Networking Research, Policy and Practice: Designing a District Technology Plan through Collaborative Professionalism

Lorayne Robertson, Laurie Corrigan

When examining technology implementation in schools, more research is available on the role of the school leader than on the significant leadership role that the school district fulfills in technology support and implementation. This paper reviews the practical, theoretical and policy considerations surrounding the scheduled renewal of one school district’s technology plan. The authors outline steps undertaken in one school district that elected to create a collaborative professional learning team rather than hire external consultants to suggest improvements to the district technology plan. An internal team of district professionals collectively analyzed the outcomes of the district’s previous technology plan. Next, they worked collaboratively to recommend future directions for technology implementation in the district. The team considered practical elements such as the allocation of personnel and resources. The theoretical elements considered included equity, capacity-building, innovative pedagogies, and connected learning. Policy was both a driver and an outcome of this process. The team supplemented their decisions with just-in-time research with a university partner in order to identify strengths and barriers affecting technology innovation in the district.

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