Often, I frame technology in a way that captures its intense nature: to me, it's an amplifier, meaning it accentuates something's qualities. So, if you (as an instructional leader or school district leader) are looking to reboot or re-energize an existing initiative, adding technology will naturally intensify the characteristics of the program, whether it's literacy, RTI, STEM, differentiation, or student engagement. Digital-age tools solve problems of communication and collaboration, allows for easier contribution and access to information, and inspires engagement.
It occurred to me today that adding the use of digital-age tools when beginning (or igniting) an initiative is also the hot spark you may need to get it running. For example, your third and fourth grade males are not reading up to grade level, and you are looking to implement non-fiction options in your leveled book boxes or include non-fiction examples in your mentor text. Indeed, this can be done without an digital-age tools, but with strain and push and pull on time and resources.
With a Diigo Social-Bookmarking group, Google's Reading Level search tool (under advance search), and a professional learning community all communicating through twitter, wikis, and blogs to find resources, this is much more easily done. Plus, the use of technology will increases student engagement, and with the right support, leadership, and empowered policies, the teachers will appreciate the new experience.
To review, technology and digital-age tools: not only an amplifier but also a "spark" of ignition.
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