Standard+V

Educational technology facilitators apply technology to enhance and improve personal productivity and professional practice.
 * TF-V Productivity and Professional Practice**

The case study in chapter five over technology and professional learning communities was new to me the first time I read this chapter last year. Since then I have had personal experience with PLCs by using Twitter and engaging in blogging activities. Currently we are working on staff development at my district that focuses on PLCs with a major focus on Twitter and how to use it to connect and communicate with other educational professionals. The case study mentions how one school uses PLCs to help to support technology use in their district and continued professional growth during the school year. Their plan that includes these members engaging in 16 hours of technology professional development (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 117) is amazing, our district recently moved from 3 to 6 hour technology professional development requirement and I hope to see that number grow in the coming years.
 * __Self – Assessment__**

Standard V was perhaps the easiest to fulfill of all of the standards. I hope that I continue to have the opportunity to attend TCEA yearly. The amount of knowledge and availability for information sharing is amazing. I learn something new every year at the conference and am always excited about coming back and showing others everything there is available to them. This year I was also able to complete some field-based activities in this standard through developing technology staff development for my district. As Williamson and Redish point out, this shows the “critical role that technology specialists play in advancing technology use in schools” (2007, p. 23). I believe that technology staff development is important, especially on-going continued training and hope that we will be able to implement some of these strategies in the upcoming year.
 * __Learn as a Learner__**

This standard is where I originally thought technology facilitators spent most of their time, in developing trainings and staff development opportunities for staff. After speaking with multiple technology facilitators, I learned this is a small portion of their job. However, I feel it is one of the most important. Getting information and knowledge to staff concerning technology should be our number one focus. I hope that in the future I can help to implement more online opportunities for teachers and staff to share their technology information whether through wikis, email, or Twitter. One of the biggest questions will be how many people will be on board for this? At first I’m sure the number will be low, but as interest grows more and more people will be interested in this type of growth opportunity. Online professional development is also an area for potential growth. Online courses give teachers (and students) a place for collaborative, interactive and self-paced learning allowing all to succeed at their own pace (Watson, 2007, p. iv).
 * __Lifelong Learning Skills__**

Watson, J. (2007). //A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning.// North > American Council for Online Learning. Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation// > //and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leaders Should Know// > //and Be Able to Do.// Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education. Williamson, J., & Traci, R. (2007, August). Building technology > facilitators and leaders: a standards-based approach. > //Learning & Leading with Technology//, 22-26.
 * __Bibliography__**