single setting (Donston-Miller, 2013). However, though the internet and keyboarding skills are old technologies, most students are still not able to utilize them to their full capacity, and thus fail to succeed in their educational endeavors (Jacob & Hawkins, 2011). Though students and educators do not yet have access to advanced software and hardware, these technologies have been prevalent in various organizations, and are today declaring them as outdated .It is because of this that educators are supposed to raise awareness, collaboration and engage in thorough research that will permit their students to utilize the prevailing technology in an effective manner to help them engage in their educational endeavors successfully. This is because these technologies have the potential to standardize the assessments that students are subjected to, and hence measure whether a student is capable of understanding those concepts effectively (Donston-Miller, 2013). Despite the prevalence of technology for a long time, most students are encountering difficulties with respect to affording the right tools to facilitate in their studies. Also, most of them are still not knowledgeable on the type of technology that they need to allow them undertake their studies in an effective manner. In addition, research reveals that there are those students who have the appropriate knowledge, but they do not have relevant knowledge on how to utilize the tools that are availed to them in an effective manner (Jacob & Hawkins, 2011). In this perspective, it is evident that though technology pertaining to education has been present for long, there is still a large number of learning institutions have not utilized it appropriately, and thus rendering it absolute before students gain appropriate skills on how to use them. There are various schools that have been able to meet the Common Core State Standards principle that are affiliated with ISSLC standards by doing developing a curriculum that can rhyme with the standards. However, they lack relevant technological infrastructure that can allow them implement the expectations of the curriculum appropriately. Also, they stipulate that they lack technology everywhere from switches to devices and servers, as well as storage to bandwidth and broadband equipment. However, these technologies have been in the market for some time now, and hence an indication that learning institutions are not making sufficient effort to them equip their students with relevant technology that can address their learning needs effectively (Boggs, 2013). These incidences are mostly highly prevalent in developing nations, which do not have appropriate capital that can allow them to implement appropriate technological infrastructure to address their educational needs. ISLLC Standards Pertaining to the Policy With respect to the adoption of technology in the field of education, Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards play an essential role in terms of directing educational leaders on the appropriate mechanisms that they should adopt to succeed in the field of technology. It is the goal of an educational leader to facilitate for the success of all students by creating room for articulation, development, implementation and stewardship that relates to learning, and which the school community can offer broad support (Florida Gulf Coast University, n.d). In terms of facilitating for Common Core State Standards policy, it is the role of the educational leader to ensure that the kind of technology that is implemented in a school setting has the potential to facilitate for articulation, implementation, development and stewardship of education through making use of advanced technology such as high-tech computers, high-speed internet and online teaching platforms (Boggs, 2013). It is the duty of a school leader to ensure that his students succeed by nurturing, advocating and sustaining a school’s instructional program and culture that has the potential to allow the students and the staff to grow professionally. In the modern work environment, employers are complaining that most of the new employees that they are receiving are not highly skilled to cope with the kind of technology that they possess (Florida Gulf Coast University, n.d). This means that school leaders are not doing enough to facilitate for the introduction of a technologically-based instructional program that is capable of allowing their students to realize professional growth, which is then supposed to help them excel professionally, and become relevant in the workplace. In this case, school leaders should adopt technology that can nurture the culture and instructional program, while at the same time allowing students to be relevant in the workplace (Jacob & Hawkins, 2011). A school leader should ensure that his students realize success in their endeavors by ensuring that the management of the institution, resources, and operations offer a safe, effective and efficient learning environment. In the modern world, software and hardware are advancing at a rapid pace. In order for a school to ensure that students succeed with respect to technology adoption, the school leader should undertake research to identify the most relevant technology that can facilitate for learning at school, and gather sufficient funding to allow an institution to gain access to such resources (Boggs, 2013). Reason for Selecting Policy Change The Common Core State Standards policy is essential because as technology advances, it is provides students with a platform that allows them to gain access to information that they need. Moreover, modern workplaces are advancing at a rapid pace, and this creates a need for educational leaders to focus on ways that can help them cope with advancing technology. However, most schools have not been able to realize this objective, and they are still using outdated technology in classrooms, and thus making their students to become irrelevant once they leave school in search for jobs (Boggs, 2013). Pros and Cons of Policy Ramifications Ramifications of the Common Core State Standards policy would mean that most students would be equipped with appropriate technology to address the needs of the modern workplace. As a result, organizations would become more productive and innovative to meet their future goals. However, by incorporating technology in classrooms for it to address the needs of the Common Core State Standards policy, educational institutions would be forced to incur increased costs, which would later impact on the education budget and the fees that the students pay (Benjamin, 2012). This would make education expensive since learning institutions would be forced to adopt new technology once in a while so as to remain relevant to the job industry requirements. Revised Educational Policy In order for technology to be effective as a mode of instruction in schools, the Common Core State Standards policy should be combined with follow up processes, which would ensure that schools exercise this practice for the benefit of the students, both at school and in places where they secure employment in future (Donston-Miller, 2013). Therefore, the policy should also target future modifications that are likely to take place in the field of educational technology to ensure that schools are adequately prepared before they take effect. Plan to Change the Policy Since the policy of rhyming technological needs with the Common Core State Standards policy is a hectic one, it is appropriate for technological firms to collaborate with learning institutions and offer them incentives on the relevant technology that is applicable in the market today (Florida Gulf Coast University, n.d). This way, they would be able to adopt the appropriate technology that would allow them to meet their educational needs effectively, and gear their students towards professionalism. Budget Implications Technological equipment such as software and hardware are expensive, especially since they require regular updating, as well as training of the people who would use them to instruct the students. Therefore, schools should secure sufficient funds that can address all those needs, since lack of one would mean that the policy would not take effect according to the expectations of the learning institutions. Timeline for Implementation of Policy Implementation of the educational policy would take time to acquire funds for obtaining the equipment. Also, since the staff and the students would require to be trained on how to use the technological equipment, schools should secure ample time in order to implement the initiative in a successful manner. The time that the schools would need to acquire technological equipment is anticipated to be three months, while the overall training process for the staff and students would take six months. This would ensure that every person in the school is well equipped with appropriate knowledge to use technology as a mode of educational instruction. Conclusion The paper has revealed that the initiative of linking the Common Core State Standards policy with technology is hectic for most schools, especially in developing nations. This is because they do not have appropriate infrastructure in place to allow them to implement technology as a mode of instruction in their schools. Most schools are using outdated technological policies, whereby they are behind with respect to typing skills, hardware, software and network infrastructure acquisition. Therefore, to make technology relevant as a mode of instruction in schools, it is appropriate for educational leaders to undertake research on the appropriate equipment and resources to use as well as gather sufficient funds that will make the implementation process to become successful. References Benjamin, R. (2012). The New Limits of Education Policy. New York: Edward Elgar Publishing. Boggs, G. (2013). Through the Learning Lens. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/09/12/colleges-should-end-outdated-policies-dont-put-students-first-essay Donston-Miller, D. (2013). Common Core Meets Aging Education Technology. Retrieved from http://www.informationweek.com/policy/common-core-meets-aging-education-technology/d/d-id/1110849 FloridaGulfCoastUniversity. (n.d). ISLLC Standards. Retrieved from http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/62-2011/docs/pdf/eft021612appendixh.pdf Jacob, J., & Hawkins, J. N. (2011). Policy Debates in Comparative, International, and Development Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More