How Can Technology Make School Administrators More Productive?

School administrators have a lot of responsibilities to take care of, so as to ensure proper functioning of the school. There are many technological tools available in the marketplace that can help administrators in their tasks and help them succeed in

 their roles.

Such tools make administrators more productive and efficient in their day-to day tasks. There are many ways in which technology can enhance the productivity of school administrators. Here’s how technology should be used successfully in order to make school administrators more productive:

• Administrators should effectively make use of the same technology tools that they want their teachers to use with the students in the classroom.
• They should be consistent in their decisions and expectations to integrate technology in their school.
• They should clearly communicate with the community of the school about the pace and process of technology integration.
• They should arrange to provide proper professional development and resources to support the effective implementation of technology.
• They should ensure that student work is done and stored using technology.
• They should be active enough to support the students, staff and the entire school to help adopt technology.
• They should use data gathering tools to get data timely for decision-making.
• They should communicate with teachers, students, parents and the rest of the school community online.
• They should use Web-based reports of results from assessments on standard-based tests for school planning and professional development.
• They should access real-time information about students, manage it and track student progress.
• They should use electronic diagnostic tools to save time and measure effectiveness of lessons.

Apart from these tips, there are various widely available technological tools which can help administrators to be more productive. Here are some of them:

• Google Docs : Is a free application that allows you to store documents in the cloud. As documents are stored remotely on the Web, they can be accessed anywhere from any device with an Internet connection. Documents are secure and a login is required to access them. Documents on the cloud can be modified by anyone who is granted access to them. It allows you to collect data from multiple sources and work in collaboration. Using Google Docs eases tasks for busy administrators.
• Evernote : Is a free note-making app which has a vast feature set that can help you manage your school activities. It allows you to create notebooks in which you can organize your information. Notebooks are shareable which allows you and other staff members with an account to share information and collaborate on projects. You can print notes, tag and email notes to those who have an Evernote account. You can use it to create a comprehensive and searchable contact log, as a project to-do list, create meeting minutes, absentee tracker, a verbal to-do list, for data storage, portable note-taking, emergency document availability, create schedules and for collaboration.
• SchoolTool : Is a web-based student-management system. You can see all of student schedules, teacher contacts, grades, and assessment results from previous years and more. It can be used to provide quality and quantity of information to parents which will expand as teachers and administrators become more familiar with the available functionality.
• Skype : It is an application that makes video connections over the Internet easy. Free video conferencing capability extends the reach of administrators, teachers, and students. Skype is one of the most popular Web tools being requested and used in schools. Skype can be used by students to offer presentations when they’re not present in the classroom, to bring guest lecturers and other guests into the classroom. It’s use can also be considered for online application interviews, remote advising and counseling. Schools can also use it to establish a connection between their students and students around the world.
• NetSupportSchools : Is used to provide instructors with extensive control over classroom Internet access and a wide range of extended functionalities at an affordable price. It is a training software solution providing teachers with the ability to instruct, monitor and interact with students individually or in groups. All features are included as standard including a customized testing suite, dedicated technician console, digital student revision aids, lesson planning tools and the option for teachers to reward students for good effort.

Technology can be a time-saver that enhances productivity, and school administrators should adopt solutions that are tried and tested. I hope these tips and tools can be of help to the school administrators out there, so that they can run their schools more efficiently and with ease. Share more tips and tools with us. The Comment Box awaits you.