My Thoughts on Being a Technology Leader in the White Lake School

Sandy Nightingale

White Lake School is very fortunate to have many teachers that have completed TTL, Advanced TTL, DTL, WebMaster Training, and CISCO Training. Our Technology Coordinator is a Technical Engineer, and we have very good elementary school and high school technology teachers. As a first grade teacher working among so many highly-qualified people, my opportunities for technology leadership are limited.

I am part of the Technology Committee, which is responsible for writing our Technology Plan and updating it every year. I think that my greatest role of leadership is to act as a mentor to the less experienced teachers in my school. They are not intimidated by me, so they often come to me for help on simple things that they don’t know how to do or for simple troubleshooting when their computer or printer isn’t working. My experience as a first grade teacher helps me to explain things simply and clearly, making it easier for them to understand.

I also think that I lead by example by keeping current with technology and not being afraid to try something new. I have completed TTL, DTL, WebCT, and WebMaster Training. I was the first elementary teacher to use our DDN when our first lab was constructed. I then invited the K-2 classes to sit in on DDN sessions with my class and taught them how to use the system. White Lake is a K-12 school, and the labs are in the high school. I think it has a positive effect when high school students see my first graders using technology. I also believe that I am a good example to the students by participating in the MSET program and the other programs that I have completed. By seeing me enter into these programs and complete them, hopefully students can realize that learning is important and that is a life-long process.