The digital age is changing the way life is conducted. We learn differently. We access information differently. We work differently. We exist, differently. All of these realities, and we are still changing, so, how to manage this? Are we hanging on to the organisational structurees of work-life-education as a last vestige, a sentinel against the great digital unknown? The various mediums for life in the 21st century are constantly moving forward like a Space X rocket, but we are in many ways being guided through this journey by a gasoline powered engine because it is familiar. The rocket will carry us into unknown and potentially dnagerous new realms, but what marvels we will experience on the journey! The trusty old engine will get us somewhere reliable familiar and safe, but we will never reach the depths of untapped potential of the rocket. This is the challenge of managing and leading in the digital age.
As I am about to embark on my first opportunity to primary leader in meaningful digital change, I will reflect on my previous experience as part of a leadership team launching a similar program, where the success was mixed. Moving forward as I reflect I hope to also outline where I hope to make gains in this upcoming organisational change.
In my initial experience as part of a digital leadership team responsible for upskilling a large high school staff in effective Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategies, I was more or less left to my own devices, but was picking up from another colleague who had left the position. I came into the role in year 2 of an undetermined program timeframe. At this point, it was less about introducing new e-based applications and usages, and more about leading my chort through the pedagogy, and practical classroom application strategies. The trouble was, I did not have the answers aside from practical applications I had tried and tested in my own classroom that were successful. To their credit, many of my colleagues viewed me as some sort of e-learning messiah delivering them to the digital promised land of student engagement, and reduced teacher workload, but the whole time I felt like a hack, who often leaned on the experrtise of my more knowledgeable collegues to lead sessions they were proficient in.
To the untrained eye, it may have seemed as though I was, as Al Haddad & Koutnour (2015) defined: a successful change leader, “able to motivate employee to take responsibility and be an active part of the change”(p. 239). However, the reality was I was buying myself time as I tried to bring myself up to speed on e-learning pedegogy, and effecctive BYOD practice.
By the end of my time in this role, on a micro level, the teachers in my charge were generally more proficient users and enablers of technology usage in their respective classrooms. On a macro level, school-wide, the program lacked a cohesive vision, and one department completely withdrew from the initiative.
The reality echoed Udas’ (2008) observations about digital change leadership in that there was an expectation to instigate change to accommodate a perceived future, even if no one knew quite what the future was. The reality in education though is that there is never really enough time to adequately prepare. No where is the mantra “fake it until you make it” more true than in the education sector.
Given more time, and leaders given the proper training, we may have followed a more proven implementational leadership strategy. Biech (2007) outlines the importance of having a plan with concrete objectives that all stakeholders are aware of, and seeing this plan through to the end. He further outlines the CHANGE model as a means to drive this change. In outlining the model, Biech
highlights the importance of following all of the steps in order and notes that many organisations skip the first three steps and jump right to the nurture and formalise a design step.
This is where we went wrong.
We followed the steps in out own way, but 1-3 were definitely rushed, if implemented at all.
Noted, the lack of e-learning strategies being used in our classrooms, but did not challenge the status quo besides desiring more device usage in classrooms
Ordained (and in some case volun-told) leadership, in a way that was not necessarily harmonious ( I eagerly volunteered for the job, but many others were serving in a last in you’re it sort of scenario.
The failure of these first two steps meant step 3 was impossible with already reluctant members of the leadership team in place.
We did formulate a plan for professional development, that was based on skill development, but was not rooted in best practice, or any specific pedegogy.
Attempted to guide professional development through knowledge of the SAMR model (Puendentura, 2014)
Yielded to the reality that whole scale change would not happen until the first three steps of the CHANGE model were effectively implemented.
I will now move forward in a larger role on a smaller scale, and plan to lean heavily on what I have learned through experience, and the digital learning pedegogy I have immersed myself in for the last eight months.
A specific and clear change plan will be necessary, and all role players will need to know their roles in the plan for it to be successful (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015). With the long term vision in place, I will need to be an active participant in changing the culture by changing mindsets and behaviour (Biech, 2007). This should give the process legitimacy, but will require strong personal leadership and vision on my part. With an unknown future as far as digital technology integration n seondary schools are concerned, there is boiund to be a degree of chaos and uncertainty. By Embracing the “what” and “how” method, a clear vision and an leadership of certain individuals in certain roles, will help mitigate the various challenges presented by wholescale change (Connor, 1998, as cited in Al Haddad & Koutnour, 2015).
Armed with a new knowledge of pedegogy and leadership, sticking to a clear vision that will involve all participants in this whole scale change will serve as the recipe for successful digital change leadership.
References
Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 234-262.
Biech, E. (2007). Models for change. In: Thriving through change: A leader’s practical guide to change mastery. American Society for Training and Development.
Masson, P., & Udas, K. (2009). An agile approach to managing open educational resources. On the horizon, 17(3), 256-266.
Puentedura, R. (2014). Learning, technology, and the SAMR model: Goals, processes, and practice. Recuperado de: http://www. hippasus. com/rrpweblog.
Udas, K. (2008, June 30). Distributed learning environments and OER: the change management challenge. [blog post].
