This is a question that I have pondered over for almost a year now, ever since I was offered and accepted the position here at ISB. I have now been in the post for a quarter of the year so I throught I would give some of what I have found.
1. Have a vision of the future and be able to articulate this to others. The idea here is that creative thinking will help teachers move their teaching into this new idea of 1:1. It should also include what impact it will have on student learning and how to get the most value out of technology in projects and classroom learning. The statements should not be general in nature and they should have some kind of time frame. Some of this vision may not be feasible, but still a goal to look toward in the future.
2. Has a focus on the student, primarily in learning and assessment. This is a big area and not one that all teachers understand well. It should not be about assessing the technology but rather the achievement of the student. It may well be that there has been some technology infusion into a learning goal, but this technology is just a tool to help the student learn.
3. Is informed about what is going on around the school and community. Procedures are in place to celebrate the wonderful things going on around the school and in the classroom. The ICT facilitator needs to be a part of curriculum planning specifically in the units that are being developed. TO do so invites a great sharing of all the great work being accomplished by the teachers. The facilitator also celebrates with the teacher or student, accomplishments that have been successful.
4. Has ideas and knows how to carry them out. There is no sense in letting teachers know about great ideas for their teaching or units without being able to assist in carrying them out. Many teachers will be excited about these ideas but also scared about deploying them in the classroom. The ICT Facilitator needs to be there for the teachers to make sure ideas work as they are planned. It is great for the facilitator to be innovative, but sometimes it can be very ovewhelming for the teacher.
5. Is a good listener. One of the aspects of my job is to listen to the members of the faculty, students and administration. If you are a good listener the the people around you will respect you and your ideas more seriously.
6. If the ICT Facilitator is a good listener and respectful of others then they will find that others approach them with ideas they want help with. The facilitator should be able to identify both the advantages and pitfalls to the idea and help the teacher/student through with implementation.
7. Has a passion for what is happening in the school. This would include all levels of PD and SD that involve the change needed in a school to bring in a high end, robust and technologically sound program. The program is ever evolving.
I still have many questions unanswered but over time I hope to be able to both see the answers to the questions and also see how they can be a part of the bigger picture at the school.
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