Leadership Day 2009

Today is Leadership Day 2009, a day on which Dr. Scott Mcleod calls on bloggers to post about school technology leadership in whatever way they wish: successes, challenges, top tens, etc.

Although I posted on both previous Leadership Days, in both 2007 and 2008, I hesitated to write this year - to be honest, I doubted that I had the "bona fides" to speak on school technology leadership based on this past year.  For a variety of reasons, my attentions as a school leader were elsewhere.  Yes, there were individual situations here and there in which I helped to support, or in some cases actually prod effectively, the use of technology in a meaningful way in our school and its classrooms.  We have some amazing staff doing incredible things to embed technology into our school, but it is by no means as comprehensive as I would like. 

In a way, then, I guess this is my contribution to Leadership Day 2009 - as leaders, we have "ebbs and flows" regarding where and how we use our energies, what we choose to focus on, what we work with staff on, how and when we build our team, when we push, when we back off, and so forth.  This isn't an excuse - it just *is*.  It can be frustrating to us; it can be frustrating to those who realize educational practices need to change and they need to change RIGHT NOW; but it is what it is.

There are some ed tech leaders out there who amaze and inspire me with what they accomplish.  Few of us get it exactly right all of the time - goodness knows I certainly don't.  But the trick is, what do we do when we don't get it right?  In that sense, I guess my message to school leaders, or to would-be leaders who aren't sure of themselves, is this:  Just keep coming back to it.  There will be highs and lows, successes and flops, because that's the way things are.  Build capacity.  Promote self-directed innovation.  Celebrate successes.  Recognize that systemic change takes time.  Take a breather when you need to.  Just remember to come back to it.

I know I will always come back to it, because I experience first-hand the power of technology to transform learning.  Like our students, I am a student, enrolled in an official program, pursuing an official degree.... and I am learning a good bit from some of my courses.  However, I seem to learn just as much, if not more, from my own network - especially the sites in my RSS reader, and those great educators and thinkers who I follow on Twitter. Indeed, one of my goals as a leader for this year is to work to engage more of our staff in developing their own digital PLNs - because seeing the value this can bring to them as learners is, I think, the single most important thing that can lead to their understanding of how digital technologies can help the learners they work with in their classes every single day.

So when Scott asks us to reflect on school leadership in a digital age, I understand how valuable being a learner in the digital age can be, because I have become such a learner.  And that's what makes me determined to "keep coming back to it" as a leader. 

Comments

[Kevin Hodgson]

I love this quote:

"Indeed, one of my goals as a leader for this year is to work to engage more of our staff in developing their own digital PLNs - because seeing the value this can bring to them as learners is, I think, the single most important thing that can lead to their understanding of how digital technologies can help the learners they work with in their classes every single day."

If you could spread that message across your own administrative learning communities, it would make a world of change in how supportive teachers feel as they dip their toes into the water.

I was at a recent literacy meeting in our district, as we are set to launch a two-year Literacy Initiative, and I was the only teacher who brought up technology, multiple media platforms, and ways to engage students with technology integration. They all looked at me as if I were speaking some foreign language.

Perhaps, though, if the other teachers were enouraged as you suggest, it might make some difference over time.

Thanks for your post.

Kevin

[Jeanette Johnson]

Thanks for your comment, Kevin. I can understand your frustration at the experience you had in your literacy meeting - I've had that same feeling when I've made suggestions at administrators' meetings, or in some of my doctoral cohort classes - first you get that "speaking a foreign language" look, then you get the "oh, there goes the tech geek" dismissal. I think that's why I really want to see some more digital PLN's at least among our staff (and I won't stop at the leaders' level, either!) - because you're right, the more people who get this, the more they will support each other, which will build momentum over time. Thanks for your encouragement.
Jeanette

[Custom Essays]

Hi,
You obviously put a lot of work into that post and it’s very interesting to see the thought process that you went through to come up with those conclusion.

Custom Essays