Leading Change, One Moment At a Time

Oftentimes, we are not aware that we are leaders, but our actions and words make an impact on everyone we come into contact with. Leaders are often looked upon as figures in the spotlight, but the reality is, we ALL have an opportunity daily to impact someone. Maybe the impact will not turn into change and growth right away. Maybe the impact is a negative one, or maybe the impact is life changing. But in each moment we encounter someone, an opportunity presents itself to demonstrate and promote best practices in education. Everyday, there’s a moment to show how valuable developing significant learning environments is for students and educators.

I have seen my innovation plan grow and evolve over the course of the last 15 months. The overarching (BHAG) goal has been established: “to empower learners to achieve their highest potential, we must analyze our current status and intentionally develop and facilitate a framework of unique environments and learning experiences in order for students to collaborate, communicate, think critically, and creatively in a 1:1 iPad learning environment.” What has ultimately evolved during this graduate program is how this goal can be achieved.

A Study of Global Technology Trends

It is becoming increasingly common for information and communications technology (or ICT) to be incorporated into educational organizations around the world. Adoptions of technology come in a variety of forms, such as computers, laptops, or mobiles technologies (phones or tablets). According to UNESCO’s Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning, ICTs in several countries are making education accessible for people and students that do not have access due to location, social equity, quality of education, or financial abilities (West, 2012). Mobile learning is opening up the educational possibilities. “Mobile learning is learning that occurs in or outside of a classroom or formal education setting, is not fixed to a particular time or place, and is supported by the use of a mobile device (Hylén, 2012, p. 10). In some ways, mobile learning is showing people across the world ways they can utilize their everyday devices for learning (Isaacs, 2012, p. 26). In other ways, this type of learning is allowing those in low-income or remote regions of the world to have access to education because of the accessible nature of learning and knowledge; the ability to discover new things is easy when given a phone or tablet and access to the World Wide Web.

ICTs are not only opening up opportunities for education and knowledge to reach remote areas, they are also challenging the education system’s policies, support, and methods of pedagogy for the future. For example, ConnectEd is a government program from Obama’s administration that supports infrastructure, teacher training, and private sector innovations to empower students through the use of digital content (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2015, p. 24; “ConnectEd”). Trends from UNESCO’s Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning in Africa and the Middle East show that individualized ways users of mobile technology are “disrupting and transforming traditional paradigms of learning” (Isaacs, 2012, p. 20). Mobile technologies are allowing for a shift to collaboration (So, 2012, p. 17), student critical thinking (Hylén, 2012, p. 17), effective feedback (West, 2012, p. 15), blended learning, and increase of face-to-face time between the teacher and students (Johnson, et al., 2012, p. 16).   

What Do You Do Next After a 1:1 iPad Initiative?

What really needs to happen after a technology initiative has been established? How does an initiative go from being an "initiative" to something more? Several case studies highlight the successes and the pitfalls of growing Information & Computer Technology (ICT) plans from around the world. Governments and educational organizations globally are beginning to implement technology as a way to provide equal opportunity for all learners. This is causing positive and negative changes in policy, community opinions, and teacher support. While there are great strides being made through the use of ICT, there are still improvements that can be made globally. These improvements and problems are opportunities, not setbacks, for the evolution of education as a whole.

Below is a response to these global studies: the successes, the areas of concern, and what we can learn from them in response to a two year 1:1 iPad implementation.

To end, I think this video from Tom Daccord, Director of EdTechTeacher, brings great perspective.

A Study of Leading Organizational Change

In the last five weeks, I have been studying best practices of leading organizational change, focused on technology implementation. Leadership is a tricky thing; it's really about understanding yourself and position within an organization, looking past the anxiety and emotions that may come from change, and create an environment where specific behaviors occur that ultimately lead you to your end goal.

Leadership goes beyond the heart. It's more than a Ted Talk.

In the link at the bottom of this post, I have studied the following things that are essential to leading successful change through technology implementation:

• Communicating to teachers the Why, How, and What of what you represent as a school is key in guiding staff to understand the purpose of using technology in the classroom.
• Identifying vital behaviors and six sources of influence are essential to see increased use of iPads by teachers and administration.
• How to execute a plan of increasing iPad use by teachers and administration using the 4DX model.

Self-Differentiation in a 1:1 iPad Environment

The ability to lead change in an organization seems like an easy task. Often, it is viewed as being a coach that is a motivator and makes everyone feel like they are a part of the team. While there is an element of leadership that requires these attributes, often long-lasting change and shift in the culture of an organization must come from a self-differentiated leader.

self-differentiation: knowing your job and staying connected to others without losing identity or taking on the anxiety of the group.

While intelligence, self confidence, sociability, technique, and even skill are necessary, "knowing where one ends and another begins" gives you, as a leader, the ability to see the goal objectively, and lead others to stay the course throughout the uncomfortable change. 

Increasing iPad use in a 1:1 iPad Environment

The whirlwind of daily tasks in education are consuming. Often, they operate at 100 mph and knock you over daily. No matter how much or how little time you give to these tasks, they will always be consuming. Because of this, they can quickly put any strategic plan to a halt. 

After reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution, as well as the Influencer, I have come to see that it takes strategic effort to set aside the whirlwind and focus on those one or two "wildly important goals" in order for effect changes to take place in education. By identifying achievable goals and setting vital behaviors (a major component of the Influencer Model), and setting those goals up with the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) model, effective change can come easy!

The influencer model, discussed in my previous post, allows for you to focus on six sources of influence that are broken into two main groups of motivation and ability, and then further broken down into what are intrinsic (personal) and extrinsic (social and structural) motivators. This model gives great clarity to motivations and abilities that should be addressed on a team. 4DX provides a way to achieve and measure these same goals. 

Influence and Vital Behaviors in a 1:1 iPad Environment

Over the last few weeks, I have been learning about vital behaviors and leadership influences for my graduate course. Based upon the work from the book entitled, Influencer, I have learned that in order for changes to occur, the heart has to change. But even motivating change at a "heart" level isn't enough. After identifying desired changes, specific vital behaviors need to be clarified. BUT even after that, changes that are measurable, using Influencer's six sources of influence are key in effective change. This type of organizational change is not a quick-fix, and I appreciate that! Being able to identify these sources of change is very foundational, which can provide a platform for true growth in education.

Based upon these learnings, I propose below a desired result I believe is needed for continued development of a 1:1 iPad initiative.

The Why, How, and What of Technology Integration

There is something unique about the word empower; it is a word filled with authority and strength-beckoning for action. The ability to empower a student, rather than “guide” or “help” automatically creates a sense of urgency and necessary action. It creates a sense of responsibility for the teacher to act on their duty to give strength and authority to their students so they can truly achieve their highest potential.

Teachers themselves need to be empowered to do so. By evaluating the last two years of our 1:1 iPad initiative and creating a common vision for technology integration, we will have the ability to create differentiated professional development that gives teachers the experience they need to use the iPads in the classroom.