Today we had an opportunity to talk to Dr. Bette Gray. Dr. Gray works in the Alberta Education Ministry. We spoke to her on a variety of topics pertaining to leadership and how policy is made. Dr. Gray referred to Kingdon’s model of multiple stream policy making. She described how policies are created and who the stakeholders often are.
During our discussion we identified some issues facing ICT outcomes and the ICT program of studies. These were:
1. PD for staff
2. Digital citizenship for students
3. Equity for all students and schools
4. Funding – how it is being allocated out per student by division.
What continuity do you see between some of your readings, other presentations, and this presentation?
Dr. Gray spoke of collaboration and how policy is decided. Many of our readings discussed these topics from different points of view and different levels of leadership, from school based leadership, to school district leadership, to national leaders like Dr. Knezak of the International Society for Technology in Education.
Salience (Why is IT in education important to this person?)
Dr. Gray works in the Ministry of Education. She specifically works with technology. She is a provincial leader in education. She has a personal stake invested in education and IT in education.
Outcomes (what are the specific IT in education outcomes sought through your organization)
Dr. Gray spent a lot of time describing the policy/change process at the provincial level.
Processes (what processes are used to achieve these outcomes)
Dr. Gray discussed Kingdon’s multiple streams model of policy making.
Characteristics (What are some of the characteristics of IT leaders that make them effective in achieving their goals)
Dr. Gray struck me as a collaborative leader. She spoke about attending meetings to discuss issues in curriculum.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday July 13
Today we had the opportunity to discuss leadership in IT with Mr. Gary Spence of the Wolf Creek School District. He brought many years of experience and he shared his insights on leadership and technology as it applies to his work as the Assistant Superintendant. I enjoyed speaking to Mr. Spence about the one-to-one laptop project that is currently going on in their school district. His perspective was that laptops for all students was not a sustainable initiative if Alberta Ed had to purchase all the laptops. His prediction was that school districts would eventually develop NAC (network access control). He described how school districts would allow students to bring their own devices and access school networks. His biggest fear regarding NAC is that teachers would become techs. They would have to provide technical support on many different machines. There are interesting arguments to support both points of view and I look forward to discovering them.
What continuity do you see between some of your readings, other presentations, and this presentation?
I saw continuity in Gary’s speech regarding one to one laptop initiatives. I thought their findings were very interesting. They have come to the conclusion that buying laptops may not be that effective. Gary told us that the initiative is not sustainable. Wolf Creek Public Schools is currently developing a NAC (Network Access Control) strategy to ensure students access to information. This will allow students to bring their own devices and connect to the school networks. Unfortunately this blows my IT proposal out of the water.
Salience (Why is IT in education important to this person?)
IT in education is important because we must prepare students for the 21st century. We do not really know what that means yet however IT is a way to reach those skills. Technology is changing everyday. Students must be taught ways to manage this information. They must be taught to critically treat information they come access. Technology is pervasive. No matter what you do it gets touched by technology. Therefore we have an obligation to teach responsible use of IT.
Outcomes (what are the specific IT in education outcomes sought through your organization)
Spences pyramid shows some of the outcomes.
Processes (what processes are used to achieve these outcomes)
Spence’s hierarchy of effective tech integration needs displays some of the processes. Everyone’s opinion counts because everyone has to have input in the decision making.
Gary mentioned that the organization cannot let a separation occur between techs and teachers and the learning. They pyramid must not be separated. If the stuff is not working it will not happen. The base of the model is the foundation.
Characteristics (What are some of the characteristics of IT leaders that make them effective in achieving their goals)
Visioning is a characteristic but it is also the ability to evaluate where your organization will be in the future. The ability to evaluate the strengths and challenges your organization faces. These things are all part of the visioning process and they are essential characteristics of effective IT leaders. Recognizing everyone’s opinions and input when it comes to decision making is also essential. For example if a teacher says that a certain piece of technology is not working the IT leader needs to take this into consideration when planning for the future.
Gary also gave his take on leadership qualities. Some of the things he talked about had not been explicitly mentioned and it was nice to hear his homegrown take on the subject.
Be committed
-to kids
-staff
-excellence
-integrity
-dignity
Be visionary
-Know where you are going and why
-Envision 5 years from now
Be Humble
-Recognize that your success is the result of many people.
-Nothing you do matters unless it benefits kids.
-You can’t possible know or do it all.
-Rely on your peers and confidents.
-Give others credit and recognition.
Technical savvy
-Gain some nuts and bolts experience.
-Know what you don’t know.
-Don’t allow yourself to be misled.
Pedagogy
-Stay up to date on research.
-Take a teacher eye view.
Other
-Be pragmatic
-Technology is neutral;
-Be transparent
-Collaborative – build relationships
-There are times when you need to make the call
-Strong negotiator
-Highly organized
-Good manager, budget planning, etc.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday July 10
This afternoon our class discussed leadership with Dr. Larry Jacobs of Wolf Creek School District via video conference. I appreciated much of what Dr. Jacobs had to say and I enjoyed his presentation.
What continuity do you see between some of your readings, other presentations, and this presentation?
The central theme of vision keeps coming back within the presentations of our guest speakers. Shared leadership and collaboration seems to be another recurring theme. All of our presenters this week have spoken about leadership and how to improve student learning. This is, after all the ultimate goal and should be the driving force behind any plan, mission statement or collaborative effort.
Dr. Jacobs is a good example of an “adventurous learner” (Yee, 2000). He does not shy away from technology. As a matter of fact he embraces it and encourages its use. This is also evidenced in his presentation which was received via video conferencing.
Salience (Why is IT in education important to this person?)
IT in education is the driving force behind their learning in their school district. They do not have a technology vision, they have a learning vision. Technology is simply a tool to achieve a certain result. Dr. Jacobs said that “we do not take our students down to the pencil room.” I found this to be a very interesting statement because it illustrates the mindset many teachers have of technology in education. Going to the computer lab is seen as a special occasion or a reward for other specific behaviours rather than a tool such as a pencil or piece of paper.
Outcomes (what are the specific IT in education outcomes sought through your organization)
Dr. Jacobs mentioned their one to one laptop initiative several times. Although his discussion centered on leadership and vision it is easy to see that the outcomes sought are improved student learning. IT outcomes are not specifically addressed because they fit within the framework of the vision graphic.
Processes (what processes are used to achieve these outcomes)
The mission statement development process that Dr. Jacobs described really spoke to me because I went through that process a number of years ago. Much of what he said sounded familiar. At that time our school was charged with developing a mission statement of our own and professional learning communities and collaborative planning time came from that process. We felt it was a vast improvement over what had previously been happening in our District.
I was also able to gain an appreciation for the 12 step learning model that was presented and described. I especially appreciated Dr. Jacob’s explanation of step 11 where if a child was found to be having difficulties meeting outcomes there was a specific plan in place to develop a strategy to help that child.
The cohort and mentorship process which was described also spoke to me. I feel it is tremendously important to have support when just starting out in the classroom. Teaching can be an isolated profession. Sometimes without the feeling that someone is watching over you and helping you in a non-threatening sort of a way you feel isolated. I got the feeling that Dr. Jacobs was a very caring individual.
Characteristics (What are some of the characteristics of IT leaders that make them effective in achieving their goals)
Caring stood out for me in Dr. Jacob’s presentation. He spoke of leading a cohort of new teachers. He spoke of giving assignments and meeting new teachers. His passion and vision was evident in the way he described his organization. Collaboration was also evident when he described the professional development process Wolf Creek uses.
Yee, Dianne L (2000) Images of school Principals’ Information and Communications
Technology Leadership. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, Vol 9, No. 3, 2000
This afternoon our class discussed leadership with Dr. Larry Jacobs of Wolf Creek School District via video conference. I appreciated much of what Dr. Jacobs had to say and I enjoyed his presentation.
What continuity do you see between some of your readings, other presentations, and this presentation?
The central theme of vision keeps coming back within the presentations of our guest speakers. Shared leadership and collaboration seems to be another recurring theme. All of our presenters this week have spoken about leadership and how to improve student learning. This is, after all the ultimate goal and should be the driving force behind any plan, mission statement or collaborative effort.
Dr. Jacobs is a good example of an “adventurous learner” (Yee, 2000). He does not shy away from technology. As a matter of fact he embraces it and encourages its use. This is also evidenced in his presentation which was received via video conferencing.
Salience (Why is IT in education important to this person?)
IT in education is the driving force behind their learning in their school district. They do not have a technology vision, they have a learning vision. Technology is simply a tool to achieve a certain result. Dr. Jacobs said that “we do not take our students down to the pencil room.” I found this to be a very interesting statement because it illustrates the mindset many teachers have of technology in education. Going to the computer lab is seen as a special occasion or a reward for other specific behaviours rather than a tool such as a pencil or piece of paper.
Outcomes (what are the specific IT in education outcomes sought through your organization)
Dr. Jacobs mentioned their one to one laptop initiative several times. Although his discussion centered on leadership and vision it is easy to see that the outcomes sought are improved student learning. IT outcomes are not specifically addressed because they fit within the framework of the vision graphic.
Processes (what processes are used to achieve these outcomes)
The mission statement development process that Dr. Jacobs described really spoke to me because I went through that process a number of years ago. Much of what he said sounded familiar. At that time our school was charged with developing a mission statement of our own and professional learning communities and collaborative planning time came from that process. We felt it was a vast improvement over what had previously been happening in our District.
I was also able to gain an appreciation for the 12 step learning model that was presented and described. I especially appreciated Dr. Jacob’s explanation of step 11 where if a child was found to be having difficulties meeting outcomes there was a specific plan in place to develop a strategy to help that child.
The cohort and mentorship process which was described also spoke to me. I feel it is tremendously important to have support when just starting out in the classroom. Teaching can be an isolated profession. Sometimes without the feeling that someone is watching over you and helping you in a non-threatening sort of a way you feel isolated. I got the feeling that Dr. Jacobs was a very caring individual.
Characteristics (What are some of the characteristics of IT leaders that make them effective in achieving their goals)
Caring stood out for me in Dr. Jacob’s presentation. He spoke of leading a cohort of new teachers. He spoke of giving assignments and meeting new teachers. His passion and vision was evident in the way he described his organization. Collaboration was also evident when he described the professional development process Wolf Creek uses.
Yee, Dianne L (2000) Images of school Principals’ Information and Communications
Technology Leadership. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, Vol 9, No. 3, 2000
Thursday, July 9, 2009
On Thursday, July 9 our cohort had a visit from John Percevault. He is the Director of Technology for Lethbridge School District No. 51. He spoke to us about his experiences with change, vision and Leadership. He left us with the key things that happened to bring about change.
A clear mandate from the superintendent and the board.
Without support from the leader of the organization change will not occur. This is a re-occuring theme throughout many organizations. An example of this is Barack Obama's presidency. Change has been a central theme of his campaign and presidency. He has revitalized the United States and is a great example of change.
Vision process and financial planning
John spoke about the evergreening process and he used the term "forklifting" to describe the replacement of ALL technology in regular intervals rather than doing a little each year. This makes a lot of sense however this idea often meets resistance because of the cost. I feel that this idea has validity because of the payoff and equitability involved. Visioning is a key component to change because without a clear vision it becomes impossible to achieve the goals set forth.
Applying technology with supports
Without the proper supports in place the technolgy plan will fail. This means professional development opportunities for teachers. I agree that teachers must be lifelong learners and must be willing to collaborate and learn from their colleagues.
Get the right people
A clear mandate from the superintendent and the board.
Without support from the leader of the organization change will not occur. This is a re-occuring theme throughout many organizations. An example of this is Barack Obama's presidency. Change has been a central theme of his campaign and presidency. He has revitalized the United States and is a great example of change.
Vision process and financial planning
John spoke about the evergreening process and he used the term "forklifting" to describe the replacement of ALL technology in regular intervals rather than doing a little each year. This makes a lot of sense however this idea often meets resistance because of the cost. I feel that this idea has validity because of the payoff and equitability involved. Visioning is a key component to change because without a clear vision it becomes impossible to achieve the goals set forth.
Applying technology with supports
Without the proper supports in place the technolgy plan will fail. This means professional development opportunities for teachers. I agree that teachers must be lifelong learners and must be willing to collaborate and learn from their colleagues.
Get the right people
Visionary people are necessary to the organization. However it is important that these people be able to present convincing arguments, gain credibility quickly, lead by example and share leadership. Without these essential characteristics in senior leaders it will be difficult to bring about major change.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
IT Leadership key findings guest speaker July 7
What continuity do you see between some of your readings, other presentations, and this presentation?
I saw some of the parallels from some of our readings right away as I listened to BL discuss his thoughts and experiences regarding leadership and technology. I also saw parallels and similarities from the findings in Excellence in IT leadership. His vision, collaborative work, relationship building and shared leadership approach were proof that the findings in those studies were authentic.
Salience (Why is IT in education important to this person?)
The main reason it was important to him was his love for using technology. BL spoke of his early experiences with technology at the beginning of his presentation and how he was fascinated by it and how he grew to enjoy working with it. He also stated that technology is here to stay. It is important for students to become fluent in technology to be able to navigate their way in the 21st century.
Outcomes (what are the specific IT in education outcomes sought through your organization)
BL spoke about equitable access to technology. He felt it was very important for students to have equitable access to technological devices. He spoke of the importance of a vision for replacing aging machines and how best to allocate funds. He also felt technology had to be dependable and safe for students to use.
Processes (what processes are used to achieve these outcomes)
BL spoke of the town hall meeting as a way to get the community on board with the district’s vision and ideas. He also spoke of meeting principals individually and allowing for flexibility in their discussions. He uses collaboration and shared leadership to meet these outcomes. He mentioned several times how certain schools were allowed to spend their technology budgets.
Characteristics (What are some of the characteristics if IT leaders that make them effective in achieving their goals)
BL possesses a good deal of vision, he is an able user of technology, and he works collaboratively and shares leadership with other people. This is consistent with much of the reading I have done so far on the characteristics of IT leaders.
I saw some of the parallels from some of our readings right away as I listened to BL discuss his thoughts and experiences regarding leadership and technology. I also saw parallels and similarities from the findings in Excellence in IT leadership. His vision, collaborative work, relationship building and shared leadership approach were proof that the findings in those studies were authentic.
Salience (Why is IT in education important to this person?)
The main reason it was important to him was his love for using technology. BL spoke of his early experiences with technology at the beginning of his presentation and how he was fascinated by it and how he grew to enjoy working with it. He also stated that technology is here to stay. It is important for students to become fluent in technology to be able to navigate their way in the 21st century.
Outcomes (what are the specific IT in education outcomes sought through your organization)
BL spoke about equitable access to technology. He felt it was very important for students to have equitable access to technological devices. He spoke of the importance of a vision for replacing aging machines and how best to allocate funds. He also felt technology had to be dependable and safe for students to use.
Processes (what processes are used to achieve these outcomes)
BL spoke of the town hall meeting as a way to get the community on board with the district’s vision and ideas. He also spoke of meeting principals individually and allowing for flexibility in their discussions. He uses collaboration and shared leadership to meet these outcomes. He mentioned several times how certain schools were allowed to spend their technology budgets.
Characteristics (What are some of the characteristics if IT leaders that make them effective in achieving their goals)
BL possesses a good deal of vision, he is an able user of technology, and he works collaboratively and shares leadership with other people. This is consistent with much of the reading I have done so far on the characteristics of IT leaders.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Nature of Effective IT Leaders: Characteristics and Outcomes
The Nature of Effective IT Leaders: Characteristics and Outcomes
Denis Fortier
University of Lethbridge
Abstract
This paper discusses the essential characteristics and outcomes one might see from a school leader. I chose to base my reflections and observations on my current school principal, Bill Q. Bill Q is a new principal who embodies the new generation of school leaders.
I have known Bill Q. since May of 2008. He is currently the principal of the school where I teach grade 4. Since meeting Bill Q, I have observed some of the qualities and characteristics that make him an exceptional leader and school administrator. Upon reading some of the current research I have been able to identify the main characteristics that make Bill Q such an effective leader. The man possesses an extraordinary vision. He is an effective manager who is always supportive of staff and manages to extract the most positive qualities from his staff. Excellence in IT/ICT leadership: Building Blocks to the Future, Hollingsworth, 2008. He encourages collaborative planning between teachers and makes time for teachers to meet.
According to, Excellence in IT/ICT leadership: Building Blocks to the Future (Hollingsworth, 2008). Leadership and visioning is a central characteristic of effective leaders in ICT. Many principals made reference to the value of having support from Central Office’s leadership vision. Bill Q is effectively able to continue this trickling down process to teachers on staff. Visioning also goes the other way with Bill Q. Recently he was instrumental in realigning partner schools for our AISI project. We are now partnered with other French immersion schools in our district for our AISI goal.
It is easy to get on board with Bill Q’s ideas because he is a good salesman and he never dwells on negativity or allows it to permeate our staff room. Bill Q’s ability to envision scenarios has become even more obvious at the end of the current school year. Due to fluctuations in student enrollment he has had to envision different possibilities for classroom placements. Bill Q has joined our district’s committee on combined classes. The committee is in charge of developing best practices when it comes to combined classes. This shows that he has the foresight to gather information regarding a particular situation. Bill Q often uses the question “what does it/that look like?” This is an essential question to ask oneself when contemplating change or re-imagining.
Like most of the findings in excellence in IT/ICT Leadership Bill Q sees computers or other technologies as a way to enhance student learning. To him it is in fact another tool to help students become better learners, Excellence in IT/ICT Leadership: Building Blocks to the Future, Hollingsworth, 2009. I knew Bill Q was serious about technology when he announced the AISI goal for the coming school year involves improving our students’ French language skills through the use of technology, namely interactive whiteboards. Bill Q has been instrumental in acquiring SMART boards for all of our classrooms. He has also taken the lead in encouraging teachers to embrace the technology. He has worked intensively with the parent council to secure funding for the necessary equipment. Although one may not consider his skills with SMART boards or Notebook 10 to be extraordinary he displays a great deal of vision by going to great lengths in both acquiring the technology and convincing teachers to make good use of it.
In short Bill Q is an effective administrator and leader at our school because of his vision and his ability to manage people. He treats everyone the same and does not let negativity invade our space. He is supportive of all staff members and recognizes the needs for improvements to our technological resources.
References
Hollingsworth, M. (2008). Excellence in IT/ICT Leadership: Building Blocks to the Future.
Resnick, Mitchel (2001). Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age. In The Global Information Technology Report 2001-2002: Readiness for the Networked World
Denis Fortier
University of Lethbridge
Abstract
This paper discusses the essential characteristics and outcomes one might see from a school leader. I chose to base my reflections and observations on my current school principal, Bill Q. Bill Q is a new principal who embodies the new generation of school leaders.
I have known Bill Q. since May of 2008. He is currently the principal of the school where I teach grade 4. Since meeting Bill Q, I have observed some of the qualities and characteristics that make him an exceptional leader and school administrator. Upon reading some of the current research I have been able to identify the main characteristics that make Bill Q such an effective leader. The man possesses an extraordinary vision. He is an effective manager who is always supportive of staff and manages to extract the most positive qualities from his staff. Excellence in IT/ICT leadership: Building Blocks to the Future, Hollingsworth, 2008. He encourages collaborative planning between teachers and makes time for teachers to meet.
According to, Excellence in IT/ICT leadership: Building Blocks to the Future (Hollingsworth, 2008). Leadership and visioning is a central characteristic of effective leaders in ICT. Many principals made reference to the value of having support from Central Office’s leadership vision. Bill Q is effectively able to continue this trickling down process to teachers on staff. Visioning also goes the other way with Bill Q. Recently he was instrumental in realigning partner schools for our AISI project. We are now partnered with other French immersion schools in our district for our AISI goal.
It is easy to get on board with Bill Q’s ideas because he is a good salesman and he never dwells on negativity or allows it to permeate our staff room. Bill Q’s ability to envision scenarios has become even more obvious at the end of the current school year. Due to fluctuations in student enrollment he has had to envision different possibilities for classroom placements. Bill Q has joined our district’s committee on combined classes. The committee is in charge of developing best practices when it comes to combined classes. This shows that he has the foresight to gather information regarding a particular situation. Bill Q often uses the question “what does it/that look like?” This is an essential question to ask oneself when contemplating change or re-imagining.
Like most of the findings in excellence in IT/ICT Leadership Bill Q sees computers or other technologies as a way to enhance student learning. To him it is in fact another tool to help students become better learners, Excellence in IT/ICT Leadership: Building Blocks to the Future, Hollingsworth, 2009. I knew Bill Q was serious about technology when he announced the AISI goal for the coming school year involves improving our students’ French language skills through the use of technology, namely interactive whiteboards. Bill Q has been instrumental in acquiring SMART boards for all of our classrooms. He has also taken the lead in encouraging teachers to embrace the technology. He has worked intensively with the parent council to secure funding for the necessary equipment. Although one may not consider his skills with SMART boards or Notebook 10 to be extraordinary he displays a great deal of vision by going to great lengths in both acquiring the technology and convincing teachers to make good use of it.
In short Bill Q is an effective administrator and leader at our school because of his vision and his ability to manage people. He treats everyone the same and does not let negativity invade our space. He is supportive of all staff members and recognizes the needs for improvements to our technological resources.
References
Hollingsworth, M. (2008). Excellence in IT/ICT Leadership: Building Blocks to the Future.
Resnick, Mitchel (2001). Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age. In The Global Information Technology Report 2001-2002: Readiness for the Networked World
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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