Speak Up 2007 Report Release:
The New Visionary Administrator

“We want technology to be almost a thoughtless, seamless process.
When you go to a classroom, you pick up a piece of chalk. Technology should be as automatic as picking up the chalk. The newer teachers are expecting it and our students are expecting it when they come into the classroom.”
-- Irving (Nick) Nicholson, director of eLearning programs, Chicago Public Schools

 

Project Tomorrow and Blackboard released Leadership in the 21st Century: The New Visionary Administrator during a breakfast meeting at the NSBA T+L 2008 ConferenceT+L (Seattle, WA) Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
This new report, based on the Speak Up 2007 School Leaders Survey, examines school and district administrators’ attitudes about technology and learning. The report highlights several Visionary Administrators who have more in common with students than with fellow administrators in terms of technology use and priorities for technology in instruction. 

The Visionary Administrators share a common concern about helping students develop 21st century skills and believe that seamless, ubiquitous technology, when effectively integrated into learning, has the potential to expand the classroom walls, transform the pedagogy, and help students better prepare for life in the 21st century.   Key findings include:

• 95% of tech visionaries believe that using technology improves student achievement. 73% report that integrating mobile devices will increase student engagement.
• Tech visionaries are twice as likely as their peers to use technology, closing the digital disconnect gap with students. For example, tech visionaries are more likely than students to remix content (29% vs. 20%) and read or post blog or wiki entries (56% vs. 19%).
• Tech visionaries are leading the introduction of online learning and mobile devices into the classroom by supporting teacher exploration of new tools. Over half of all tech visionaries say that they would provide or expand online courses to keep students engaged in school.

Click here to download a copy of the report, which was released on October 29th, 2008. 

Panel Discussion with Visionary Administrators
Learn more from these innovative administrators about their successes and challenges in running a 21st century school -- Podcast from panel discussion at NSBA T+L (October 28 – October 30, 2008). Panelists included:

• Ryan Imbriale -- Baltimore County Public Schools (MD)
• Jim Klein – Saugus Union School District (CA)
• Paul Sanfrancesco -- Garnet Valley School District (PA)

 

Sign up for Project Tomorrow News to receive updates about the Speak Up National Research Project!