The global community is approaching the second anniversary of the emergence of the COVID virus and ensuing pandemic, and it is somewhat overwhelming and emotional to reflect on the changes that have taken place in public education over the past two years. The shifts to online learning at different points in the pandemic can be considered massive initiatives requiring project management approaches. A comparison of Alberta’s K-12 emergent shift to online learning in March 2020 and the various shifts to online learning during the 2020-2021 school year due to localized COVID outbreaks provides thought-provoking fodder for a reflection on leadership and change.
Following are some of my personal, anecdotal, boots on the ground observations:
Figure 1
A Comparison of the March 2020 and 2020-2021 Shifts to Online Learning
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March 2020 Shift to Online Learning |
2020-2021 School Year Shift(s) to Online Learning |
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Note: Graphic created by Donahue, 2022
As I have pondered our course readings along with my experiences as a teacher, I have developed a number of essential understandings about leadership and change I would like to bring to my work moving forward.
First, understanding organizations from the perspective of systems thinking can provide leaders with a more complete view of the interconnected relationships and dynamics that come together to make up the whole of the organization. Viewing problems, and projects, as having an impact on the entire system, rather than singular, isolated components of the system, can result in a more thorough and holistic approach to change (Conway et al., 2017). When schools initially shifted to online learning, the situation was understood as students learning at home and teachers teaching online, which did not necessarily account for the resulting changing dynamics within the overall system. Questions soon arose around managing student engagement in digital spaces, encouraging parental participation, collaborating as school-based teams, access administrative support, and more, which were not planned for because of the sudden and emergent nature of the shift. However, as the pandemic continued on and schools adapted to changing conditions, a more holistic view was taken and the various components of the system were considered as potential shifts were planned for.
Second, the change process is rarely tidy or linear, but models can act as “road maps that offer guidance and cautions along the way” (Biech, 2007, para.16). Utilizing a model such as Biech’s CHANGE model can support leaders with the process of planning for and implementing change. During the 2020-2021 school year, schools were aware that shifts to online learning were likely if/when COVID outbreaks occurred. By being able to plan for and implement this shift, leaders and staff determined the best course of action in a number of areas including: timetabling, homeroom relationship-building events, small group or individual student support, team collaboration, digital tools to be used, and so on. Although there was an unknown element in terms of when shifts might or might not occur, having the ability to utilize a model and plan for implementing change led to smoother transitions and greater levels of success when learning inevitably (and repeatedly) moved online.
Third, examining an organization’s readiness for change can determine the success of a change initiative. Organizational readiness for change is “a shared psychological state in which organizational members feel committed to implementing an organizational change and confident in their collective abilities to do so” (Weiner, 2009, para. 22). In the case of the emergent shift to online learning in March 2020, awareness of the school’s readiness for change could assist leaders in identifying areas that needed more support in implementing change. During the shifts between in-person and online learning during the 2020-2021 school year, there were likely higher levels of readiness for change in most schools as staff and students had experienced online learning and were prepared for another shift if/when the need arose.
K-12 public education systems are complex organizations, and each day is different from the next. I would be remiss if I neglected to mention that schools and districts have weathered the pandemic-related changes with grace, which is a testament to the passion and strength of those who choose to work in public education. Although change is a guarantee, what and how changes are implemented are often unpredictable. However, understanding organizations as a whole made up of interconnected parts, utilizing models to plan for change, and determining the organization’s overall readiness for change can assist leaders in successfully implementing change.
References
Biech, E. (2007). Models for change. In Thriving through change: A leader’s practical guide to change mastery. Association for Talent Development. https://royalroads.skillport.com/skillportfe/assetSummaryPage.action?assetid=RW$1544:_ss_book:22651#summary/BOOKS/RW$1544:_ss_book:22651
Conway, R., Masters, J., & Thorold, J. (2017). From design thinking to systems change: How to invest in innovation for social impact. Royal Society of Arts, Action and Research Centre. https://www.thersa.org/globalassets/pdfs/reports/rsa_from-design-thinking-to-system-change-report.pdf
Weiner, B. J. (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(67). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-67
Hi Amber,
Your post provides some great analysis of the different approaches to change that have occurred in your system of the past two years and highlights how those experiences have led to more resilient and prepared organizations. Your point that “the change process is rarely tidy or linear, but models can act as “road maps that offer guidance and cautions along the way” (Biech, 2007, para.16)” resonated with me – and I think many of our organizations have built more of these maps that can provide guidance when these shifts need to occur. Teachers and students alike have developed new skills to work in digital spaces, schools have a better understanding of the access needs for families and school leaders can anticipate the kind of planning that is required. In your own work, how have you shifted your approach or practice to help plan for more future (and possibly rapid) change?
Hi Amber,
Thank you for sharing your experience and challenges. Many of us have been affected by Covid related responses and the rapid changes required. Although, these rapid changes have created many challenges, in my organizational context I have noticed some benefits. Without the immediate need for change, decisions, and plans to move forward with online learning for some of our employee groups would probably have never moved forward (paralysis by analysis syndrome). I have found some success in building on the momentum of what we started in response to Covid. Have you noticed any similar benefits in education?
Also, I too appreciated the Conway et al. article as it connected design thinking, systems theory, and change management very clearly and helped me look at the bigger picture.
Melissa
Thanks Amber! I love how you chose to look at systems thinking like an eagle-eye view of the world, then connecting it to how we have seen learning change over the past couple of years. The visual you created also described this really well (and brought back some memories of the early pandemic days!).
Given what you said about teachers having grace in how they’ve responded to the pandemic, it made me think about what my interviewee said about organizations having a personality (that would be the manifestation of more than the sum or its members, of course) in our previous assignment. I wonder how we will see the pandemic as a project as we look back on it in the future. Do you think that the “passion and strength” that you spoke of will be seen as one less barrier for the project to overcome?
Hello Michelle, Melissa, and Corie:
Thank you for your comments and questions. As stressful and unpredictable the past two years have been, the pandemic-related shifts and changes have also provided me with an opportunity to ponder how things are done (in public education), why, and if the status quo is or will be relevant and meaningful moving into the future. On a large scale, my reflections have led me to question what really matters and what is best for students, learning, and life in the 21st century. On a smaller scale, my belief in the importance of putting students, the learners, first and foremost, has been reaffirmed. As well, I have also learned to be thoughtful and critical in how I implement and use technology in my classroom. One of the readings that seems to be occupying a permanent place in my mind is Morris’s Critical Instructional Design. I find myself continuously returning to his advice to be mindful that “the why and whether must begin with questions about what happens when learning goes digital, when it goes online” (para. 5).
By putting my students first and being mindful of both why and how I use technology in my classroom practice, I have worked to design and implement learning experiences that could easily respond to external changes. My students know what to expect, whether they are working in a physical or digital classroom. I would argue that good design takes potential changes into account and includes adaptations or some sort of contingency plan that allows for a relatively easy response to change. In a middle school classroom, that may look like an activity which includes interaction in a digital space using digital tools, which allows for the teacher to model processes and skills and the students to develop skills and confidence in learning in non-traditional environments.
The pandemic has definitely acted as a catalyst for change and by necessity pushed educators out of their physical classrooms into the digital realm. I would agree that the momentum is there. I hope it will continue and result in meaningful changes in public education that reflect an increasingly digitized world. It would be nice to eventually (and hopefully) look back on the pandemic as a project and determine how it changed the course of public education. The strength and passion of teachers I mentioned was absolutely one less barrier in this project, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that teachers can maintain this passion as they face increasing pressures and challenges imposed by external forces.
Amber
References
Morris, S. M. (2018). Critical Instructional Design. In An Urgency of Teachers. Pressbooks. https://criticaldigitalpedagogy.pressbooks.com/chapter/critical-pedagogy-and-learning-online/