Improving your Technology Utilization

You can think of your technology utilization in three different ways. The first way is to simply analyze, “How much technology does my school or district have?” This information is generally what community members and parents want to know about the technology used in their schools. As an example, NC DPI Technology Planning and Support Statistics offers numerous reports indicating numbers and types of computers, amount of technology support, computer networking ratios, and how different districts stack up in terms of various technology expenditures.

A second way to review your technology utilization focuses on how frequently the computers in your school are being used by children. You make this analysis by observing during your walkthroughs how many computers are actually being used in the classrooms and how many are either turned off or have only the screen saver displayed on the screen. Generally, you will find that there are some teachers who are using computers with their students much more than others. If one of your goals in technology utilization is equity of computer access, you want to ensure that the usage of technology is more widespread among all of your classroom teachers. Once you have determined this baseline level of computer usage, you can then work with your teachers to help them find ways to integrate technology into their instructional work with students. Another way you can analyze equity of access is to look at the computer schedule and ensure that all classes (including self contained EC classes and ESL classes) have equal access to the lab.

The third way to analyze technology usage in your school or district comes after analyzing access and utilization of the technology. You may find significant differences in how the technology is being used in your school. In some classes, computers may be used as rewards or something to do as an extra for those who finish early. Other classes may have students playing non-instructional games or surfing the web. Still others may have students working on activities that are tied to classroom instruction. This third way of analyzing your technology investment focuses on how well your teachers are using the technology resources available to them to help all of the students in your school succeed.

Each of these ways to analyze technology usage can provide useful information. The first method can help you educate your different constituent groups how your school or district measures up against the state and against selected school districts. The second and third methods of analyzing technology usage are more instructional and diagnostic. These methods can help you pinpoint areas where your faculty and staff may need additional professional development or awareness on areas to monitor as a school leader. Use these three methods to help get the most out of your technology investment this year.