| Increased uses of educational technology by students and teachers in recent years have compelled elementary principals to expand educational technology resources and replace educational technology resources at the end of it's service life. The purpose of this study was to investigate strategies and practices employed by elementary principals engaged in leading the educational technology refresh process.;Data collection for this qualitative, multi-site, descriptive case study occurred between November 2008 and June 2009. Sources of information included interviews, observations, document reviews, and a questionnaire. Participant principals were interviewed four times each. Students and staff members were observed using refreshed educational technologies. Documents chronicling the refresh process were examined. Best practice questionnaires were distributed to members of five county education technology consortiums to obtain recommendations for potential study participants.;The in-depth study explored the educational technology refresh process planning strategies of five elementary principals. The principals managed a parochial elementary school, two suburban public elementary schools, a private special education elementary school, and a rural public elementary school. All of the participant principals were cited by members of their county's education technology consortium as individuals who have managed best practice education technology refresh projects.;The study generated data pertaining to principal technology refresh planning processes, and the influence empirical research, experience, collaboration, and best practice literature have on principal technology refresh planning processes. The study also generated data pertaining to principal strategies for managing resistance to change and organizational turbulence created by the technology refresh process. |
