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When I completed reading assignment on the NETS standards, it made me think about my story at the Milton Hershey School. When I arrived at the Milton Hershey School four years ago, I was surprised to see how very little technology was being used by our students, teachers, and administrators. Don’t get me wrong, we have amazing facilities and staff, yet an insignificant portion of our budget is devoted to technology integration and training. We take the “band-aid” approach when it comes to technology. We will spend the money to buy a product to gather dust.

After learning about the NETS Standards, I began to realize that our school would benefit from having a strategically outlined approach to integrating technology in the classroom. The NETS standards outline everyone’s responsibility within a school setting. From teachers to administrators, everyone is responsible for integrating technology in the curriculum.

Unfortunately, when I first arrived I did not see this happen. For example, one day I surveyed my students to see if they have ever used or created a blog, wiki, or podcast in any of their classes at MHS. I was shocked at the answer, only ten students (out of over one-hundred) had ever used these technologies in class. The majority of my students had never even heard of these technologies (and they were seniors in high school!). I don’t mean to sound so pessimistic because I do love the students, staff, and opportunities at the school. As in any school district, we have areas to improve in. Here are some of my suggestions:
 * 1) Everyone (including myself) should look at standards as a “roadmap” or “framework” of where we want to be. Likewise, I believe that our school needs to comprise a technology vision, aligned with the NETS Standards. We need to address the significant changes that are occurring in our world and the world of education. In some ways, I feel that we are creating more disadvantages for disadvantaged kids, because we have no idea how to progress. Standards would help realistically align the efforts of administrators, staff, and students.
 * 2) In order to implement my first suggestion, technology integration needs our school administrators need to take more a technological role. I realize that administrators have phone calls to make, budgets to cut, and discipline issues to handle, but I feel that our administrators are failing to realize their role and impact in the use of technology in all subject areas. I recently read a book that discussed that “leadership is second only to classroom instruction in influencing student outcomes (Papa, 35).”
 * 3) Our Learning Technologies Department needs to become an integral part of our professional development, through emphasizing the use of new technologies, collaboration among staff and modeling. I feel that there is a certain level of disconnect among the staff and this department, primarily due to the fact that very few of our teachers have a relationship with the staff. In an article titled “5 Questions for a Technology Leader,” Steven Anderson emphasizes the importance of building relationships between stakeholders. By giving this department more of a role in professional development, I believe that we will begin to bridge the gap that exists.

If you noticed, my suggestions cost very little money and emphasize the importance of genuine leadership and relationship building through the NETS Standards. As educators, we are overloaded with integrating technology, writing lesson plans, taking care of discipline issues, and integrating the new standard of the week; however, what if we took a few moments to appreciate and realize our impact and role?