Introduction
By reason of the EDU 658 Instructional
Leadership course that the author was studying, the principal of his school
asked if he would take over the leadership role in proposing to the faculty and
stakeholders the integration of technology into our classrooms. This was recognized by the author as a good
opportunity to put the strategies being studied of bringing about change into
action, while at the same time, a chance to demonstrate his leadership skills
by convincing stakeholders to buy into his vision. The problem has been identified insomuch as
the school needs to integrate tools of technology into the classrooms.
This project began as a sort of
competition. An upcoming educational
grant will be awarded to the district whose public schools can best demonstrate
how they will be using the grant money to enhance student engagement and
success. While that goal remains to very
much be in the interest of Coupeville High and Middle schools, our vision has
expanded to gathering more business owners and other stakeholders on local and
state levels to join us, whether or not we are awarded the grant. This paper considers a prior MATLT activity from
EDU 658 which has been revised to include instructional design
principles and theory while further demonstrating the author’s ability to make
informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of learning and
leadership.
PLO 8 – Demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions regarding
the use of technology in support of learning and leadership.
Prior MATLT Activity from EDU 658 -- Our Change Strategy
At
the outset of the 21st century, and on a global scale, technology
has become an integral part of business and of education. In this country we are lagging behind nearly
every developed nation in that area. The
time has come to better prepare our nation’s children if we expect them to be
capable of competing in the global market.
I have proposed the incorporation of Interactive White Boards (IWBs)
into every classroom in this district. This technology will serve as a springboard
for newer and greater technology that is surely to come.
Our “Small Win”
This paper is being written as a
sort of celebration in recognition of a “small win” that we have achieved
in the push toward our goal. The
majority of our faculty, including the school principal, is
in support of the change we are proposing. The “small win” I wish to
announce is that four of our fellow colleagues will be working closely with me
in a rigorous attempt to bring our dream to fruition. At the moment, we only have the one white
board, which I have purchased from my own funds. I consider it to be one of my most worthwhile
investments. This team of 4
teachers is very familiar with the functions and operation of the Interactive
White Board (IWB) and each is contributing more and more ideas
as to how we might use them with our students in the classroom.
Benefits of the Win
The
first benefit is that we have more skilled teachers who are collaborating
together on this change. We all know that when several people work
together on a project, the result will be greater than if only one person were
working on it. It would be a mistake to think that a mission is developed
by a single leader (Spiro, 2011, p.17). My
colleagues are already contributing innovative ideas, ones that I certainly
have not thought of on my own.
Our
group is in the process of making a video which will demonstrate the basic
operations of the IWB. All teachers will be given a copy of the video
so that they will be able to watch it at their leisure. In addition, each of the
teachers, including myself, have agreed to spend one weekday evening, or one
weekend day, either Saturday or Sunday, so that teachers can come in to learn
firsthand about the workings of the IWB, as well as to discuss ideas as to how
it might be used in the math, science, language arts, or other classrooms. The IWB itself will cycle
through the classrooms in a continuous loop for a few days at a time giving all
teachers and students a chance to become familiar with it.
Shared Value for All Stakeholders
The
stakeholders to whom the proposed change will affect are many more than those
who are involved directly. They
include all of the members of our faculty and all of our students and their
parents. On a
broader scope and in time, our community and all of its businesses will be
impacted by the proposed change. Incorporating
Interactive White Boards into our classrooms is just the beginning, but we
cannot sit back and wait for the beginning to happen. We have to make it happen. In the end, we will all benefit, and so we
share equal value in this project. IWBs
invite collaboration through social interaction and communication. Taking that into consideration,
IWBs will help to improve students’ social skills, which include their
interpersonal communication skills, and their ability to
work together as a group.
Redesign of Activity to Include Program Learning Outcome 8
The Inclusion of Relevant Data and Results
The
principal and all members of the faculty have been given questionnaires.
I asked everyone involved to
please answer the questions as honestly as they can. The results of the data
compiled reveal an overwhelming opinion in favor of the IWBs. There are a few teachers who
are hesitant to vote in favor, and I can understand and appreciate their
reasons. It is our nature as
humans to feel unsure and uneasy about change. It means to venture outside
of our safety zone and to enter into relatively unknown territory.
The
following results were retrieved from a study of a survey administered to 48
elementary schools in the largest school district in a southeastern U.S. state,
conducted by university faculty to evaluate the use of SMART Boards. SMART Boards are a brand of
IWBs that combine the functionality of a white board, computer, and projector
into a single system which uses touch control to perform all mouse and keyboard
functions.
Which of the following best
explains your reason(s) for use of the SMART Board of teaching of science in
your classroom (check all that apply)?
v
It is convenient: 63.3%
v
It is easy: 44,2%
v
Students respond well to technology: 83.9%
v
Students are accustomed to the technology: 42.2%
v
There are a variety of resources available to
me: 70.4%
v
I am required by school administration to use
it: 11.1%
(Office of Educational Technology,
2010, p. 93).
How the Win Will be Publicized and to Whom
All
faculty members will receive a copy of this “Small Win.” In addition, all students and parents will
receive a newsletter informing them of the proposed change, the “small win,”
which is a step in the right direction and is a big part of the progress toward
our shared goal. They will also be
informed that they will be kept abreast of all future progress.
As
previously mentioned, our school district, as well as our community, including
all local businesses are, in a sense, stakeholders. Therefore, a newsletter will be published in
the “Whidbey Times” newspaper, which is the leading news publisher in Island
County. A similar newsletter will also
be published in the “Seattle Times” so that the general public of Washington
state can learn of our intentions to improve the education of our future
leaders.
Next Steps for Making Continuous Progress
As
we know, our original plan was to make a concerted effort to win an upcoming
grant for our school district. The money
would be used to purchase the IWBs. Any
leftover funds would be used to purchase other technology, which might include
“clickers” and/or computers, and so forth.
We
cannot, however, depend on winning the grant. While this vision has not been abandoned, it
has been expanded. In the upcoming
weeks, we will be contacting local political leaders, as well as numerous
community leaders, groups and businesses asking for their support. Recently, we voted for funds to replace our
school’s track and other sports facilities. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the
much-needed repairs. The city of Coupeville
understands the importance of its students’ physical fitness programs. I am confident that residents will vote in
favor of improving student curriculum through technology. I urge all faculty members of Coupeville
Middle and High School to join us.
Our
future as teachers depends upon our knowledge and practice in the world of
technology. More important, the future
of our children, our families, and our communities are counting on us to make
this change in preparing our youth for their advancement and achievement while
they are learning in our schools, and later on in life. “Change can be a dynamic and positive force
for creating new strategies and putting them into action, stimulating
creativity, diversity, learning, and growth” (Spiro, 2011, p. 63). Together, we can and must make this vision
become a reality, and the time for action is now!
Principles and Theory Chosen and Why
The chosen activity and its redesign
addition support behaviorism and cognitive theory as well as the Social
Learning Theory proposed by Albert Bandura. Bandura said, “People with high
assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered
rather than as threats to be avoided” (p. 1).
According to The Cognitive Behavioral Theory,
people tend to form self-concepts that affect the behavior they
display……these concepts can be positive or negative and they can be affected by
a person’s environment (Pajares, 1995). By putting people to work together as a team
they get to know each other better while developing a more solid relationship. The Cognitive Behavioral Theory was chosen
because of people’s natural resistance to change. The Social Learning Theory was chosen since a
group of people will be working together on this project. Without a group working toward a shared goal,
there would be no leader to represent them.
Challenges and How They Were Overcome
Perhaps
the greatest challenge for the author was to assume the role of leader. Assuming this role entails a great sense of
responsibility, especially in the author’s own eyes. The author knows that he can pretty
much count on encountering resistance to change every time he thinks to propose
it, whether in his personal life or within the spheres of work and
education. It is human nature to resist
change, even if in their hearts they want to embrace it. People like to remain in their comfort
zone. To venture outside of it is to risk
danger.
The
best way that the author has learned to overcome the challenge of resistance is
that if we do not find resistance, we had better take a closer look. The question is whether we will recognize the
resistance within ourselves. One can
tend to overlook things if they take too seriously the belief that they know
themselves inside and out.
Solving Problems
In
the author’s own development as a leader in change, he has found that it is imperative
to know that resistance or opposition is bound to come, and by knowing this, he
can better prepare himself for it. He
believes that having traveled extensively and by having lived in different
cultures, he has drastically lowered his level of tolerance. He admits that he was quite the opposite
before having lived with people whose lifestyles and belief systems were very
much different from his own. He feels he
has grown to respect and appreciate people’s differences. The author believes that if we try to
understand and show compassion for others, we have half the battle won as far
as taking the role as leader goes.
Another great asset that lends to overcoming the challenge of becoming a
leader is to be a great listener. People
love to be heard. And by listening,
sooner or later, you will learn something.
The author feels that these are great strengths that can be used to his
advantage in situations that involve change.
Conclusion
The
author has taken a prior MATLT activity and has revised it to include instructional design principles and theory
while further demonstrating the author’s ability to make informed decisions
regarding the use of technology in support of learning and leadership. The original
activity discusses a proposed change strategy and a “small win” that has been
attained in moving forward. Some of the
benefits of the small win in addition to the shared value of all stakeholders
have been demonstrated. The revision of
the activity includes relevant data and results, how and to whom the win will
be publicized, as well as the next steps toward making continuous
progress. Principles and theories and
why they have been chosen are discussed, in addition to challenges, how they
were overcome, and solving unforeseen problems.
References
Bandura, A. (2016).
Albert Bandura biography: His life, work and theories. Retrieved from
Very
Well. https://www.verywell.com/albert-bandura-biography-1925-2795537
Office of Educational
Technology (2010). Transforming American
education: Learning powered by technology.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Education. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf
Martin, S., Shaw, E.,
& Daughenbaugh, L. (2014). Using smart
boards and manipulatives in the elementary
science classroom. Techtrends:
Linking research & practice to improve learning,
58(3), 90-96. doi:10.1007/s11528-014-0756-3 Academic Journal retrieved from EBSCO host.
Pajares, F. (1995).
Self-efficacy in academic
settings. American Psychological
Association.
Retrieved from ERIC database. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED384608.pdf
Spiro, J. (2011). Leading change step-by-step: Tactics,
tools, and tales. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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