MODULE ONE
Teacher Leadership
Teacher
leadership is both "superior" and "referent" power, as defined by French and Raven (1960). It happens when teachers use the skills and abilities they have, and those
leadership qualities they have developed in life and in their job through the years, to mentor, help and guide the
teachers around them. Teachers are part of a team, and each team member has
strengths that should be utilized for the greater good of the students, the
community and the school.
At
the school I currently work at, there are several examples of teacher
leadership. There are a variety of
extra-curricular positions that are filled by teachers, such as webmaster,
network administrator, new teacher mentor, and team leaders who serve as
administration-teacher liaisons. There are also unpaid positions, such as
faculty senate officers and committee chairpersons, where teachers can utilize
their strengths for the benefit of the staff.
Because of the nature of the world of technology
and how quickly it changes, leadership for meaningful technology integration is
a unique style of leadership. This kind of leader will need to model flexibility and inspire
self-motivation, allow creativity and spontaneity, and recognize opportunities
for growth and change when they present themselves.
The benefits of
teacher leadership for technology are that technology leaders get to do something they love, they get to be the first to learn of new technology tools in their school district,
and they can become a positive instrument for change in their school. If they do their job well, students will be better prepared for their future, teachers will
be more excited about their job and their curriculum, and school districts will
see the importance of the technology leaders in their schools, and support their efforts.
A challenge for technology leaders is that they will often have an
uncooperative audience. Some of the integration strategies they will teach will
require a change in strategy by the teachers, many of whom are set in their ways and want to be left alone to teach the way they always have. Also, if the tools are not taught correctly,
used correctly, or supported consistently, the teachers could become
frustrated, the students could take advantage of their technology access and
make poor choices, and the school and district could end up wasting a lot of
time and money.
Chapter 1
"The Evolving Educational Landscape"
One
of the characteristics I notice in today’s learners is that they “prefer to
network simultaneously with others,” (Jukes, McCain, and Crockett, 2010) whereas
teachers typically want them to work independently before they network. I’ve noticed this recently in my own
classroom, and I changed one of my lessons after I read this chapter. I decided to let my students work together on
a project right from the start. They
planned, talked, argued, worked out the details, figured out their roles, and
collaborated online the whole time. As I
walked around them room, they were having fun and were on task. I think I may have avoided the disconnect
that can come from having them do research and gather information independently
before coming together in their project groups.
When they have to do independent work first, they don’t seem to see the
purpose for the project in the way they do when they’re networking. They aren’t
as driven because they aren’t affecting anyone but themselves. No one is there to push them except me. They understand more of the big picture when
they begin working together.
I
also notice in today’s learners that they “prefer learning that is relevant,
active, instantly useful, and fun,” (Jukes, McCain, and Crockett, 2010). According to the authors, the disconnect
happens when teachers prefer teaching memorization of content. But what exactly is relevant or useful to a
student? Especially a student in middle
school, or the first couple of years of high school? There is a place for the active and fun
classroom environment, but I believe there is also a place for memorization,
practice, and imparting information that students may not see as relevant and
useful to them today, but which will be to them in the future. That’s the expertise we have to bring into
the classroom, deciding when the instantly useful and fun activities are
appropriate, and when they will not accomplish the goal of teaching them what
they need to know.
Chapter 2
"Why Schools Must Change"
The
most important guideline identified by the NASSP, I believe, is “The principal
must provide appropriate professional development time and resources to support
effective classroom implementation of technology.” There is still quite a bit of technology in
classrooms that was introduced several years ago that isn’t being used because
teachers were not adequately trained on it.
There are teachers in classrooms today that still don’t know how to, or
don’t want to use a presentation station.
Usually it’s because they were never familiar enough with the technology
to know how to troubleshoot problems, so they are intimidated by it and quit
using it. The same is true for
interactive whiteboards. Often teachers
are quickly trained to use new technology, tools, and apps, but then have
little or no support afterward. It’s one
thing to learn how to use something in a controlled environment filled with
adults, and quite another to try to use it in the midst of a classroom of young
children or teenagers.
The
other guideline I feel is of greatest importance is “The principals must be
consistent in their decisions and expectations about integrating learning
technology in the school.” With out the
consistent support and attention of the administration, excellent technology
tools can be left unused or underused.
Secondary to adequate training and support, there should be the
expectation of consistent use across grade and subject levels. The only person in the school who can
encourage and ensure consistent use is the principal, who should also be
willing to address problems and obstacles and have a plan in place to remedy
those situations.
