Katrina Lifer's Blog

Internet access was an important part of my plan. I want to be able to provide our community members with opportunities to receive internet at an affordable price. Broadband internet access plays a critical role in equitable learning, especially as technology continues to change our thoughts of education. Per the survey done, in my community, internet access is a mixed issue—many students have reliable service at home, but there are still a number of families, especially in more rural or low-income areas, that struggle with consistent, high-speed internet. While the district does offer the ability to check out Wi-Fi hotspots, those are reserved for students doing all of their schooling virtually, making it more difficult on families who may need the assistance. I found that there wasn’t so much an issue with the ability to receive high speed internet in our area, but more of an issue with affordability. Helping the community members through training and outreach as well as making more ...

Within the STARSS-LS Framework, a STAFF component is included. This portion emphasizes the role of professional development and how it can play a major part in advancing technology integration and improving student outcomes. Aligning with my Week 3 statement, “Continued professional learning and training for teachers help enhance student support and ensure technology becomes a central component of education,” my TIP will outline best practices related to this goal. For teachers to be truly effective, professional development must go beyond simply showing how to use a tool. It needs to provide educators with clear pedagogical strategies for integrating technology meaningfully into instruction. Based on Kopcha et al. (2020), this plan focuses more on the process of teaching rather than on the flashiest or newest tech tools. Teachers already spend significant time planning and experimenting with lessons—so helping them integrate technology into the instruction they're already deliv...

1) From the Crompton (2023) article, describe at least two best practices to support student learning gains from educational research reflected in the ISTE Educator Standards. How might these connections assist you in guiding the development of a Technology Vision for your district or organization based on the identified digital divide(s) you have identified? Best Practices from Educational Research (Crompton, 2023) to Support Student Learning Goals: Students as Active Learners: Crompton (2023) emphasizes the importance of students being active learners and the value of student-centered approaches. This aligns with ISTE Educator Standard 2.1 (Learner), which encourages educators to continuously improve by learning from others and exploring new strategies. Blanchard et al. (2016) investigated the effects of teacher training on student performance in math and science. Teachers who received training on integrating technology into their teaching saw higher student test scores compared to ...