Chapter three titled, “Strategic Leadership, Encouraging and Assessing
Technology Integration,” discussed how school leaders, Technology Coordinators,
and technology planning committees are needed to help teachers bring innovation
and technology in the classroom.
The real test for school leaders is
to bring people together in order to share a common vision. Once the leader has the commitment of his or
her people, action toward the common vision can occur. School leaders must not continue to remain
unconcerned or lag behind in technology.
Teachers are at a place where they know how computers work; now they are
integrating them into the classrooms and in everyday functions such as
administration, communication, and research purposes. Teachers want to use technology in their
classrooms, but now the concern is time and resources. This is where school leaders must empower and
support teachers in order to gain their professional commitment.Chapter three examined adoption of innovation in our classrooms. One of the biggest complaints of teachers in the school system is change. Changing the culture, the curriculum and the individual is difficult – not to mention the incorporation of technology. Everett Rogers identified five categories of individual change they are: 1. innovators, 2. early adopters, 3. early majority, 4. late majority and 5. laggards. Also, Hall and Hord created the Concerns-Based Adoption Mode that examines individual reactions to change. When it comes to changing the culture, school leaders must be demonstrate a concern for the student, while respecting teachers in their classrooms. So what do teachers want? They want lots of training. But professional development focused on technology has proved to be ineffective. Why? Because the training does not give teachers something they can take back to the classroom. And again the time and resource issue plays a role with the teacher’s investment, so it is up to the school leader to show his or her commitment to the innovation and culture shift at the school.
The role of technology coordinators, technology planning committees and teacher leaders in schools promote knowledge, balance and responsibility in and out of the classroom environment. Still, it is the support of the school leader to promote a teacher’s willingness to move forward with innovation.
My reflections of this chapter ask the question of what is innovation? It seems to be the buzz word of the day for business and school districts. But what does innovation really mean? My current employer has a whole department dedicated to innovation and I still don’t know what they do - and I’ve been working for the company for six years. It wasn’t until I had to design a class on innovation that I found an understanding for innovation and it’s implication in the work environment.
I think that is a very good question.
ReplyDeleteTo me, innovation takes everyone to the next new ad old technologies efectively and alows everyone to move forward when handled correctly.
Innovation handled incorrectly is lanrgely unhelpful, often because the methods and explanation are very confusing.
Getting people to change routine can be very difficult. Essentially, we're asking others to take a risk and move outside of their comfort zone where they know what they are doing works.
ReplyDeleteSince my dissertation focus is on science instructor self-efficacy in writing instruction, I have read a lot about getting instructors to implement writing in their classrooms. Many of the papers talk about the need for ownership, i.e. a grassroots approach. However, grassroots approaches can really only succeed on the large scale if they have support from the administration, i.e. a top-down approach. Authors note that both approaches need to be in place, otherwise instructors perceive the movement as a mandate.
Given this idea, tell me more about how innovation works in your place of employment. Clearly, there is top-down support for innovation since there is a dedicated department, but what happens with the ideas that come out of that department? Are they perceived as mandates or movements?
I was intrigued by the comment you made on the Innovation Department. It reminds me (as presented anyway) of the fad equipment picked up by administrators that ends up in a box somewhere. The author had really good suggestions with the technology coordinators and the planning committees where a given impetus drives people to provide meaningful additions to the tools for a school or district. I assume in practice the innovation department is similar to a planning committee. I cannot say though, it all depends on how well they can develop or incorporate new techniques and technology. Do you think any of the recommendations in the chapter might help your employer?
ReplyDeleteGood question! The Innovation Department is a Federal Grant. The department has to meet certain requirements of implementing new ways on old procedures (not policies) in order to satisfy the grant. So far, the biggest area of innovation they have improved upon is here at the Griffith Memorial Hospital in Norman. They have implemented a health mall where consumers (not patients) receive services from a variety of doctors including medicine. So the answer to your question can be seen as both mandates and movements.
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