FRIT 7232: Visionary Leadership in Instructional Technology

Increasing student accessibility to technology, both in and out of the classroom,

has always been an issue for which I strongly advocate. Often, I see students on social
media websites who post things that could gravely impact their futures. These students,
unfortunately, are sometimes following the influences of older siblings, or even parents,
and do not fully understand the repercussions that can come from their online postings. In
addition, they need to comprehend that the internet, and technology in general, is not just
for socializing. The use of technology can benefit students educationally in various and
exponential ways, if they know how to use it. While I have always advocated for student
accessibility for technology, I shouldve also been advocating for their responsible use of
that technology.
Students need to be taught how to use the internet responsibly. I often hear
teachers who are afraid to allow students to use technology in their classes because
students are so irresponsible when it comes to the internet. I think these teachers forget
that what we know about responsibility is because someone took the time to teach us
basic responsibilities and then, perhaps, we inferred anything in addition to those basics.
Students need to be made aware of their responsibilities in terms of digital citizenship if
we expect them to use technology wisely. As a result of taking this class, I have been
able to use The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 K-12 Edition and the article Digital
Citizenship in K-12: It Takes a Village to convince the administration at my school to
allow me to hold a professional learning session for teachers on Digital Citizenship and
ways to use technology educationally. I will also be planning an advisory for our students
on the same topic as a result of this professional learning with teachers.

FRIT 7232: Visionary Leadership in Instructional Technology

Actively engaging students in learning through technology helps them understand
the ways technology can be used for educational purposes. It is also a good way to begin
teaching them about digital citizenship. Practices that are beneficial to students in one
program might also lend themselves to another. However, these practices, and this
engagement, cannot happen if students do not have access to technology. The school
district I teach in has very limited access to technology within the school and students
have even more limited access outside of school. Most students do not have access to
technology at home, and, those who do, have inconsistent access. There are also some
students who need additional assistance when it comes to technology. We have several
students who need programs that read to them and others that need text enlarged so that
they can read it. The Horizon Report mentions several different means to engaging
students in learning through technology, but does not speak much to the accessibility of
that technology.
As someone advocating for increased technology integration in my school district,
I have to keep these accessibility issues in mind. I need to provide my colleagues with
guidance as they work to increase their technology usage. Reading about ways to
incorporate technology and increase learning and engagement is all well and good, but it
has to be accompanied by action. After taking this class, my drive to advocate for my
students accessibility and digital citizenship has been reawakened. These are issues
which, unaddressed, leave my students ill-prepared to face the real world. Hillel the
Elders quotation still reigns true today, If not now, when? If not you, then who?
Works Cited:
Bosco, J. (2013). Rethinking Acceptable Use Policies to Enable Digital Learning: A
Guide for School Districts. Washington: Consortium for School Networking.

FRIT 7232: Visionary Leadership in Instructional Technology

GoodReads. (2014). Retrieved from Hillel the Elder: Quotes:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5785492.Hillel_the_Elder
Hollandsworth, R., Dowdy, L., & Donovan, J. (2011). Digital Citizenship in K-12: It
Takes a Village. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning,
37-47.
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2014). Horizon Report: 2014
K-12 Edition. Austin: New Media Consortium.
Lawton Henry, S., & McGee, L. (2013). W3C. Retrieved from Accessibility:
http://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility