Month: March 2023

Reflecting on what we have learned from this course, my ideas regarding leadership have changed. In one of my initial posts about leadership, I viewed leadership as more managerial (Kent, 2023). After one of our first group discussions and readings, I connected with Sarder’s (2015) comment that leaders are about passion and encouragement rather than managing people and operations. 

Beyond leadership, I have also recognized the importance of planning for change. Al-Haddad & Kotnour’s (2015) article thoroughly overviews many well-used theories and frameworks for change management; this will continue to be a significant resource for me as I move forward in my career. 

If I look to the future, I envision myself as a digital leader; I want our schools to reflect our society, engage staff and students in a technological world, and prepare our young adults with the skills needed to be digital citizens. As Sheninger (2022) states, a digital leader “…establish[es] direction, influenc[es] others, and initiat[es] sustainable change…”. This is what I am passionate about, and this course has given me the tools to start my journey. In fact, I already have an idea for my first change plan; reintroducing a forgotten tool. 

My final project for this course is an implementation plan for Google Read and Write (GRW) in high school classrooms. I chose this topic as this tool is being used in schools but sparingly and often ineffectively. My goal is to rekindle the use of GRW as an easy-to-use, readily available assistive technology. The knowledge I have gained in project management, leadership, and change management will be valuable assets in reintroducing this helpful tool. Using a framework like Lewin’s change model can help prepare the staff for change, support them with training, and sustain GRW for years to come (Tang, 2019). 

Yet another essential aspect of leading digital change is data analysis. Evidence-based decisions for using technology in schools is a powerful tool (Sclater et al., 2016). Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) can be used to illustrate the benefits of GRW, how often it is being used, which functions are most used, and to help guide decisions around additional support for those that need it (Marsh et al., 2006; Sclater et al., 2016). 

Realistically, reintroducing GRW, or any technology, in classrooms will be challenging. Not only will I have to gain support and momentum from staff and administration, but addressing and planning for all the complexities of change will require time, persistence, and support. Being prepared with a change and project management plan, with data for evidence-based support, will hopefully help build momentum and inspiration for implementing digital tools in my district. 

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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. https://doi.org/10.1108/jocm-11-2013-0215

Kent, T. (2023, February 4). Reflections on leadership. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0263/reflections-on-leadership/ 

Marsh, J., Pane, J., & Hamilton, L. (2006). Making sense of data-driven decision making in Education: Evidence from recent RAND research. RAND corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/OP170 

Sarder, R. (Producer). (2015, June 4). What makes a great leader?  by Peter Senge, author of the Fifth Discipline [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/1aYaj2-GZqk 

Sclater, N., Peasgood, A, & Mullan, J. (2016). Learning analytics in higher education: A review of UK and international practice. Jisc. https://www.jisc.ac.uk/sites/default/files/learning-analytics-in-he-v3.pdf 

Sheninger, E. (2022, August 31). 7 Pillars of digital leadership in education. HMH. https://www.hmhco.com/blog/pillars-of-digital-leadership-in-education 

Tang, K.N. (2019). Change management. In (Ed.), Leadership and change management (pp. 47–55). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8902-3_5

For several years, K-12 education has been attempting to integrate technology into the classroom effectively. British Columbia’s education system has also been working hard at centering curriculum around Core Competencies and trialling new assessment measures, which focused on several aspects, including flexible communication with parents and increasing transparency (British Columbia Ministry of Education, n.d.-a) (British Columbia Ministry of Education, n.d.-b). 

One recent project I was involved in was implementing e-portfolios that would allow parents to see what students were working on in classrooms and allow students to choose, reflect, and share what they deemed their best or most significant work. Not only did this address the transparency concern, but it also allowed students to practice identifying and reflecting on Core Competencies. 

As far as communication goes, the objectives were clear and well articulated. As Watt (2014) states in his book regarding project management, it is critical to have the project manager (in this case, our administration team) lay out clear goals. Watt (2014) also states that project managers should choose people with expertise as part of their plan. Although this was more informal, my administration team had two or three people on staff as contacts for support if teachers had any questions.  

As a teacher, I was not privy to any project plan, but I knew there were clear objectives and a timeline to follow. There were several training sessions in the form of staff meetings and professional development days to allow teachers to practice using the tool and ask questions. 

One of the main barriers to change was organizational readiness. Rafferty et al. (2003, as cited in Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015) suggest that an optimistic attitude and commitment to change can enable effective and successful change plans. Some staff members were hesitant to use e-portfolios or were lacking or unsure of their skills regarding the technology. Furthermore, staff illustrated some confusion around the purpose of e-portfolios, mainly in their use of them as assessment tools. 

To address these barriers, the use of data could be helpful. Issuing surveys for staff regarding abilities and comfort level could help provide targeted interventions and extra support; data could be used to make decisions based on tangible evidence rather than assumptions or anecdotes (KelloggInsight, 2015). To further support organizational readiness, Weiner (2009) states that cultivating and supporting confidence among staff leads to higher change efficacy. To help boost confidence, the administration could provide additional training sessions through video tutorials, lunchtime, or after-school sessions for those that need them.

As for the challenges around the usage of e-portfolios, increased clarity and communication would have been beneficial. Watt (2014) comments on the importance of continual communication. I found communication was strong to start but soon dwindled once the tool was implemented. Regular meetings or check-ins regarding the tool throughout the year could have identified and addressed concerns such as the questions surrounding assessment.  

Being a part of this change has allowed me to reflect on what aspects of change and project management I value most. If I were to implement change in my school, I would first examine if a change was needed (using data to substantiate this) and assess and promote organizational readiness. As for project management, I would create clear objectives, communicate them continuously with my team, and focus on time and resources (Watt, 2014).

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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.  https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2013-0215 

British Columbia Ministry of Education, (n.d.-a). Core competencies. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies. 

British Columbia Ministry of Education, (n.d.-b). Student reporting policy pilot. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/classroom-assessment/student-reporting-policy-pilot 

KelloggInsight. (2015, May 1). A Leader’s Guide to Data Analysis: A working knowledge of data science can help you lead with confidence. KelloggInsight. https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/a-leaders-guide-to-data-analytics/ 

Watt,  A. (2014). Project Management (2nd ed.). BCcampus. https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/

Weiner, B. J. (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(67), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-67