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Education Classroom Library
 Leadership in Educational Technology
January 2002
You're enthusiastic about the impact of multimedia on instruction! You know it's making a difference for your students. As they work on projects, you see them engaged in learning and excited to see their ideas coming together a process that eZedia makes even simpler. As a professional, you also need to know whether others who are using multimedia projects are having similar results. There is a continually growing body of research that supports the power of multimedia in the classroom. However, as a practitioner, finding the time to locate these resources can be daunting.
Recently, while doing some research of our own on the impact of multimedia on instruction, we came across a terrific online presentation by Harvey Barnett, a former principal and now a Senior Research Associate for one of the nation's Regional Educational Laboratories serving the western states. In less than twenty minutes, Mr. Barnett's presentation can provide you with a concise, well-researched summary of how technology can be integrated into classrooms and why multimedia projects remain one of the most powerful tools available to educators. So, whether you're talking to School Board members, developing a grant proposal, or planning technology applications for your school, spend a few minutes with Mr. Barnett at: http://www.portical.org/barnett1.htm
Harvey Barnett's presentation is just one of the gems available at portical.org. In fact, if you're an administrator reading this article or you know an administrator who is short on time and long on responsibilities, then share portical.org with them. Rather than trying to explain this ourselves, we took the liberty of asking Michael Simkins, the site's Creative Director, to explain how this resource came about and what the plans are for its continued development. Here was his reply:
"The Internet offers a tremendous range of information, tools, and resources that can help administrators lead their schools and districts to excellence. But what administrator has time to search and sift through hundreds of web pages to find the right resource for right now? Seeing this problem, the California Department of Education (CDE) commissioned the Santa Cruz County Office of Education to develop a centralized repository of technology-related resources and professional development opportunities for the state's administrators. The Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL) and portical.org were born!
Information at portical.org will help administrators find resources to assist in the day-to-day needs of their jobs, whether they are site-level principals or district superintendents. These resources have been collected and organized by practicing administrators and have met criteria judged to be of value to other administrators and organized in a large database. The matrix for the database has been developed around skills and resources identified as critical for administrators to show leadership in six educational technology components:
(1) Data Driven Decision-Making;
(2) Integrating Technology into Standards-based Curriculum;
(3) Technology Planning;
(4) Professional Development Needs of Staff in Technology;
(5) Financial Planning for Technology; and,
(6) Operations and Maintenance.
Anyone taking a leadership role needs vision, as well as sound knowledge and information. With our hectic schedules, sites that provide quality resources can make a tremendous contribution to effective decision-making. Take the time to listen to Harvey Barnett's presentation or read his printable version available at the portical.org site. You'll discover that your decision to incorporate multimedia projects in instruction was an excellent choice. While visiting the portical.org site, check out the additional resources and share them with your friends."
Authors' Notes:
Dr. Jane Madden is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Francis Marion University and is the Director of the Grants Development Program on campus. Dr. Michael Madden is a Professor in the School of Education. Both are the co-authors of two successful Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) grants. eZedia has been a research partner in both federal grants. Michael Simkins is the Creative Director for the portical.org site and is with the Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL). No remuneration was received for the writing of this article.
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