I personally believe that "There is a bi-directional causal relationship between leaders and their environment. Leaders are influenced by the environment but in turn they can influence their environment.", I would like to invite you to Share your leadership and technology story. Describe a case in which you have been challenged by technology in your field of work and how you dealt with it.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Technological Changes for a Leader in a Global Economy
While I was teaching a class in Organization Theory, we discussed several aspects of it, such as conflict resolution, decision making theories, leadership styles, motivation and others. I asked myself how all this theories would fit in the world that technology is constantly changing, and people are constantly adapting to it. How a leader or a e-leader as someone is called to deal with this constant change, and he or she will use it in the favor of the organization she is leading. Pulley,
et al. (2002) used the term “eleadership”, however several researchers,
including myself do not think that adding the “e” would make it a different
leadership. Leaders have always dealt with several kinds of technologies in
different eras. Technology has traditionally played a very important role in
facilitating protest, for example; the early anti-communist protests in Poland
were facilitated with the help of the Xerox machines! and now Iranian twitter
users have used technology to protest. The devices or the technology changed the way we communicate. In the last decade, we have seen technology
play a crucial role in helping people gather and, most importantly, get heard.
To learn how leadership reacts to technologies or vice versa.
I personally believe that "There is a bi-directional causal relationship between leaders and their environment. Leaders are influenced by the environment but in turn they can influence their environment.", I would like to invite you to Share your leadership and technology story. Describe a case in which you have been challenged by technology in your field of work and how you dealt with it.
I personally believe that "There is a bi-directional causal relationship between leaders and their environment. Leaders are influenced by the environment but in turn they can influence their environment.", I would like to invite you to Share your leadership and technology story. Describe a case in which you have been challenged by technology in your field of work and how you dealt with it.
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My greatest challenge with technology is gaining more resources in my classroom. I consider myself tech-savvy, using computers, iPad, smart phone, and other new technology in my personal life regularly. When it comes to incorporating technology into my teaching practice, I am a novice. My classroom is not equipped with computers; we have sketchy wi-fi internet access; and we are still using chalk and white boards. Our newest upgrade was to document readers called “Elmos.” Despite the lack of resources, I try to make lessons engaging and interactive. Ultimately, I would like to receive professional development on better ways to incorporate technology into my middle school lessons and to find resources or grants that could afford my students the best technology available. Regarding leadership, I believe the school district, or in the city, the principal, set the tone for the use of technology in the building. My principal has been working on procuring more laptop carts to increase the availability of working computers for students. He is also working toward improving the technological resources available. Technology is the way of the present and the future. It is time to embrace it and design for a future of integrating technology and learning.
ReplyDeleteThere are many grants that you can write in order to get money for technology in your school. Many companies give schools funding for technology since it is a big push in the 21st century learners. I was part of a grant writing team in my school and we found many different companies and grants to write to. Some websites you can find helpful are: teacher’s choice, grant wrangler, and target. Our school was able to receive money for new laptops and smartboards in our building. There is research that expresses how great Ipads are for students with disabilities. I applied for Ipads last year for my classroom but was not granted them. I will apply again this school year and will continue advocating for technology in my classroom. I have seen the success from using a smartboard with my students and I would love to have more technology in my classroom.
DeleteI agree with technology being the way of the future and that we need to embrace it and design to include it in our schools. In order for teachers to use technology in their lessons, leaders need to include technology in their vision and express the importance of it throughout the building.
Karen, first off, kudos to you for still making your lessons engaging and interactive even though materials are not readily available. While I am not familiar with grant writing after reading you post I did a search and found this website, maybe it is of interest to you if you haven’t already seen it? It’s a list of grants available to city schools (http://schools.nyc.gov/Teachers/Resources/Other/Grants/default.htm). Grants are a great way to get resources that your school may be unable to afford. Additionally, what professional development is available for you through the city? If there is a specific technology you would like to learn how to use you could look into attending a conference that will give you some instruction on that technology.
DeleteI agree wholeheartedly with your statement about administrators setting the tone for technology use in the building. If an administrator wants technology used in the building he/she will make it know and in my experience most teachers will be more likely to comply. If and when your school does get the technology resources here is a link with many educational sites you can use in the classroom http://edutecher.net/- the best part is that they are all free!
I completely understand where you are coming from Karen. I too had the same issue in the school that I worked in where there was not enough equipment for the staff to use. I always try to incorporate technology into my lessons as well. I was fortunate enough to have access to computers in the first school I worked in by having a case filled with laptops for the children. This was useful when differentiating instruction because I was able to meet with one group of the children, while one group accessed various websites for enrichment. This past year, I wish I had access to laptops for my students to use to provide interactive activities.
DeleteSince you are tech-savvy, have you hosted workshops for your fellow colleagues? When teachers help one another out, it builds school morale. I have done numerous technological workshops in both schools that I have worked in. I understand that it often seems like the “technology problem” is out of our control since we are not the leaders of the building. With permission from your building leader, if you have experience writing grants, you can help other teachers learn the process. A grant committee can be formed to write technology grants to gain more resources in your building. Grantwrangler.com is a valuable and free resource that helps classroom teachers find grants for school funding. If you don’t have experience writing grants, there are free workshops you can attend to help you learn the process.
This past year, I was asked to train my colleagues in the ESL department in using Smartboard technology. I was more than happy to host these workshops and the response I received when my colleagues heard about these workshops was positive overall. However, one teacher was more resistant and expressed that she felt obligated to attend the workshops since her colleagues were attending and that the workshops occurred during the school day. As a result, the ESL department was missing one of their prep periods to attend.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, my school is a very large organization with more than 200 hundred teachers. Unfortunately, only eight teachers attended the workshops. I would hope that if there were more access to Smartboards in the building then more teachers would have been willing to attend the workshops. Although I was giving up my prep period to train my colleagues, it was even difficult for me to sign up for the Smartboard on the floor.
Additionally, I felt that some teachers were uneasy because I was new to the building as a teacher. At first glance, they assumed I was a first year teacher not knowing when in fact I was excessed and was in my fifth year teaching.
Michelle, it is unfortunate that you got such a low response from your colleagues. Some of the best things I’ve learned in the field of technology were from my colleagues. How many Smartboards are in your building? Was it perhaps that the teachers did not want to training because they felt they were unable to apply it to their teaching practices because of a limited amount of resources? Also, perhaps if the workshop had been publicized in a different way it would have gotten a better response? My other question is why was the training limited to ESL teachers? I think you should try again this year, and maybe open it to all teachers. For some teachers, using technology puts them out of their comfort zone. Maybe if they see how meaningful it can be for students and how user-friendly it is they will be more likely to try. At my school many teachers offer professional development through the teacher center. Through my teacher center I offer a class on Google Apps in the classroom. This summer will be my 3rd time running the class. My first class only had 6 people in it. This class has 20 because people heard how great the Apps are. Maybe persistence is key here.
DeleteDariah,
DeleteI was asked by my immediate supervisor to train the ESL department. I am not sure why it wasn't open to more teachers. I did another training session after the first round with two other teachers. I think it was difficult because they wanted the workshops to take place during the school day. I feel that it would have been more effective if teachers stayed after school. There is only one smartboard per floor. I will try again this year. There is only one Smartboard per floor.
Michelle,
DeleteI feel your pain. But the good news is that what you experienced is the norm. I had a similar experience when my school received a technology grant and had to spend $22,000 on PD. I coordinated the training spent approximately $10,000 on smart board training over a three month period of time and the attendance was never over 5 teachers. It was frustrating. The school had invested into 5 new smart boards with promises of more to come. It took me another 6 months to figure out the problem. The administration commitment level was not strong enough. They gave me a lot of lip service. I finally convince the Principal to commit her entire Cabinet for an introduction lesson in the use of the Smart Board.
I then worked very closely with Tequipment INC. On designing training for administrators with a strong focus on how to use the smart board to differentiate lessons and to make the lessons interactive. This was a big hit once the administrators realized they did not have to learn how to use it but instead appreciate its effective use in making a lesson highly effective. Once the APs' were on Board my job became easy. Immediately, we had 13 teachers become certified trainers and conducted a series of workshops on the smart board over the next two years. Presently we have about 30 smart boards in the classrooms and the entire staff has been exposed to it in some degree.
So Michelle don't give up. Keep hope Alive!!!!!
An effective attribute of a leader is that they must be able set the tone and lead by example. Once I got the Principal to training I knew the dissenters were toasted. This move however did not make me one of the most popular teachers among my colleague. The fear was that the administrators were going to use the nonuse of the smart board in their formal observations against them. This was far from the truth but it worked.
I was asked to present a workshop on the use of smartboards in the classroom for instructional purposes. I was sent to workshops and began using the smartboard for many of my lessons. The administrator in my school observed my smartboard use and wanted me to share my knowledge with other teachers in the building. When giving the smartboard workshop, many teachers resisted because they did not have a smartboard in their classroom. They were unhappy about learning how to use the smartboard and felt they had no use for the workshop. Many teachers thought it was a waste of time for them to be there. Since I am not the administrator, I brought the concerns to my principal and she responded that the teachers at one point will have a smartboard depending on what grade they are teaching. The principal wanted all of the teachers to be familiar with using the smartboard as part of their instructional practices.
ReplyDeleteAnother concern was that teachers did not feel they had the time to plan lessons using the smartboard. I told the teachers that there are already made lessons on the internet to help give them a head start. I told them to use the examples already made and change them to fit their lesson. Teachers felt much more comfortable and confident to use the smartboard during lessons.
I understand the challenge. It is difficult to teach or train when people are busy with different projects, and want to optimize their time with activities they feel are "benefitial" a short time.
DeleteMy greatest challenge with technology has been with my school getting a Google apps domain. Because I was using Google before, I got used to using my personal account. When using a domain account I found that there were many restrictions that I was not used to. What I find many times with technology use in the classroom is that a teacher may need to be okay with the fact that some structure may need to be given up in the beginning implementation stages. I found that when I had created a document to put on my website, students were unable to access it because the domain had so many privacy limitations. While I understand that when dealing with school-age children having the domain protects their privacy it also makes it cumbersome for teachers to use, which ultimately turned many of them off. What I needed to do to overcome the problem was meet with the technology director at my school and explain to him these problems. Luckily, he trusted me enough to give me limited administrative rights and I am now able to circumvent problems like these. Ultimately it is the same story that many people see with technology time after time. Administrators put something in place (in this case domain restrictions) without asking those who are using it how it works for them.
ReplyDeleteThe technology limitations in the public school setting are often the key frustration for educators. It was fortunate Dariah, that you were able to work with the Technology Director to gain the necessary access however this problem will continue to exist for other teachers with the same need. It sounds as if there should be an assessment of the instructional needs in terms of blocking. Perhaps Elementary, Middle and High School “rights” could vary according to instructional goals. If teachers are using the technology to create innovative experiences for students, perhaps they could be submitted as examples for an “access-waiver,” similar to what you were able to get.
DeleteI think you are right though, the limitations stem from a school district’s responsibility for protecting children from exposure to inappropriate material. It is sad that with such protections come restrictions. I found that there are times that solutions for navigating blocks are possible if you get creative, and technical aspects may be solved by assistive IT’s.
When a systemic problem exists, I have found that identification begins with the users, and in the school setting that is the teacher. You are right when you say often there are things put into place and information about possible problems is not sought up front. I think it is never too late for input, but the caution is to focus on improvement and not on negative criticism.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I shifted from an instructional role to an administrative role, the technology challenges I faced were daunting. As a teacher of Gifted students, I flew like a teacher-eagle to my own flight pattern and my students soared beyond me. Life was easy. As an administrator, I was to encourage technology use among faculty and staff; however the new district was behind on the technology hardware/software growth curve.
ReplyDeleteOne difficulty I had was an inefficient paper battle. In particular, the weekly IST meetings that addressed student instructional issues were documented, organized and retrieved in a “BIG BINDER” system. For those of you who don’t know what that is (it’s like seeing a rotary phone!) it is a binder that houses all the student cases discussed each week, organized alphabetically. Ultimately in our school, each year as many as 300 names were discussed (10 names per week, for 30 weeks.) The team I worked with hailed the system as what “has always been” and assured me “a thread” of information on any given child could be found. Unfortunately the thread was often frayed, ripped and weak (ah, those darn ring-binder hole-reinforces!)
MS-Access was the tech-app that filled the need, but proving it was better was the real challenge.
Pat, I can see why straying from “big binder” would be scary to some teachers. I personally like to have a hard copy of all my files and I often incorporate technology, but still like a back-up because of the possibility of technology glitches and losing files. For example, we were required to do all of our grades and report card comments through a computer based program this year called PowerSchool. When I printed my report cards and all the comments were missing, I was happy to have a hard copy of these comments to use. Although it took time to retype them all, it would have taken longer to redo them completely. I think these glitches that often occur are why many teachers are reluctant to technology changes. Maybe some of the teachers who are reluctant to having just a paperless approach could compromise and either have both the “big binder” and paperless, or they could even if the educators were to print out the files and keep a hard copy. I think the jump from one extreme to the other is the hardest thing and if the educators would make a slow transition it would feel less threatening.
DeletePat, you said it! Daunting is the word. I think you make an interesting point looking at the difference between using technology as a teacher and experiencing the students who embrace it versus imposing it on teachers as an administrator. And I LOVE the idea of making the mundane paper work that needs to be filled out electronic. It creates less clutter and easier access to information. Were you able to prove that it was better? Have you found this new system easier to use? I am surprised with the advances in technology that not more is electronic in the school system. In addition to IST meetings why not digitize referrals and attendance forms as well. I was surprised to find that many of the state organizations are not yet digitized-the police department for example is still a pen and paper organization. I wonder if this is because financially it is too much of a burden or if there is still not complete trust in the reliability of technology. I think as teachers we need to practice what we preach. If we expect students to use technology effectively we should be doing the same. What better way to do that than to streamline it into our organizational systems in the school district and building.
DeletePat,
DeleteI can relate to your technology challenge. When you are introducing a paradigm shift, you are essentially changing the way people do and think about a system that they are already comfortable with. Shifting from a paper-based system to a software database has many positive and negative implications. To help ease the change process, maybe consider the AST Concept C “Suggest possibilities for how members may be able to exercise more influence than they otherwise think themselves capable of.” (DeScanctis, Geradine & Poole, 1994, p. 14). By showing the stakeholders how the app will help save them time and create a more efficient system, they may be more willing to work toward transitioning toward it. In addition, making sure that you provide deep and meaningful professional development toward learning a new system can help ease concerns. As an administrator, ensuring enough time and resources are allocated to this transition will give the message to your staff that this is a priority. According to Robson (2009), leaders should “Put those ideas into action through effective leadership and execution.” Effective leadership means motivating people to reach a common goal. When teachers see the value and share the vision, the push-back will be minimized.
I’ve always faced many challenges when implementing the Enrichment curriculum, especially involving technology. One case in particular occurred last year when beginning our final projects. We decided as a grade level along with the Enrichment and Technology Specialist to make videos to go along with their current Enrichment topic. There were many steps to making our “Digital Poems” using Moviemaker, such as adding a title, typed poem, pictures, music, transitions, and credit slide. This would have been a beneficial project that would have taught the students various technology skills, but due to technical issues, it became more complicated. Half of the lab had a specific log-in, where each computer had their own username and password. The other half had the same username and password for all the computers. The documents on all computers would only save on that particular computer, therefore the children would have to go back to the exact computer each time and hope their project was still saved. Other children could move or delete another student’s work in error. It would take time to distinguish the two groups of computers and which computer had which username/password. This took away from instructional time and caused many project difficulties.
ReplyDeleteLike other school districts, my district faces various issues and problems on a daily basis. These problems cover the spectrum of possible obstacles that most schools deal with daily; however, there are a few issues that continuously beat against the structural framework of my district eroding the existing culture with each blow. One of the major issues affecting the school I work in is a lack of quality professional development in the area of technology. However, the underlying issues causing this problem are twofold. First, the administration in my building seems to be at a loss when it comes to determining the areas in which the staff differs in respect to their various levels of proficiency and knowledge regarding technology. In addition, there is a lack of vision on the part of administration in regards to designing and implementing a worthwhile professional development program focusing on technology. The second factor adding to this problem is an air of negativity on the part of the staff in regards to professional development. During contract negotiations two years ago, it was agreed upon that the intermediate schools in our district would institute a mandatory professional development hour once a week for all staff. Needless to say, this did not go over big with the majority of the staff. Many staff members have voiced that they feel powerless due to the fact that they do not have a voice in the selection and implementation of professional development sessions. In addition, numerous staff members have verbalized that the majority of the professional development sessions implemented by our administration are not focused on the areas of weakness that exist in the building, which includes best practices in the use of technology. In order to increase the use of technology in my school, staff members must be provided with opportunities to grow professionally through quality professional development. In addition, the view of professional development in my district must be altered through the development of a shared vision of what effective professional development consists of.
ReplyDeleteTom,
DeleteProfessional development is an essential element in any school building. It helps provide clarity, structure, and focus to align the building toward reaching their vision. One suggestion I would make is to allow staff to have options or choices in their professional development. Differentiating the courses offered based on teachers needs and interests can keep the PD meaningful and relevant. Also, I would consider asking teachers what areas they would be interested in learning more about. Since the PD time is a contractual requirement, it may become a win-win situation for teachers to have input into what they are learning and when they are learning it. This suggestion aligns with Robson (2009) Step 2: "Cultivate promising improvement ideas." Additionally, looking at DeSanctis, Geradine & Pool, 1994), the AST concept a "Helps one understand the relative balance in the deterministic influences and willful choices that reveal groups' unique identities," a may help staff feel like their voices are heard in the PD process.
I come from a rearing that was of the school of thought that technology is an ever-changing field that is not truly worth learning because it is constantly outdated. As a pre-teenager I did not have a CD player until years after they came out, because my parents believed there would be new technology to replace it within a year of its invention. I did not use a calculator for my homework, and until high school, the only thing that resembled a computer was a word processor that was kept in my room. I completed my entire M.B.A. never learning Excel, and kept my books for my business for over six years manually. This often comes in handy, like when my calculator broke while taking the School District Treasurer civil service exam. I did fairly well I might add. But when I took my job as a District Clerk, it was expected that someone with my educational and business background would have some knowledge of Excel. I did not have the heart to divulge that not only was I not proficient in it, but it was completely foreign to me. I downloaded a tutorial on how to use it, and viola, so incredibly easy. I now use it for everything from managing my personal finances to creating cleaner charts for presentations. I have to say, I am grateful for the access to technology such as this that makes my job easier. I will never lose the need to be independent of technology or the fear that our society is becoming tech-addicts, but I have become more open to the ways in which technology can make life easier.
ReplyDeleteCandice, it is interesting that you completed your studies without ever using Excel. As I recall from memory, the year after I completed a four year accounting degree, laptops were on the way and the Hutton House (i.e., campus building for accounting) was being renovated into a technological wonderland.
DeleteBased on your post, you’ve applied in some shape, or form, AST and steps 1-2-3 to achieve success in globalization as described by Robinson (2009). You had a will for change which is apparent when you began your position as District Clerk. You faced a new challenge and through self-efficacy, the application became uncomplicated. You put the idea into action, that you should have a working knowledge or be proficient in Excel. Additionally, you found ways to continue to use the technology after seeing what it could do. I think that the leader within you arose to meet technological advances that are being created and adopted in our society.
It was an interesting morning on that day in late April. I booted up my computer as I ordinarily would and opened PowerPoint to create additional lesson plans. With the seventh grade NYS math assessment approaching rapidly, I needed to work fast. Lo and behold . . . what! What was this I saw? PowerPoint was different? Excuse me? An update? From Microsoft Windows Server 2008 to Microsoft Windows 7? Microsoft PowerPoint 2010? In an excitable state, I proceeded to do what any perfectionist, “OCD”, anal human being would do; I called the technology department. “Maria, what. . .what. . .happened to my computer? It’s um, broken.”
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is just a case of being used to something that was now (unexpectedly) different. Isn’t that human nature? To reject change unless we are the initiators of the charted course of action?
After studying leadership styles, decision-making, and paradigms, it becomes evident that, it is beneficial in most situations to keep an open mind. Indeed, can anyone learn enough?
Well, we have to be ready that the only thing that never change is "changes are constant" I am glad that after the initial shock you went ahead and survive
DeleteThat is so interesting Debra. It sounds like a cartoon sketch that belongs in the NYTimes! Imagine if every now and then our cars had an automatic update and all of the controls for heat, lights and seat adjustments were in new spots? I expect it would take a little while but we would figure it all out eventually.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure rejection of change is because of who initiates it (though I am positive when "I" think it's time for a change it simply must be :) Is change ever just for the sake of it? It seems like in public education real change takes so, so long and while we are giving PD's and allowing for everyone's comfort level to reach moderate acceptance, it's just too late. Is that thinking contrary to all that we just learned?
I walked into the classroom and noticed that there were no computers in the classroom, no printers, no projectors that were in working order yet this was supposed to be a vocational and technical high school. All of my lesson- plans were on my flash drive. I quickly had to create transparencies to assist me in my lessons. Over the subsequent weeks this became burdensome. Hence at the end of the 2009 school year, I approached my Principal and requested that I become the school’s grant coordinator. I discussed the need for more technology in the classroom and presented her with a set of possible student outcomes that could be directly correlated technology, student engagement and motivation. In mid-summer my principal asked me to write and submit a proposal for a Learning Technical Grant. The proposal was due in less than one week, thus presenting me with both an opportunity and a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI began to set goals for completing this project. I researched the requirements needed to become grant eligible. I created a list of people to whom I would turn for assistance and guidance. These people included Superintendent of high schools the principal, the senior grant writer of the ISC, the director of Technology and Instruction, director of Budget and building services. I learned that to be eligible for the grant I needed a nonpublic school partner. I identified an appropriate nonpublic school partner based on similarities in the need for class room technology, math curricula, ELL issues and the desire to collaborate towards the betterment of the school programs, immediately enrolled in a workshop that was assisting other schools to prepare the grant.
After numerous drafts my proposal was signed by the Superintendent, the chief operative officer of the District. The principal signature was not required. Since the funds for the grant was being managed by the District.
In February of 2010 we were informed that we were one of the NYC schools that had been awarded the grant.
Congratulations!!!....that is the way I would have acted, once you find the problem, you find a solution to it. I can see they are very grateful and more important the students are benefiting for it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteClaude,
DeleteI must admit that you are a natural born leader. You obviously demonstrated your courage, and dedication to the children of your school. As we learned in class with Dr. Morote it takes courage in order to shift the paradigm for effective change. I congratulate you on your effort by spearheading this initiative and win the grant for your school. How did your colleagues embrace your action? Having done the research and brought solutions to the table made it easier for your administrators to open to the idea. Sometimes people will complain about the "not" without any personal effort or action. I am glad to hear that you had a positive outcome. Best of luck to on any future initiatives!
Technological Challenges for Leaders in a Global economy
ReplyDeleteA case in which I have been challenged by technology in my field of work was when I made the transition from a 5th grade teacher to a guidance counselor. The challenge that I faced was to use the districts data system, PowerSchool. The transition took place in October without formal training of PowerSchool. I had to learn how to access information, create schedules, review transcripts, and learn how to access students’ demographic information. In addition, to learning how to utilize the system I also had to adapt to a new climate, the high school culture as well as the department’s culture. As a classroom teacher I had limited access to the use of data, using it only to access or input grades for progress reports, report cards, and attendance.
Imagine after spending 15 years in the same classroom and I give up the sense of security due to tenure in an unsettling economy. The emotions ranged from anxious, excitement and fear. On the very first day all these emotions disappeared because I had to roll up my sleeves and get to work. My day began with unannounced meetings with students, answering phone calls from irate parents, high demand and high expectations from administrators.
The district provided a mentor whom was overwhelmed with her caseload, meaning very little assistance to me. We all scrambled to perform our duties at the beginning of the school year dealing with an inaccurate master schedule. I quickly met another colleague whom was more willing to help, stayed late to teach me the basics and essentials of PowerSchool. There is no substitute for spending time to learn and sharpen the necessary tools to assist students, families, and administrators. In addition I would pray and meditate for the first five minutes of everyday to have a sense of focus. Very quickly I set goals for myself and a focus, which was the graduating class, making sure the seniors’ transcripts were accurate; making sure that I made the connection with my students. I successfully completed two years probationary period and I was appointed to tenure this year.
Congratulations!, I can relate with the anxiety of perform well in the schools and have this challenge to learn ASAP a new system. I am glad the you received peer assistance! Sometimes the help comes from unexpected places, when we are determined to do a good work
DeleteUpon reviewing various online journals focusing on problems associated with leadership and technology, I came upon one story that expressed the writer’s frustration with the lack of technology available in his school. The writer went on to describe the steps he took in order to obtain a grant that would be utilized to increase the amount and use of technology in his school. However, in order to successfully implement and foster a technology “paradigm shift” in his building, it is imperative that the writer collaborates with his colleagues in order to create a vision and timeline focusing on the implementation process.
ReplyDeleteAs author Stephen Covey states, “To motivate people to peak performance, we first must find the areas where organizational needs and goals overlap individual needs, goals, and capabilities.” Once these areas have been identified, like the technological needs in the writer’s school, win-win agreements can be established among all stakeholders. One of the first steps I would advise the writer to take would be to set up a win-win agreement with his staff. This agreement would represent a clear mutual understanding and commitment regarding expectations in four areas: first, desired results; second, guidelines; third, resources; fourth, accountability.
The concept behind the win-win agreement is to clarify expectations and to establish a mutual commitment and shared vision between the leader and his or her staff to achieve desired results. Due to the fact that the writer is seeking to implement a technology program into a school that previously had limited access to technology, I think an essential component to establishing a win-win agreement would be to clearly state his expectations in regards to technology use with all stakeholders involved. However, in order to accomplish this arduous task, he would first have to specify the desired results and then allow his staff to have a voice in determining the best methods and means needed to achieve these results. By doing this, he would allow his staff to have a voice in their own professional growth and they would gain a sense of ownership and empowerment with regards to their growth and understanding of advanced technology methods, programs, and strategies for usage in the classroom.
After establishing a shared understanding of the desired results and guidelines needed to implement a new technology program in his school, I would advise the writer to communicate with his staff to determine what methods and practices would best suit their purpose, and they could effectively institute a program that would help them create an environment that draws upon the power of a shared vision of continuous development. Surveys would also act as a powerful resource in determining where the staff thought as a whole they needed professional development focusing on technology, and by what means they could address these deficiencies. Through the process of setting up a win-win agreement, the writer would tap into the creative energies of my most valuable resource-the professionals in his building.
Within the walls of most schools, lying dormant in a lot of cases is the human potential to create a powerful and worthwhile professional learning environment based on the shared expertise of experienced teachers. One of the first things I would advise the writer to do would be to seek out his thoroughbred teachers and encourage them to lead professional development sessions based on areas that fall within their spectrum of knowledge. By empowering these teacher leaders to take the initiative and share their knowledge, he would add an essential component to his professional development program-peer to peer sharing. Through the process of encouraging collegial discourse and peer sharing, he would facilitate processes that would ensure that existing resources were being used to support the school vision and desired goals.
Tom, I first heard the word win-win 20 years ago, I kept it in my vocabulary ever since. Good advice. It is not always easy to get people to collaborate. But this approach will help a lot. Empowerment is also important as you mentioned it. You provided very good information.
ReplyDeleteLucianna
ReplyDeleteIn my experience as an educational administrator, I have found the implementing of technology to be highly beneficial. I do however recall a time when I did loathe the program "blackboard". As a student, I had difficulty with utilizing the links to provide and access documents. This made it difficult to navigate the site. As a administrator, I realized that in order to be a more effective leader and administrator, I needed to learn how to use the platform and expose students to it as well.
Upon entering my field as an administrator, I wanted to use the platform blackboard to go paperless. I had difficulty creating anonymity between undergraduate and graduate students through the discussion board tool. I was not aware how to accomplish this. In order to cope with this dilemma, I reached out to the educational technology department and asked for help. They worked with me step by step and helped me taylor the site to my needs. I am happy to announce that te program will be going paperless!
I empathize with Karen’s story. I too am constantly trying to become more familiar with new technology. It is such a great tool to have in the classroom as well as out. It allows leaders to become adaptable and efficient. When it comes to learning and implementing new technology, it is the school district’s or higher administration’s responsibility to provide professional development. They cannot simply give a problem and offer no solution. I understand that this is not always case. When this occurs, I look to do research on the product myself. Often times there are useful tutorials found on the product’s website, you tube is also a great resource, and most of all fellow colleagues can sometimes help. I think in order to prove ourselves to be leaders we must take initiative.
ReplyDeleteIn my capacity as a Union Representative, I led the opposition against POWER SCHOOL in my school when the district started to implement its mandatory use. Just when my colleagues et I, started to master SASI and got comfortable with using it, the district decided to replace it by an entirely brand new computerized system, more sophisticated and more comprehensive than its predecessor: POWER SCHOOL. I was very reluctant to explore this unknown territory. A simple glimpse at POWER SCHOOL communicated to me how complicated it was. I was hence convinced that this shift was unnecessary and inopportune. Eventually, my colleagues and I learned POWER SCHOOL and I use it daily for various functions including: posting lesson plans, contacting parents, taking attendance, recording and reporting grades, communicating quickly with another faculty member in the district or in the school. It became to me personally an indispensable tool that I now use with great pleasure. I realized and accepted the fact that technology changes rapidly, is here to stay and has become an integral part of our students’ live. As an aspiring leader and as a doctoral candidate I quickly realize that a strong knowledge in technology is a sine qua non for success not only for school leaders, but for teachers as well.
ReplyDeletehttp://riazeducation.yolasite.com
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not in a leadership role, as a teacher I have been challenged by technology. A few years ago, the challenge was a lack of technology resources. I would find great animations or videos to explain a certain concept, but I had no way of showing it to my classes. Then the challenge became that some of the classrooms I taught in were getting new technologies faster than other rooms, so I felt as if certain classes had an advantage over others. The new issue now that most classrooms have some form of new technology is that they do not always work properly. I deal with this by continuing to use it as much as possible and educate myself on how it works. We do receive training occasionally throughout the year, and I always make sure I am prepared with questions and concerns. I always try to remember that even if something does not work as planned, we are in a better position than a few years ago when we did not even have the option to use it at all.
ReplyDelete....technology.....hmmmm?
ReplyDeletethis is really an ongoing issue in both my classroom and my school! Wait, we are supposed to have computers in our classrooms? and technology? what a foreign idea to have in schools. As of last year I had 4 computers (3 worked) and now I have been stripped down to only 2 working computers (others were taken when a student thrashed computers in another classroom). I have been fighting to get more technology, yet it does not show. i actively use Donorschoose.org....SHAMEFUL PLUG http://www.donorschoose.org/mr.haas (where you can donate and help me and my kids). but unfortunately i have yet to get classroom technology (lcd projector, projector screen, iPad, etc) with funded projects. But I have yet to give up. I will fight on until my kids have the best because I have a wealth of knowledge to apply to this. Please though, if you have time, check out my page and spread my word. I know it is a shameful plug, but i got to do what I got to do! Enjoy!
http://www.donorschoose.org/mr.haas
One of the biggest technological struggles that I struggle with as an educator (and probably most educators, for that matter!) are cell phones in school. Our school allows students to have phones with them in school, which makes it difficult to control since there are no repercussions to having them out during class. However, I was able to take these devices and turn them into something that I could work with.
ReplyDeleteWhat I did to attempt to overcome this hurdle was use a website, www.polleverywhere.com. This site allows people to create online polls that anyone can text a response to. What I did was constructed a review game that allowed students to text in their multiple choice answers to the site and use that data to see what percentage of the class was getting these problems correct. It was a great success with my kids and they all loved it!
My greatest challenge with technology has been staying abreast with the evolution. Technology changes so fast and affects our lives so much that it a challenge to keep apace with it. Often my solution to this challenge by listening carefully to what these tech savants have to say. I befriend the all members of the tech support team at work. They are wealth of knowledge. Also training on-site, web-based, online tutorials and web Casts give me insight on the latest. It is important that I remain up to date so that I can teach my students.
ReplyDeleteOne can argue that the pendulum has swung too far. Technological change has made many of us too available and, in the push for mobility and around-the-clock access, adequate boundaries haven’t been put in place.Just how contactable and 24/7 can we be before we’re too enslaved by our own freedom? The 24 hour access poses a real problem. It is a challenge and I am not sure of the solution.
I still remember the first day of my teaching at my university as a lecture in the department of Education. The course was Educational Psychology at MA level. I had my laptop with me. After the introduction part, I had planned to share the course outline with the students on multimedia. I plugged in the multimedia cable but the multimedia didn’t work. I took out the cable and closely observed that the cable pins were broken. The students told me that nobody uses the multimedia during the class. I was surprised to know that none of the faculty in the department of education was using the multimedia. I was told that the cable of the multimedia had been broken for the last many months and nobody inquired. Luckily, I had a hard copy of the course outline and the assignments as a second plan. I used the blackboard as a teaching aid in that class instead. After the class I went to the Head of the Department (HoD) and shard the issue. He directed me to the IT Engineering Department. I called on phone but nobody was in the office. As there is a strict bureaucratic structure so I again talked to the Head of the Department and he said the problem will be resolved. It took a whole week to get the cable replaced. There were no computers in the classrooms so I requested my HoD again to place a computer in the classroom. He refused the request because it was not safe to leave the computer in classroom—it could be stolen. Anyways I managed my classes by using my personal laptop. While teaching theories of Child Development in one of the courses to the undergrad level, I showed some video clips which made my lesson very lively and the students enjoyed that class. They performed well in their written assignments and classroom discussions. Now many of our faculty use technology in the classroom but still we don’t have computers.
ReplyDeleteFor the last one year, I am a doctoral student at Dowling College. During this time, I have been using technology to prepare my assignments, to make presentations and to develop networks. I have improved my technological skills a lot and I am sure I will be able to implement whatever I have learnt here and that will surely make learning more fun for my students. However, I will be facing so many challenges while using technology. For example, many times the social media (YouTube, twitter, Facebook and several other sites) are blocked by the IT Department because they assume that students and the faculty waste their time on social media. The first thing that I will be doing when I will go back is to share the ideas and ways to integrate the technology in the classroom teaching. Once I develop network (monster mesh) I will prepare a presentation for the Head of departments and will present it in the faculty meeting where I will convince my colleagues to support not to block the social media in the university. So that the faculty could get benefits from it and they could broaden their vision about learning.
Another key challenge is that most of the students don’t have computers at home so the majority of the undergrads and graduate students are computer illiterate. Although the university offers “introduction to computers” as a course in their first semester but it doesn't improve their computer skills. The faculty also keeps in mind this challenge while using technology in the classroom. Despite of all these challenges nobody can ignore the importance of technology. By considering the limited access to the technology, still it is my aim to bring an awareness that the use of technology is to achieve maximum learning outcomes.
very true Zara!
DeleteIn 2009-2010 I was working in Institute of Educational Technology Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad. The director assigned me a task to organize the educational programs developed in the institution. By organizing he meant to make a database and to make them available online. The programs were in audio and video format on different storage media like cassettes, VHS, CD, and DVDs. The programs were also of various types like lectures, discussion, documentary, and simulations, covering various subject areas like mathematics, Islamic studies, languages, natural and social sciences, and psychology. The data base part was very difficult for me. There was a web developer and an office assistant in my team. The web developer was expert of his own field. The office assistant was very enthusiastic but didn’t know the data base development. I arranged some training session, requesting my friend who was expert in data base development. Me and office assistant attended the training sessions and were able to accomplish the task. We make the data base of all the programs and linked it with the institute’s website.
ReplyDeleteTechnology oriented tasks are well performed through team work. Technological development is a continuous process. New hardware and software are continuously thrown into the market. Continuous training programs for employees to increase productivity are necessary.
My biggest issue with technology or challenge with technology is that we have so much technology but very few people know how to truly effectively use the technology. The best example of this is in our schools today. Teachers believe the use of technology is playing a video on their smartboard. How do we effectively get educators to utilize technology for the best interest of their students? I tend to use technology to enhance the learning process and allow my students to teach me how to effectively use the technology to help them.
ReplyDeleteI am agreed with your view. The use of technologies in teaching and learning process requires careful planning and use of right technologies for the desirable outcome.
DeleteIn the modern world, the faculty members of any university are striving constantly for generating new knowledge in order to make universities as ‘Think Tank’ for the society. In 2011 I had felt that most of faculty members in faculty of Arts in University of Karachi were unable to produce desirable outcome due to handling of quantitative data in writing research papers. I have learnt from my professional links that very few teachers in faculty of science had expertise in SPSS.
ReplyDeleteAlong with other faculty members of my department we approached to hierarchy and put this concern for solution. We proposed for the short training program for the teacher. In this training program SPSS and skills were provided to the teachers. At the end of the day an association had been formed. This association provided a mechanism for faculty members for constant support for SPSS particularly to deal with statistical data in the research process.
(Muhammad Asim)
Personally, I didn't have any big challenge from technology. But I had little issues dealing with new gadgets and software. Since I have a keen interest to know new technology so I go after it and do not relax until I learn its use. In my organization, we had to take online attendance of students every day so when this software was launched by IT department it has some flaws in it. Sometime, students names didn't appear on it and sometime dropout student would appear on the list. Since, It was a built-in issue so with the help of IT officials in my organization we were able to solve this problem.
ReplyDeleteI like to play with new software and technological tools. I remember, when I started using computer I didn’t know how to reinstall operating systems and how to fix any hardware problem. Anyhow, I learned it and within no time I was able to fix all software and hardware problems in my computer. Technology is getting advance day by day and we have to chase it. The best of to learn it is to practice it. Practicing it can make you updated with its knowledge and use. In this global world technology is accessible and cheap in every corner of the world.
Good suggestions Hamid!
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ReplyDeleteAs a Student Affairs administrator at a large university, I must effectively market the programs and services my department offers the university community. Using the Internet and social media have helped to increase my office’s visibility and its ability to respond to the changing needs of our student. In addition to hosting a departmental website, we use email, listservs, Facebook, Twitter, and student club portals to communicate with the student body and campus departments. In addition, my department networks with other offices so that our information is included in their communication. I dealt with this situation by engaging my staff in creating and implementing a marketing plan which includes campus outreach, assessment and continuous improvement.
ReplyDeleteCoordinating and managing the use of technology is essential for today’s leaders. It is a multifaceted and complex process that impacts organizational functions and the role of staff. Although this situation called for my leadership in the use of technology, I do not consider the approach to be an altogether different kind of leadership. Based upon this experience, I agree with the author that “eleadership” should not be considered as a different type of leadership.
Technology has challenged me many times. But the greatest technological challenge that became a memorable event was the loss of my final thesis data. There were only two days left to submit my final thesis while I was pursuing a M.Ed. degree from Notre Dame Institute of Education. It was 1998, I was using a Floppy Disk in my computer and suddenly I lost data due to any virus. Luckily I had prints of the previous work with my professor’s comment, so I was able to rewrite the entire thesis within two days. Since then, I always keep a backup of the important data in two three sources, so that I could not ever face the same situation again. My next biggest challenge is lack of technical knowledge. In the university where I work, again I lost my desk top data. The computer was sent for repair. It took three months to repair the computer, but my data was lost. I had been using USB frequently, so I could not figure out how much I lost as there were some records in USB. I came across a technological challenge with my computer at Dowling College as well. My laptop stopped working due to virus and I had to send the computer for repair. Upon receipt of the computer, I got a long list of the tests that had been done with my computer and the problem that was identified was the battery failure. But when I tried to open the computer with the same password, it did not work. Then I had to send the computer to IBM and they were unable to open the computer even. I wonder, all those tests they carried out were just a formality to satisfy the customer or they really did the tests with my computer?. It took 10 days for IBM to get my consent to change the hard drive. I was telling them, if you have carried out all those tests, why not it’s working now, but they were unable to open it. Finally, I had to tell them to change the hard drive, but to send the previous hard drive back to me. I was told that I should pay around $300s to get the hard drive back with the new one, so I was unable to get the hard drive back as I did not want to pay that much amount of money. All these experiences gave me a lesson, to learn some technical skills of technology. From one aspect, we help people in organizations to learn technology skills and its usage but technical skills are equally important to address such challenges. Pop ups are another problem and they irritate me a lot while working on my computer. If anybody has the solution of stopping pop ups please suggest me. Further more, please do not forget to have the backup of important data every time!
ReplyDeleteA Technological challenge at workstation
ReplyDeleteIn educational training projects, technological tools help us for improving school management, classroom management, writing material, evaluating of training, and finical management. Sometimes educators face challenges because of unreliability of technological tools at workplace. I faced a big challenge when I was working as District Focal Person in District Gwadar, Pakistan.
In 2004, USAID Program chief of party, Dr. Richard assigned me a component of ESRA (Education Sector Reform Assistance) project and appointed me “District Focal Person” in the district Gwadar for three years where I conducted the cluster based training of three hundred and fifty teachers in the areas pedagogy and contents of elementary school curriculum.
In the project, it was the common practice that the account officer of USAID used to send money online bank accounts because this process was safe and accountable. After completion of the first cycle of training, I had to pay traveling and daily allowance of 350 teachers. On that day, there was problem in the computer software of the bank in which I had the online account. All teachers needed money because they had to move in their home town. Technical persons of bank staff tried their best to solve the problem but vain. I had no money but teachers were yelling and demanding money at spot. I was confused and did not know what I could do. I went way for a while from crowd and started thinking about the possible solutions of the problem.
I conceived three possible solutions for the problem. The first solution was to give one day more stay to teachers in hotels and arranged food for them. I calculated the amount and that was about $1500. Moreover, I had to pay one day additional daily allowance to each teacher. This plan was not feasible. I thought another plan. The second plan was to take money on one day loan. I contacted to five loan givers. One of them agreed to give me loan. He said, “I will charge 10% interest for one month but there is no differences either you take this money for one day or one month.” I calculated the 10% interest rate that was not affordable. That plan was also not applicable. I thought about the other plan. In the third plan, I purchased a new checkbook from bank and wrote cross checks for the 350 teachers. I purchased bus tickets on loan and promised with Bus Company owner that I would pay you money within a week. He agreed upon it. This plan was the smart plan for the solution of the problem. I handed over the cross checks and tickets to all teachers and boarded them on bus.
In conclusion, Technology accelerates our work in educational training projects and other fields but sometime it is not hundred percent reliable tools. I suggest that along with Technological tools use in educational projects for the school improvement, in the classroom practice, evaluation of training, we should have second plan in case of failure of technological tools.
I find it disappointing that decade after decade, educational leaders keep making the same mistake. I remember the late 80's & early 90"s when desktop computers were simply placed into teachers classrooms where they sat, untouched. The teachers didn't know how to use them, and weren't given the professional development necessary - in advance. In the 00's, the same happened with smartboards. Many school districts are still trudging forward in their attempt to put a smartboard in every classroom. The problem, whether the teacher uses a blackboard, overhead projector, or smartboard, is that the STUDENTS aren't the primary users. They sit there passively regardless of the technology used. Meanwhile, tablets and handheld devices are being acquired as we progress through the 10's. Many districts are having students share them. Our K-12 students are now digital natives. Almost all have some piece of technology that they have made VERY personal. Most of their devices are as powerful or more so than anything we could provide. As leaders, we need to stop wasting resources buying and servicing our old devices. We can work with companies for deals on equipment and data plans. However, we need to start, right now, training teachers how to innovatively use this stuff to change how they operate. One day in my classroom, I put an exit question on the smartboard from polleverywhere.com. This site allows you to display questions, even entire tests, and the kids can text in answers with their smartphones. Every single kid was shocked when I asked them to take out their devices. Every kid had one! Some didn't have a data plan, but were able to access the school's wifi and answer via email. That's just one small activity that can be used, most importantly, by the students. The point is that as a leader, if you find the above surprising, you have a lot of reading to do. You must immerse yourself in the new research that has been done. Only then will you be ready to lead the charge into the future and its technological innovations.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter side of the story,the problem with the technology and the thoughts of a thinking brain is the same. They keep on changing with every passing day. And we have to cope with it simultaneously. I really have to watch my pace at times, when I am learning about technological advancements and then thinking to use them in my work place. No inhibitions to say and no denials to accept that technology has brought sophistication and speed in our personal and professional lives. I had started to work in relatively a new university in 2004 in Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. The basic infrastructure was there but the technology was rare. we began with one photocopier machine in the whole university. There was no internet connections provided to the departments (only available in the labs)initially. I did not have a direct phone line in my office to make distant calls, i could only use the phone as intercom. There were two multimedias present in the university, one for the Audio Visual hall and one for the students of whole university. we were lacking computers in the lab also. For me that was the biggest challenge to run the department without basic technological aids,and to make students learn without them. I remember a day, i was teaching a course " computers in Education". I took my students to the computer lab where ten computers were available for thirty students. three students had to share one computer during that course.
ReplyDeleteToday the situation in our university is much better. we have many computer labs, departmental lab as well, equipped with multimedias, scanners, fax machines and photocopiers. Students are growing in numbers in my university and so do their interest to learn through new inventions of technology.
As with my couple of years’ experience in the department of special education in Pakistan, I would say that technology can do wonders with the lives of students with special needs. For instance, many computer operating systems have features within their menus that can adapt to various disabilities, such as hearing or visual impairments. There are also some additional soft wares to help with spelling and math. Adaptive equipment available to help special-needs students to access computers include arm and wrist support, mouse alternatives, such as joysticks and roller-balls, overlay keyboards and speech input devices. I’m very impressed with live speech captioning. I have seen its effectiveness while I was conducting a research study on the undergraduate students with hearing impairment. It was a lot more easier for them to comprehend the message which was displayed on the screen when anyone talked.
ReplyDeleteNow the scene in Pakistan for the use of technology to enhance learning of students with special needs, does not show a very bright picture. Though Government is striving to facilitate the students with special needs. In Punjab (one of the largest Province of Pakistan), free hearing aids were provided to all students with hearing impairment in public schools, and many children with hearing impairment had their cochlear implants (A cochlear implant is a relatively new device designed to provide sound information to people with profound hearing impairments through the use of technology). But the heart of the issue is that cochlear implantation demands extremely high cost and needs follow up services for its maintenance. Now just imagine, our government consumed a lot of money on letting kids undergo the surgical procedure for cochlear implantation device but did not have the trained personnel for its follow up (my heart aches at the irony of the situation). Also, it provided the technology of hearing aids but again our schools don’t have the trained audiologists to see the effectiveness of this technology for the students with special needs. In my view, the barriers of inadequate trained personnel inhibit the use of technology in classroom setting. Thus, it is very important for individuals who are involved in policy decision regarding the placement of student with special needs to become familiar with these issues so that through the use of technology we’ll not let disability become inability.
In recent years, many publishers offer Statistics textbooks with a corresponding online homework system. Online homework systems automatically link video tutorials and extra practice problem sets to a professor’s assignments. In my experience, online homework in Statistics offers the professor great homework management but frustrates the student. Online homework in statistics does not have high expectations. Questions to analyze data require a simple T or F student response. Explanations use unfavorable, mathematical “shortcuts” and many topics do not offer video tutorials. Also, the online system uses different mathematical notation than the corresponding textbook and students complain about unsaved work due to a “freeze” in the system. So in disappointment, I rely solely on textbook homework assignments.
ReplyDeleteIn the search for reliable student resources I’ve found iPad and google applications to create my own online study site. The site offers photographs of my worked-out solutions, audio and video lessons, and YouTube and PowerPoint presentations that complement and answer the questions from our Statistic textbook. Homemade things take time but are the best.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteI think it’s great that you actually came up with a pretty good solution to your own problem. I have also found that the on line supplement to text books can be hard to work with. Sometimes it’s just that they are prepared in different styles than what the teacher does, and this alone can frustrate students. I might ask you has it been some time since you reviewed other texts for your course(s)? Newer texts have more up to date technologies, and more options for assignments. If it has been some time since you have done this, maybe it’s something you can look into.
Also, it must be frustrating for even you when texts use different mathematical notations. Didn’t this happen recently to us, with different handouts to a text you were using in statistics? I suppose this could be very frustrating, especially if there are a variety of notations.
In closing, I think the best alternative is to prepare your own assignments. I am sure the students appreciated you doing this for them, as it gives them their assignments in your own style, which is likely to be the format which they are used to. I am sure we can continue this talk tomorrow…
My challenge with technology is constantly trying to keep up, and utilize new advances in my classes. Most recently, I was able to put three short videos (from You-Tube) into my Power Point presentation. And, I don't mean being online, and accessing the address, I mean actually downloading them in to the slide. This was something that had to be done because internet access was not guaranteed in the scheduled location, and I needed to be sure that these videos could be utilized.
ReplyDeleteDespite my success, I still don't feel proficient in the steps that assure this to work every time, so my goal is to do continue to learn the newest advances in educational technology. One aspect that is not discussed is that, in order to keep your students engaged in your topic, you need to be as technologically proficient as they are. This will help with two things: 1. you will have their respect, and 2) you will keep them interested because your are providing them with information in a style that they find exciting and interesting. I hope soon to start getting more involved in distance learning.
AST is formulated as “the production and reproduction of the social systems through members’ use of rules and resources in interaction”. DeSanctis and Poole (1994). It discusses how your perception of the utility of the technology is influenced by your knowledge and experience with it. In essence the interaction you have with the technology will determine the outcome or its usefulness to you. In your case Ken, your knowledge and experience with the technology, knowing the task ahead, the support you received (or not) from your organization when facing any difficulty with the technology impacted the appropriateness of structure demonstrated by your persistence to use the technology. This affected decision processes such as generating new ideas which you did; ultimately influencing your behavior to do something or to do nothing. Notwithstanding this could have gone a few ways; there could be conflict, where you decide to give up the technology and manage the task differently also influencing your behavior. The outcome of your decisions demonstrated commitment, efficiency and ultimately ensured a quality product. The task you were trying to accomplish and your organizations paradigm about the technology through all of this helped determine the outcome or made the interaction favorable. What emerged also impacted social interaction because through all of this a new social structure was brought to light, additional resources you gained and the rules as you applied them; what worked and what didn’t work and how you applied them. All things being equal as a leader you were well aware of the difficulty you may or may not experience using the technology (Sun Tsu says know yourself, know your environment). Prior to you presentation in a different location you took steps to ensure the success by gathering more information and improving the efficacy of the technology and subsequently your efficiency. While it may be time consuming, or may affect your comfort zone, that did not affect your long range plan to invest a little more into the process, your persistence, is what ensured a very good outcome
DeleteLeaders have always faced several challenges in leading their teams and organizations. But it is true competitiveness is stronger every time a new generation arises because the standards grow in quality, convenience and speed. A leader who pertains to remain in the competition should be aware of concepts such as globalization and technology. However, I agree with the article “Technological challenges for Leaders in a global economy” (Morote, 2009) which states that leaders have always dealt with technology. Computers and Internet are not the only explanation of technology. These are only tools a leader uses in order to influence the competitive environment. Although there is the temptation to think we have a new leadership style named eLeader, that would not be totally accurate because it would assume that technological tools are what make one competitive and not the personal ability to innovate and create added value. Regardless the type of technology a leader uses, the goal remains the same: create the best products and services because ideas will still be the most important element in business environments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your summary and interpretation of the article. I too agree that there is no such thing as an eleader. A leader may use technology to motivate employees and improve work processes; however they still need to have the basic leadership skills that are paramount to being an effective leader. Technology should be considered a resource or instrument used to compete in today’s economy. It is more important to focus on the leader’s attitude towards technology than their ability to use it.
DeleteMost leaders today are equipped with technologically competent employees who can guide their development. This may come in the form of a generation or department with technology as their area of expertise. The biggest problems we face are with those leaders that refuse to embrace the technological era and therefore are being left behind. These leaders see technology as a hindrance to the way they normally do things. This way of thinking actually increase the learning curve and frustrates everyone involved.
As you say, Hector, "regardless the type of technology a leader uses, the goal remains the same: create the best products and services because ideas will still be the most important element in business environments". Technology is simply an instrument that if used effectively, allows us to execute or goals and visions more efficiently.
In two different moments I have been challenged by technology in my field of work. First, when the university took the decision to use a LMS platforms LMS (learning management system) for the delivery of classes for undergraduate programs. As a teacher, it was a challenge to understand and learn the educational and practical model for the use of new teaching and learning techniques using a LMS platform. Also for students at the beginning it was a challenge to understand and learn to use the tool for the coursework (although for the students it was an easier and faster adaptation process).
ReplyDeleteAnother moment was when it was decided to implement an ERP (enterprise resource planning) for school and university administration. At that time I was in charge of a department of the university, and the challenge was that I needed to understand and use the new platform, and at the same time to get people on my team to be interested and committed to use the new technology. It was not easy for them or for me, since the platform was complex and needed to be adapted to our operation processes (but we did not want to accept was that our style of work would have to change and reshape as the platform required).
My organization has purchased a Learning Management System (LMS). The LMS is considered a robust system that allows the organization to track learning activity, host e-learning content and deliver third-party content via a single platform.
ReplyDeleteCurrently over 19,000 employees have access to this LMS and are “eagerly” awaiting courses and curricula that are informative, engaging and on-demand. This poses a challenge for the educators as they are accustomed to delivering in-person training or distribution training updates via department memo.
LMS administration is one aspect of my job, and as a result I needed to become competent in authoring tools, instructional design, online media and LMS administration and marketing. In response to this issue I had to actively seek training to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities that I did not possess. By doing this, I was better able to assess the need of the organization and deliver e-learning programs that are relevant to the employees.
The second need is to train the facility educators to adjust to the new way of delivering training. This poses a problem for those that are unwilling to see the benefits of changing the way they work. A leader in this initiative must not only acquire the technical skills needed for this project, but also motivate others to see the benefits of this change and come on board (embrace) the change.
As a leader, new technology is always involved in our role. I have had challenges with a new application system used in my role as a research administrator. In one instance I was the primary point of contact for using the system. This was a learning opportunity because during the implementation there were errors that were discovered that were not identified before. I was charged with the task to seek additional guidance in using the system.
ReplyDeleteWhen new technology is introduced it is important to prepare with training to learn how to use the system. We should recognize that challenges will always arise with technology. However, as a leader, it is important to understand that everyone still may not have the same experience using the system. As a leader, we should be prepared to not only learn the system but also train others if needed. This may have been helpful in my role. Being prepared to train others may have prevented some of the errors that occurred.
Anticipating the challenges of utilizing new technology in our roles will help us become more efficient in our positions. In this era, technology is the center of operation for our environment. As leaders, we should be ready for change in technology at all times. We should also be ready to learn new techniques and new ideas as often as needed. As a leader, our purpose is to provide guidance for others so embracing new technology is essential.
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DeleteNo one can deny the importance of the role that technology plays in the current environment. I think that the use of technology or how advanced the technology used depends on the leadership paradigm, the type of institution and institutional resources. If the decision making leaders do not think it is important to use or even to advance their current technological systems then it will not been done. For example, in nursing or medicine and health care, it is thought that electronic documentation such as the Electronic Health Record (EHR) is meant to ultimately save time and money, by cutting down on duplication of services, enhancing communication between providers and increasing patient safety. The Government has offered incentives for Primary Care Providers to use this system. On the flip side Providers and patients are complaining that more time is spent on the computer documenting rather that with the patient. Many time times, I would spend more time entering information in the computer, then repeating the information back to the client for clarification, very time consuming. Interestingly enough the article states that “The most valuable items in global business today are information and knowledge”, when technology is only as good as the people driving it and people are better at what they do because of the amount of information they have. That particular system has a lot of redundancies and if I am out in the community I may or may not have a signal to log in the system; but it is cheaper to keep her. While it may be okay to want to keep up with the Jones’s to demonstrate how much better or advanced one is at something; the type of company and the current state of the economy may dictate frugality when deciding on whether or not to use the technology or whether to advance the ones already in use. The decision to use technology is made on the amount of resources the institution have (people and financial), timing and ease of use.
DeleteI am a substitute teacher in four school districts. One of the many challenges that I come across is not always having access to technology. Technology has become a big part of education and is utilized by almost every school I work in. I consider my self pretty savvy when it comes to technology, I am familiar with the smart board, computers, iPads, document camera and laptops. It is very frustrating as a teacher to have the technology but not able to use it. In most cases, it means improvising and getting your lessons done without the aid of technology. Today I subbed in a class which was a collaborate. I was the special ed sub and the other teacher was general ed. The general ed teacher taught his lesson from his personal computer, projected on to a white screen. I was really impressed how he turned a boring lesson into a interesting and engaging lesson for the students. The students were able to take notes from the screen as well as listen to his lecture. He used graphics as well as text in his plan. This was just one of many ways technology has become a useful tool in education when used properly. Having technology readily available as a sub is a tool that is useful and engages the students who already believe that having a sub is a free pass to goof off.
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