ISTE Essential Conditions and Technology Integration

The ISTE or International Society for Technology in Education, lists fourteen critical elements necessary to "effectively leverage technology for learning" in today's schools. These fourteen elements offer educators, administrators, and school planners a framework for creating technology integration and innovation plans for their respective school or school district. While all schools will very in their successes or challenges with each of these elements, there are certain steps within the framework that are attainable through actionable steps taken by the administration. For example, it's not necessarily an educator or school administrators fault that they can not maintain consistent and adequate funding for technology integration, maintenance, and continual improvement. It's also not an educator or administrators sole responsibility to make sure all students have equitable access. Some schools might not have the resources available to even provide high quality, technological instruction to their students, though they should continually strive for it. Even if teachers and administrators can maintain equitable access within the school boundary, they unfortunately may not be able to affect connectivity or access when the student is outside of school. 

What educators, and especially administrators can do to meet at least some of the ISTE essential elements, pertain to professional alignment, planning, and consistent equitable implementation whenever possible. First, the entire school community including students (and wherever possible, parents and guardians) should be involved in creating a shared vision for technology and learning within the school. Students have a rich background of experience with technology having had access to various tech and software for the entirety of their lives. Their input is valuable, and we should listen. In the process of creating a shared vision among members of the school community, a culture will begin to take shape around the ways school stakeholders view technology and it's role in education. While this culture is being created, the school administration should set and uphold norms or technological innovation and empowerment among educators, students, and the administration. With a culture of empowerment in place, empowered leaders within the organization will continue to champion the schools new shared vision. Ideally, this technology infused vision should trickle down into a student centered, curricular framework. Support policies, in particular accountability to the technology culture, should be aligned with this new vision. What financial resource or incentive is available, should be utilized by the administration to support this vision.