For administrators looking to take the focus of edtech away from upkeep and back to learning, moving to the cloud could be the answer. Throughout his career he has led others through the deployment of several large-scale initiatives related to teaching, learning, and technology. For 16 years Ann led the team in Klein ISD that provided professional development on technology and 21st century instructional strategies to over 4,000 professional educators serving over 50,000 students. MORE

In fact, many school technology plans fluctuated depending upon the latest fads and what someone learned at a conference and had little connection to curriculum or learning goals. Overall, they implored listeners to move away from using “tech for tech’s sake” and to become intentional adopters of technology that enhances teaching and learning. Imperative 2: Raise the Bar with Rigorous, Transformative & Innovative Learning and Skills. MORE

Professional Reputation: As evidenced by recent incidents, stories about data hacks stay in the news for many cycles. Teaching and Learning: When the school network goes down temporarily, classes are momentarily disrupted. Cabrera pointed out, though, that for schools with most materials in the cloud, a hacked network and any subsequent outages for repair can halt learning for days or longer. Of course cyber security is necessary in education. MORE

During an edWebinar for the Empowered Superintendent series, “Leadership for Mobile Learning: Creating a Shared Vision,” the presenters said school leaders, though, often miss key parts of the planning process and end up with useless “hunks of plastic.” However, the more successful schools focus on improving teaching and learning first with edtech being just one of the tools to support it. ClassLink empowers your students and teachers with instant access to their learning resources. MORE

During the edWebinar “ Accessibility: Effective, Equitable Learning Environments for All Students,” which is part of a series hosted by CoSN and edWeb.net, the presenters discussed how they approach CoSN’s five steps to ensure accessibility. Both sides need to do their due diligence as the goal is to remove barriers to student learning. All staff should receive regular professional development on the district’s guidelines and topics related to accessibility. MORE

Data must be meaningful to learning; the instructional value should precede any tech advantage. Linnette Attai is Project Director for CoSN’s Privacy Initiative and Trusted Learning Environment Program. For 16 years Ann led the team in Klein ISD that provided professional development on technology and 21st century instructional strategies to over 4,000 professional educators serving over 50,000 students. MORE

During their presentation, “Online Assessment: An Evolving Landscape and New Opportunities,” they discussed the lessons they learned when they made the transition and what they would change if they could. Wright added that leaders also need to think about how online assessments can impact a school’s culture and change teaching and learning. She serves on the board of PowerMyLearning Los Angeles and on the advisory board of Project Tomorrow. MORE

This was a theme in all of the presentations and is affecting how leaders lead, how teachers teach, and how students learn and can be prepared for their own futures. Answers were: Time for teacher professional development. Eric Sheninger , Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership, International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), presented on the topic Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today. MORE