Nikolas Gonzales
Digital Learning Specialist
Boston Public Schools
Boston, Massachusetts
Susan Herder
Instructional Technology Coordinator
Mounds View Public Schools
Arden Hills, Minnesota
Chris Larsen
Director of Educational Technology
Granite School District
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tina Lauer
Instructional Technology Specialist
City of St. Charles School District
St. Charles, Missouri
Michael Mades
Director of Technology
Sun Prairie Area School District
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Orly Rachamim
Director of Educational Technology
Netivot HaTorah Day School
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Heather Shannon
Technology Integration Support Specialist
Elk Grove Unified School District
Elk Grove, California
Visit go.SolutionTree.com/technology to download the free reproducibles in this book.
Table of Contents
Eight Administrators Walk Into a Classroom
Introduction: The Future Is Ready Now
1 The Why: Creating and Communicating a Vision for Change
Conclusion
2 The What: Planning the Launch
Communicating the Plan
Creating Teacher Activators
Conclusion
3 The How: Defining and Deploying Essential Resources
Defining and Deploying Personnel Resources
Defining and Deploying Technology Resources
Defining and Deploying Financial Resources
Conclusion
4 The Then What: Providing Professional Development and Sharing Your Story
Professional Development
Connecting With the Community and Showcasing Student Work
Conclusion
Remembering That Change Is Constant
Assessing Success
Looking Ahead
Conclusion
Appendix A: Grade-Band Books at a Glance
Appendix B: Glossary of Tools and Terms
About the Authors
Meg Ormiston is on a mission to change the world of education. She shares her passion for teaching and learning with technology through her keynote speaking, through her writing, and on social media. Meg was a classroom teacher for twelve years and now travels nationally and internationally, speaking about the power of teaching and learning with digital tools. When Meg is home in the Chicago suburbs, you will often find her in classrooms serving as an instructional coach.
In her role as a consultant, Meg partners with school systems that are committed to 21st century learning experiences for everyone. Meg creates a unique partnership in each district, reflecting the mission, vision, and direction that local leaders have identified. Her districtwide projects have included guiding teams through the visioning process, designing and delivering professional development, facilitating classroom modeling, developing student leaders in technology, and educating parents.
As a thought leader in education technology, Meg has published seven books and is collaborating with a team for the five books in the NOW Classrooms series. Meg holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from National Louis University.
To learn more about Meg’s work, follow @megormi on Twitter.
Cathy Fisher is the director of teaching and learning at Maercker School District 60 and provides leadership to all aspects of its K–8 instructional program. She is a former middle school special education teacher, dean of students, and professional development coordinator who believes strongly in continuous improvement and enjoys leading systems change.
During the district’s technology integration journey, Cathy sought to expand her personal learning