Jodie Pozo-Olano, ISTE chief communications officer, hits the nail on the head in a blog post for Learning First Alliance. School transformation — like any major societal shift — takes time and thoughtful training, she writes. When it comes to digital age education, teachers need professional learning that is based on the ISTE Standards, the foundational framework for successful and transformative tech integration.

Here's an excerpt:

When we talk about change, we often use idioms such as " "Rome wasn't built in a day," " or my personal favorite, " "It's a marathon, not a sprint." " The point we are trying to make is that, change, while challenging, takes time and requires training.

In no situation is this more apparent than when schools are working to transform education through effective technology integration. Successful change requires time and professional learning opportunities for all stakeholders.

Unfortunately, the one thing educators don't have enough of is time.

What they do have is access to smart young minds with curious souls that, when motivated and inspired, have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. They are also tech savvy, and they are thrilled to connect and interact in new and interesting ways using a wide range of apps and devices. The educators charged with teaching today's learners must have access to professional learning opportunities to help them better leverage their students' enthusiasm for technology so that they can improve learning and achievement.

Read the entire post.

Diana Fingal is director of editorial content at ISTE. She has worked as a writer and editor for more than 25 years.