On Episode 8 of The Vartek Podcast, we sit down with Arline Pique, Director of Technology for Hamilton County ESC Technology Assistance Group to discuss EdTech challenges she’s seen over the past 18 months. A Certified Educational Technology Leader, Arline oversees the ESC’s technology services to schools located in Hamilton County. These services include workshops and professional development, seasonal or temporary tech assistance, and technology leadership, planning, and administration.
This episode goes into detail about major lessons technology leaders learned over the past 18 months, what’s on the horizon for educational technology, and how to drive effective use of technology in the classroom.
Are you experiencing challenges like the acceleration of technology and devices due to remote learning? Understanding the social-emotional side of learning in respect to technology use? Check out what Arline has to say about the positivity of these challenges and understanding the importance of technology and preparation for pivoting when things change quickly.
Related: Resilience, Reorientation, and Reinvention
We discussed Pique’s take on key technology on the horizon for education and she shared thoughts on:
- Innovation through AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- Use of Smartphones
- Voice technology in the classroom
Our conversation concluded with some discussion on how to drive effective use of technology in the classroom. Arline believes in providing the best administrative support to educators and using technology coaches. Coaches can provide the encouragement, support, and sometimes push that educators need to think outside the box. While teachers can do amazing things with technology in their instruction, they sometimes overlook the grandness of integration and coaches can share these experiences with other teachers and continue learning of best practices.
Vartek Services is a professional services company partnering with K12 schools to develop their vision, their strategy, align their support services, and their professional learning, and ensure that a budget is managed to support their infrastructure.
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