Strategic Leadership of ICT

e Maturity Continuum

Why?• But, before we look at the role of strategic

leadership in leading such change, we should remind ourselves about the why ……….

A Vision of Students Today

The Impact of Technology“Technology will transform culture in ways we cannot predict. Our students live in a different world to us. Some consider that digital technology is the biggest generation divider since rock and roll. The generation that downloads 2 billion ring tones every year, 2 billion songs every month, and 6 billion text messages every day, learns through instant messaging and chat, and through blogs. They exchange peer to peer, they learn from Wikipedia and YouTube, they meet in Second Life and they game online in multi-player games, and on their cell phones.” (Marc Prensky)

Marc Prensky: “Don’t Bother Me Now, I’m Learning” Published 2007

21st Century Learners Need ■ Literacy and numeracy skills

■ Developing emotional stability, resilience and confidence

■ Assisting a diversity of cultures to come together

■ Preparing for changes of career and employment

■ Technology

■ Social skills

■ Life-long learning

21st Century Schools Will Provide

From Apple Schools of Tomorrow

English Science Maths Social Sciences

Languages Arts Technology Health & PE

word processing tools to draft and edit

publishing and presentation tools

digital video equipment and editing software

BookChats Online

publishing e.g. BarbWired, Writers’ Window

Online competitions e.g. BookBusters Quiz

data logging systems - tools for data capture, processing and interpretation

databases and spreadsheets, graphing tools,

modelling environments

simulations of processes and virtual experiments

digital microscopes

spreadsheets

specialist software for maths concepts

graphic calculators

multimedia animations and interactives

databases GIS Virtual field

trips Living

Heritage

computer mediated communication (online discussions, epals, blogs etc)

specialist language software

tutorial software (Hot Potatoes, Quia.com)

specialist music, art and design software

digital photos and images

specialist graphics and design software

digital photos

digital video equipment and software for sports analysis

multimedia animations and simulations

Cross Curricula Internet research publishing and presentation tools multimedia presentation tools digital photos and video computer projection technology e-portfolios Online quizzes (Hot Potatoes, Quia.com)

Virtual field trips WebQuests Telecollaborative projects Videoconferencing Online discussion / chat Blogs (reflective journals) Wikis (class/group representation of learning)

ICT Curriculum Matrix

Attributes of Effective ICT Leadership

“ It is important for the school principals to lead not just support the integration of ICT into

teaching and learning”

(Kathryn Moyle 2006Voices from the Profession)

The Research Base for What Follows

• Leadspace ICT Leadership (NZ)

• Becta: Leadership and Management section (UK)

• These sites also provide tools and templates to assist in needs analysis and planning

Effective Leadership Best Evidence Synthesis

Identified five dimensions that are important if leadership is to impact on student outcomes:-

Establishing goals and expectations Strategic resourcing Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching

and the curriculum Promoting and participating in teacher learning

and development Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment

Robinson 2008: Keynote to ICSEI conference

Effective leadership

“ Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”

(Warren G. Bennis)

But School Leaders Aren’t the Only Strategic Players

School leaders are crucial in leading and enabling change but, like their teachers, they too need to be working in an enabling environment in which central agencies:

• Support infrastructural developments• Make bulk purchases on behalf of schools• Coordinate and rationalise initiatives• Minimise policy shifts

Planning for ICT development

School Annual plan

ICT Action Plan

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

School mission vision and goals

Strategic objectives and timelines

The Fridge-Freezer Analogy

• What we store in the home freezer is what we intend to use over a long period of time - it is like a strategic plan

• What we store in the fridge is for more our more immediate use – it is like an annual or action plan

Questions Informing Strategic Planning

■ What is working well in the school?■ How do we know?■ What do we need to improve? ■ How do we know?■ Have we got a clear vision for the future?■ Is that vision focused on student achievement and

engagement?■ Is our decision-making effective?■ What do our stakeholders (parents, students,

teachers) think about the state of the school?

The Scope of the Task

Strategic planning is not about just “producing a strategic plan”. It involves data collection and analysis, findings from self-review processes, including appraisals, and responsible decision

making.

Where do we begin?

Find out what is going on in the school now.

■What is working well and needs to be maintained/sustained?

■What can be improved?

■What needs to be changed?

Possible Sources of Evidence:

■ Student achievement data

■ Student attendance data

■ Demographic data – ethnic trends, numbers in each year group, roll growth trends etc

■ Financial, technical and property reports

■ Surveys, interviews teachers

■ Research and best practice literature, visits to schools to observe innovative practice etc

■ Consultation documents e.g. surveys of parents and students, meeting reports etc

■ External consultant reports

Affirm or Re-Develop Your Vision

The Vision paints a word picture of the desired future state of the school

A Sample Vision

■ Our schools are leaders in researching and developing best and emerging practice in:-o Teaching and learning through technology. We have a responsibility to

act as a catalyst for change disseminating our expertise to the wider educational community;

o With professionalism that enables other schools to follow our leado We represent the practical application of innovative teaching and

learning theorieso Enhanced by ICT and we will deliver and channel the wider

educational outcomes of educational reform objectives.

From one School’s Vision Statement

“The school aims at providing outstanding learning to prepare generations capable of taking advantage of successful

opportunity through the development of their knowledge and their capabilities. The school also aims at unveiling students'

creativity, enhancing their self confidence and spirit and directing their inclinations in the right direction to serve their

society and country through an educational system and qualified teachers, along with effective societal participation”.

Using Evidence for Planning

1. Collect and interpret data: eg data shows computer use is largely restricted to completion of worksheets

2. Define the strategic issue: eg student achievement and engagement

3. Write a strategic goal: eg at Grade 8, Project based learning will be trialed with computers as a key learning tool

4. Define strategic actions: eg develop an action plan which includes outcomes, actions, responsibilities, time-frames resources needed etc

5. Determine how actions will be monitored/reviewed/ evaluated

Effective leadership

“ Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”

(Warren G. Bennis)

Strategic GoalsStrategic goals encapsulate priorities for achieving your vision for the school.

They are:

■ medium to long-term statements of intent – typically 3 to 5 years

■ set in the areas the board has identified as priorities for improvement and/or change, as determined by the evidence that has been gathered.

‘S-M-A-R-T’ Goals

■ Specific

■ Measurable

■ Achievable

■ Realisitic

■ Able to be achieved within the Timeframe

Some of the Strategic Goals From One School

• To enhance the learning environment with an international outlook that develops knowledge and tolerance for the differences among cultures

• To provide an academic challenge to the more able student, while providing appropriately designed instruction, such as individual and small group tutoring, taped instructional materials, extra time for the completion of assignments or tests, etc., for those students with learning difficulties or other special health or intellectual needs

• To promote effective teaching through a comprehensive staff development program

• To promote involvement of parents and the community with all that is relevant regarding performance of duties to improve the school performance on the part of those in charge.

Possible ICT Strategic Goals

• To institute a school-wide Managed Learning Environment which enables teachers and students to store and share digital resources and collaborate in learning and teaching

• To evaluate current technical infrastructure to inform a 5 year infrastructure development

• To plan for learning and teaching approaches which – personalise learning– encourage informed choices of appropriate ICTs– include creation of a digital products for a real-world audiences

Translating these into Reality: Implementation/Action Planning

■ Leaders must be involved in this process but the coordination should be devolved

■ Those most affected by planning must be part of that planning or represented in the planning process

■ Planning must involve all parties - leaders, technical and academic personnel

■ There must be a chance for internal critique and feedback if there is to be buy-in/ownership

■ The format is less important than the process, but it should include accountability and sustainability mechanisms, for example:

■ One school’s plan

The Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native

“ Today, when a student is motivated to learn something, they have the tools to go further in

their learning than ever before – far beyond their teachers’ ability and knowledge, and far beyond what even adults could have done in

the past.”

(Mark Prensky 2004)

Teacher Must Drive Their Own Development

• Teachers world-wide are suffering from innovation fatigue

• If they are not in control of their own professional learning then the response will be this.

Professional learning– 7 key elements cont…

• Extended time for opportunities to learn was necessary but not sufficient• External expertise was typically necessary but not sufficient• Teachers’ engagement in learning at some point was more important than

initial volunteering• Prevailing discourses challenged• Opportunities to participate in a professional community of practice were

more important than place• Consistency with wider trends in policy and research• And Number 7?

Active School Leadership

Leaders whose actions impacted on student learning:

• actively organised a supportive environment• focused on developing a learning culture within the school

and were learners along with the teachers• provided alternative visions and targets for student outcomes

and monitored whether these were met• created the conditions for distributing leadership by

developing the leadership of others.Timperly et al (2008) Teacher Professional Development and Learning Best Evidence Synthesis

What professional learning might look like in action

• Let’s return to one school’s plan

In Summary

• Leaders are central to any change• Leaders grow leaders • Without a vision you won’t know your direction so are likely to get lost• Leadership is about enabling, supporting and modelling change• Planning and review are critical• Planning can’t be done to people – if real change is wanted, participant

involvement is fundamental• Superficial change is easy; real change takes time and pain.