INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

Click the following link to view instructional videos for the Commissioned Activities Assignment 5 - Ed 5200
ICT Illustrative Examples

Video-Conference With Dr. Bette Gray

I truly appreciated our video-conference today with Dr. Bette Gray.

One observation was that Dr. Gray created a very open and welcoming atmosphere. I think this is an essential skill when you are trying to build trust and respect.  She was curious about our background and she wanted to ensure that she was providing us with a discussion that would be relevant for our learning - I really appreciated this! Dr. Gray’s great sense of humour quickly became apparent when she was addressing some difficult issues and concerns that arose during today’s conference.  Like the other great leaders we have met, Dr. Gray was very open and upfront with us during our discussion. 

I was interested in learning about the policy framework and the process involved in bringing issues to the forefront. We need to be able to frame a problem in a way that people will listen, how problems are defined can be significant for getting your issue heard.  She also advised us to support our issue with research and identify how we might move forward with a logical approach.

Another important point that she discussed today was the  “convergence windows”.  When situations grab the public’s attention there may be an opportunity to bring an issue forward. 

She pointed out that now is a good time to update the policy framework. There may be a policy window as technologies have changed and the Learning Minister is conferring with the public about the direction we are heading with technology in education.

I really appreciated her the point she was making when she said - just because (students) can use the technology, do they have the skills that we want them to have?

Today’s conference was very informative and I think that Dr. Gray was truly interested in what we had to say!

Significant quotes from today:

-        “this isn’t about technology” – how do we link the policy responses to where we need to go. (An unknown principal’s remark when addressing his staff).

-       “one thing leadership does is change culture”  Dr. Bette Gray

Another Powerful Leader

Gary Spence is very inspiring, knowledgeable, and committed to improving student learning. In his role as the Assistant Superintendent he is responsible for technology in the Wolf Creek District. This district has experienced many successes in the IT area.

Many of the key speakers who have identified the importance of providing professional development opportunities for staff.  By acquiring 21st Century skills they can more effectively guide students along their journey of knowledge acquisition. Mentoring through video conferencing is one approach the Wolf Creek District has implemented in order to provide new teachers with a support group and create opportunities for collaboration.

This district has adopted a “backwards design” model for addressing problems. They only implement new technologies if they support the vision, and work properly!  This method ensures that they are not adding "things" just to have something cool. The technology needs to be effective and purposeful.

This district sees the value in hiring qualified people and they pay them competitive wages.  This is very important to ensure that the equipment will work properly for staff and learners.

Today Gary talked about the value of improving communication between home and school with innovative technologies such as the VOIP system. This system has been very valuable because it is easy to use and supports professional collaboration.

Significant Quotes from Gary:

• “Reasonable people given all the information will come to the same conclusion”  This profound statement can be applied to almost any situation! 
• “Mandates don’t work very well because people will dig their heals in”
• "Surround yourself with great people so that you can rely on these people, you cannot know everything yourself!"  
  
• Be transparent in all you do!  Value ideas of others but be able to make difficult decisions when required.  
  

It was very apparent that this division focuses on student learning and values technology as an integral tool. Gary stated that    technology is pervasive in every aspect of learning".

Wolf Creek School District Video Conference

Our guest speaker today was Dr. Larry Jacobs, the Superintendent of the Wolf Creek School District.  Larry’s engaging introduction, a true/false game allowed us to get to know a little about him on a more personal level.  This was a unique way to build rapport quickly and effectively.  It was evident that he has a strong passion and commitment for improving student learning. 

Today Larry discussed the three organizational structures as traditional, a top down approach to leading; flat where people have some input; and Vision Led which was the approach he felt was most effective. This approach allows the people closest to the problems to be involved in both the decision making process, and with implementation of the solutions.  He did note that one disadvantage of the third approach is that it can take a long time to see progress and success.

Larry stressed that having a “mission is the core, central purpose and we must have this in order to move forward.  When decisions are based on the mission statement they are very easy to defend if everyone has been brought in.” I think this was a significant point!  I also agreed with his comment that people will dismiss a mission statement if it doesn’t lead to something happening.

Both Superintendents adopted a visionary model and stressed the significance and value of hearing the voice of not only the principals, but also students and teachers during the decision making process.  I think people appreciate this and may work harder to achieve goals when they feel the goals are relevant.  Collaboration is a reoccurring theme in both the articles and in the presentations.

In today’s presentation Larry did not directly outline IT education as a focus however he stressed that to improve learning, his primary goal, technology must be woven into the fabric of the curriculum.  Larry also spoke about the importance of supporting teachers by providing embedded PD so they are more effectively using technology for learning.  He talked about the mission statement “learners of a lifetime” and modeled this philosophy today when he used video conferencing for the first time to communicate with us.

Reflections From John's Presentation

Today John identified seven key components that where critical factors for IT success in his school district.  My group identified these as:

1)   A need for equity in schools

2)   Creating a centralized systemic approach

3)   Providing competitive wages for experienced technicians - retain talent

4)   Collaboration of key stakeholders - creation of a unified vision

5)   Long-term planning for sustainability - proposal writing

6)   Teacher buy-in

7)   Selecting the right people for the job

Barry and Don certainly parroted the last idea that surrounding oneself with talented and passionate people is essential in IT innovation. The overarching theme that continues to surface in all of the readings and presentations is that a strong vision, based on information gained by a collegial group of stake holders can provide direction and clarity.  This vision is crucial for bringing people on board at all levels.  

 All of the effective IT leaders who have spoken with us share common personality traits.  They are humble, charismatic and very passionate.  Fullan’s (2001) identifies these as essential leadership characteristics.

Barry's Effective IT Leadership

I can see a parallel between Barry’s successes in his school district and the indicators of success as outlined in the ISTE NETS FOR ADMINISTRATORS. Barry’s collaborative approach to decision making fostered relationships within the community, built trust and created avenues for on-going communication. His strong passion for relationship building and the positive results this networking can achieve are echoed in Fullan’s (2001) work as well.

Barry demonstrated a passion and commitment for improving student learning by providing consistency for equitable access to technology for all students. His work involved three key corner stones: 21 rst century learning, differentiated instruction, and assessment for learning,

I think Barry’s humility, his strong commitment for collaboration, and his honest approach allowed him to foster essential relationships and gain trust resulting in great successes in IT in his district. By posing the initial question “how do we determine where to go?” he was able to create an open dialogue among important stakeholders (community members, parents, administration, staff and students) bringing people on board at a grassroots level.  The information gathered by the Advisory Committee provided direction and substance for funding proposals, and brought validity and a sense of urgency to the for-front.  Purposeful planning for current and future technology issues allowed them to be efficient with their budget and has been very effective. This work will have long-term sustainability and through common PD opportunities staff will have the opportunity to develop the necessary skills so this equipment will actually be used for its intended purpose to improve student learning.

Effective IT Leader

The Characteristics and Outcomes of an Effective IT Leader

When reflecting on the many characteristics and skills required for a leader to be effective, I thought of Angela, a Grade One teacher who has inspired several of her colleagues with her passion and commitment. Angela is an experienced teacher who is well respected for her professionalism and her knowledge of the curriculum. She has a vision of having students achieve their own level of excellence through embedding technology as a teaching and learning tool. She has forged the way in exploring and implementing best practices related to curriculum and technology. Angela has been an effective IT leader by conducting Professional Development sessions on exploring and integrating various software programs, taking on a facilitator role during Professional Learning Community meetings, and providing ongoing support for her colleagues when they were planning for, and using technology.  

In the CIO CANADA article, Carey (2005) discussed some of the shared essential qualities which effective leaders possess stating that passion is an essential trait. “If passion is an essential leadership trait, then coupled closely with it must be prudence and practicality” (p. 6). Angela’s passion and commitment for using technology has indeed moved learning forward and due to her influence, teachers are now feeling more confident to step outside their comfort zone and change their teaching practices. She brings the element of practicality forward by helping teachers make essential curricular connections. Additionally, she motivates others and assists and supports teachers with developing the skills necessary to help students experience greater success through using technology as a learning tool.

Fullan (2001) discusses complications that arise when trying to bring about change. He states “that transformation would not be possible without accompanying messiness” (p. 31). Angela has set such a wonderful example for her colleagues by persevering through the messiness that can occur when using technology with young children. As teachers struggled with the challenge of learning new software programs, she assisted with problem solving, and provided ongoing feedback and instruction. With this support, her colleagues persevered through the many setbacks that arose including equipment, server or software issues. These setbacks could have given the striving teachers an excuse to use more traditional, but less rewarding methods and mediums.

Understanding the benefit of incorporating technology into one’s own teaching practice, and developing the skills to use the software/hardware, is a big challenge for teachers. Fullan (2001) states “effectiveness depends on developing internal commitment in which the ideas and intrinsic motivation of the vast majority of organizational members become activated” (p. 46). Angela has inspired and supported her colleagues to persevere through these challenges in order to experience success personally and professionally. When participating in learning projects that incorporated technology, teachers observed increased student engagement and improved critical thinking, problem solving and analytical skills. As a result, teachers became intrinsically motivated and demonstrated an increased commitment for expanding their repertoire of skills.

Angela is a leader who has vision, passion and commitment. She clearly explains her goals and challenges others to persevere through discomfort and dissonance to effect change and achieve success. 

 References

 Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Wiley & Sons.

Carey, D. (2005). Some Reflections on Leadership. CIO Canada. November 13(11) p. 6.