ISTE standards different for Administrators and Coaches?

As an educator, I am familiar with ISTE standards for teachers and students. Meeting those standards professionally and helping my students meet those standards has been an important goal for me in my own classroom. They are not the only standards, however, and the standards for administrators and coaches are important to support both teachers and students in the classroom. At first glance, one might assume these standards focus more on facilities and infrastructure, but it is clear that both the administrator and the coach have important roles in helping all teachers and students grow in the field of innovation and technology.

While coaches have six categories of standards, administrators have five. They do share a few similar categories including "Visionary Leadership," "Digital Citizenship," and "Digital Age Learning." While they are similar categories at first glance, it is clear that the standards within are just a bit different from one another to match the different roles of the administrator and coach regarding technology.

When it comes to "Visionary Leadership" the role of the administrator is to "inspire and lead" while the role of a technology coach is to "inspire and participate" Administrators are expected to "inspire, facilitate, engage, and advocate" for visions and plans, the use of resources, and learning goals. On the other hand, coaches are expected to contribute, advocate, and implement these visions, plans, policies, procedures, strategies, and learning goals. Visionary leaders, whether administrators or coaches, help the entire district realize the purpose, and most notably, the importance of that purpose in the classroom. They must inspire.

The category of "Digital Age Learning" is slightly different for both as well. The administrator's category is technically "Digital Age Learning Culture" while the coach focuses on "Digital Age Learning Environments." Administrators are expected to "create, promote, and sustain dynamic, digital age learning culture that provides rigorous, relevant, and engaging education for all students," while coaches "create and support effective digital age learning environments to maximize learning of all students." The difference in sustaining culture and and supporting digital environments is important. The administrator ensures the focus on

digital technology and learning remains a priority, models this with their own use, helps make sure the environments are equipped, "ensure[s] effective practice" in the use of technology, and helps to promote the innovative initiatives. The coach looks more closely at modeling the use of technology, assisting the teachers in their use of different technology strategies including blended learning and the use of online resources. Coach standards include troubleshooting the software, hardware, and connectivity and helping teachers understand and use adaptive and assistive technology in the classroom. The coach is collaborating with teachers and administrators to make sure the the digital tools selected are meeting the needs of teachers and students and that they are "compatible with school infrastructure." The coach insures that "digital communication and collaboration tools" are used to work within the community and globally.

In the shared category of "Digital Citizenship" Administrators are "modeling and facilitating" while coaches are "modeling and promoting" digital citizenship within the district. Administrator standards focus on equitable access, promoting policies, and modeling and promoting a "shared cultural understanding and involvement in global issues". Coaches model and promote those strategies necessary for equitable access, instead. They don't promote, but they do model and facilitate digital citizenship. They also model and promote the "shared cultural understanding and global awareness," including local communication with "students, peers, parents, and the local community." Obviously, one cannot expect the faculty, staff, and students to practice digital citizenship if the administrators and coaches aren't practicing it actively. It also, cannot be assumed that others understand it inherently. The policies and modeling must become a part of the culture of the district, and it is up to the administrators and coaches to help that culture evolve.

Categories which administrators have that coaches do not include "Professional Practice," and "Systemic Improvement." In these categories administrators are responsible for ensuring that districts have equitable access, nurturing learning communities, staying "abreast of educational research and emerging needs," and analyzing metrics to make certain that all digital systems are supported and that there is an effective infrast

ructure.

Coaches have standards categories of "Teaching, Learning, & Assessments," "Content Knowledge and Professional Growth," and "Professional Development and Program Evaluation." Each of these categories has standards which directly relate to the coach's involvement with educators in the classroom, including modeling, designing, and implementing everything from tools, enhanced-learning experiences, and content. These standards emphasize helping educators learn best practice and coaching educators in technology literacy. Coaching standards include also evaluating and assessing the needs of the district and educators, then designing and developing the training and professional development to meet those needs. Lastly, coaches are expected to continue their learning in order to deepen their knowledge of technology integration, taking time to reflect on what has worked, what hasn't, and continuously choosing to learn more about the integration of technology in education.

In short, administrators and coaches, according to the ISTE standards, have multiple responsibilities which directly affect the use of technology in the classroom. While administrator standards focus on modeling, facilitating, and supporting the use of technology, the coach standards emphasize the importance of helping teachers understand how to truly utilize that technology in the classroom to impact student learning. In conjunction, both administrator and coach collaborate to help a district effectively integrate and utilize innovative strategies and technology in the classroom. This partnership is integral to allowing educators and students to feel supported in their classrooms.