EDUC 5373 Week 2 Blog

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     Technology in my school and district is abundant and can be found everywhere. The latest and greatest new gadget, device, or learning platform- we have it. Teachers and staff at my school have no shortage of technology. However, time constraints, inadequate training, and a lack of professional development often deter educators from implementing all of the new technologies into their classrooms. And often, when teachers do find the time to try and include new digital tools in their classrooms, it ends in frustration and confusion due to not having the proper digital skills and competencies to effectively integrate technology into their daily lessons. 

When developing a plan to bridge this gap, we can not continue to provide the traditional approach of only developing technical skills with isolated professional development (Falloon, 2020). Districts and school officials need to explore beyond emphasizing technological skills and also include frameworks that help develop teachers' digital competencies as well. 

Introducing the TDC ( Teacher Digital Competence) framework for teachers to use would help sharpen their technical skills and enhance and refine their proficiencies with digital tools (Falloon, 2020). Other frameworks like TPACK and SAMR primarily focus on subject learning outcomes. At the same time, TDC integrates elements of personal, ethical, and professional considerations to help all educators develop many digital competencies. 

The stakeholders for a technology integration plan would include teachers from various grade levels and subjects, students, parents, and my district's technology department. My district has an extensive technology department, including chief technology officers and executive directors of learning technologies and connected learning practices. We also have a technology curriculum coach at each school. These individuals would have the largest impact on creating change regarding technology for my district. 

As stated on their website, Royse City Independent School District's "Mission Statement" regarding technology is "The mission of the RCISD Technology Department is to support the RCISD Community with consistent interactions and information to provide innovative and safe digital experiences" (Royse City Independent School District, 2024, "Mission Statement" section). Furthermore, their "Vision Statement" outlines that they "envision enriching the educational experiences of our students through collaborative solutions and growth for the benefit of our community" (Royse City Independent School district, 2024, "Vision Statement" section).

Using the TDC framework to encourage and increase digital skills and proficiencies aligns perfectly with the school's mission and vision statements. It guides teachers into considering how their digital use and understandings provide imaginative and protected digital spaces while working with others to achieve shared growth. 

While my school's current plan is rooted in traditional developmental technical skills, the next logical step would be to develop a more comprehensive plan that will allow teachers to develop and enhance their digital competencies. All of the correct people, technologies, and ideas are in place, so to move forward with a plan to include the TDC framework to increase technology understanding would entail creating a proposal based on a deficit I see in teachers and relating it back to students' learning outcomes. 

My overall plan and implementation would include input and feedback from teachers in the classrooms and students and parents. In order to create an effective plan, we must understand the challenges teachers face when including multitudes of technologies in their classrooms to better understand what is needed to support their students' outcomes. I would also include students' and parents’ feedback to get insight into how they feel about their teachers' use of technology and whether it helps or hinders their overall learning. Then, I would introduce the TDC framework to teachers and create a coaching plan and a timeline that effectively monitors teachers' digital skills and competencies and students' learning outcomes. 


References


Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: The teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Education Tech Research Dev, 68, 2449-2472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4


Royse City Independent School District. (2024). Technology. Retrieved March 20, 2025, from https://www.rcisd.org/page/technology

Comments

  1. Elizabeth HendersonMarch 25, 2025 at 3:06 PM

    Danna,

    I really connected with your blog post (probably because I picked this same article). Your focus on "tech overload, training underload" that so many schools face was excellent. I especially liked that you emphasized going beyond just teaching how to use tech, and digging into the why and how to use it well with the TDC framework. Bringing in the personal, ethical, and professional angles is super important. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ashley EnglishMarch 26, 2025 at 6:05 AM

    Danna, this is a well-written post. I really appreciate how you highlighted the disconnect between abundant technology and actual classroom integration—it’s a challenge many districts face. I agree that we must understand the challenges before implementing a plan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. bbarker1223323March 27, 2025 at 7:27 PM

    Understanding the challenges is crucial for effective implementation. Many districts have access to a wealth of technology, but the key lies in integrating it meaningfully into the classroom. This requires not only the right tools but also professional development and support for educators.

    ReplyDelete

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