NYCDOE Region 10

This past September, I saw a quote on a NYC subway platform… “Managing the invention correctly will lead to the innovation.” – Jack Eberth, Manager IBM Global Services. It made me think how we have helped schools leverage the incredible potential that technology has to offer students and teachers in NYC’s Districts 3, 5, and 6. The promising practice that has proven to be successful and scalable is the school-based position of the Technology Integration Specialist. In many schools, our staff have become the needed “change agents” to help the administrators, teachers, and most importantly, the students manage the technology in useful and productive ways. Whether it is in the form of technical advice, cultural development, “what-if” idea generation, or the like… our team has helped the students and teachers rediscover how the power of a passionate teacher and learner can transform the outcomes of the learning community. As the grant’s funding was reduced, we observed that the Principals created positions for many of our staff to continue the work they started using school funds. As we moved into Year 2, the planning, integration, and impact went from small pockets of success to a larger ground-swell of momentum. It is rewarding to know that the seeds of the NCLB/EETT grant have planted have grown, and will continue to grow, well beyond the original scope of the project.