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