Elementary media specialists as school-based technology support leaders: Effects of technology and leadership skills on teachers' technology use

The presence of educational technology is now ubiquitous in K-12 public school classrooms as technology is becoming more affordable. Despite increases in the availability of technologies, there has been criticism that the full and meaningful infusion of educational technology into teaching and learning is not frequently happening in the classrooms (USDE, 2003). Lack of technical and instructional support seems to be a common barrier (Sandhotz & Reilly, 2004; USDE, 2007a). This study examined (1) how elementary media specialists' technology and leadership skills affect the sharing of best practices of instructional uses of technology and (2) how elementary media specialists foster the development of technology integration skills among teachers in their schools. The results indicated that media specialists' job-embedded professional development (PD) experience had greater leverage on their levels of technology use and technology leadership skills than formal PD experience, presence of a technology teacher, and presence of a technology committee in the schools. The findings also indicated that teachers and media specialists working in high-poverty schools performed at lower levels of technology use than those working in more affluent schools. Although media specialists' technology and leadership skills seemed to have an insignificant effect on teachers' technology use, media specialists seemed to provide teachers with technical and instructional support through various forms of collaboration. A school-based technology PD framework was proposed as a result of the study. Limitations of the study, as well as implications, and recommendations for practice are presented.