Strategic Change
Change is good, but it's easy to postpone when the immediate task at hand does not require it. There are few jobs more time-consuming than teaching, and things like professional development and learning new technologies often get put on the back burner. It's the classic case of urgent vs. important, as popularized by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
The goal I identified in this module is one that I believe is truly important, even though it might not seem that way to teachers who are addressing a multitude of urgent challenges every day. The flowchart I created here was the first step in what I knew would become a comprehensive professional development plan for getting all teachers in my son's school to create and USE the Google Sites that are available to them and waiting on the back burner.
The goal I identified in this module is one that I believe is truly important, even though it might not seem that way to teachers who are addressing a multitude of urgent challenges every day. The flowchart I created here was the first step in what I knew would become a comprehensive professional development plan for getting all teachers in my son's school to create and USE the Google Sites that are available to them and waiting on the back burner.
Setting Our Sites on Teachers: Using Google Sites
When my son started kindergarten, I visited the school's website in hopes of finding a page for his class. Instead, I discovered that not a single teacher in grades K-4 had a website containing more than a basic daily schedule and "important documents" such as field trip forms and policies.
The school's own website is powered by Google. In fact, according to the district's technology plan for 2013-2015, "During the 2012-2013 school year the district finished migrating all SchoolCenter web sites to Google Sites, thereby eliminating web hosting and maintenance costs."
One of the goals in the district's technology plan is that, "By the beginning of 2014-2015 school year, 100% of our licensed teachers will have an online presence using Schoology, Google Sites or other technology tools that are used to provide multiple opportunities to improve the communication, collaboration and problem solving skills of their students."
So, with all of the infrastructure in place, why hasn't this happened? Google Sites are secure, simple to use, and can save teachers time while opening up a world of possibilities for students. I decided to create a flowchart outlining basic steps that could be taken to overcome obstacles (namely, resistance from teachers) and meet the goal of getting every teacher in my son's school to create and maintain a website for their classes. The principal's participation will be essential in planning training sessions and holding teachers accountable. Other potential participants would be the PTSA and parents and students who are already proficient with Google Sites/Google for Education and would be willing to help teachers get started.
The school's own website is powered by Google. In fact, according to the district's technology plan for 2013-2015, "During the 2012-2013 school year the district finished migrating all SchoolCenter web sites to Google Sites, thereby eliminating web hosting and maintenance costs."
One of the goals in the district's technology plan is that, "By the beginning of 2014-2015 school year, 100% of our licensed teachers will have an online presence using Schoology, Google Sites or other technology tools that are used to provide multiple opportunities to improve the communication, collaboration and problem solving skills of their students."
So, with all of the infrastructure in place, why hasn't this happened? Google Sites are secure, simple to use, and can save teachers time while opening up a world of possibilities for students. I decided to create a flowchart outlining basic steps that could be taken to overcome obstacles (namely, resistance from teachers) and meet the goal of getting every teacher in my son's school to create and maintain a website for their classes. The principal's participation will be essential in planning training sessions and holding teachers accountable. Other potential participants would be the PTSA and parents and students who are already proficient with Google Sites/Google for Education and would be willing to help teachers get started.
From Teacher to Student: My Semi-Strategic Change
A Self-Profile by Kathy Strickland
It is clear to me that I am firmly grounded in the middle tiers of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)* when it comes to understanding and implementing educational technology. This is the story of how I arrived at this point and the plan for how I will prepare myself for the climb to the highest tiers.
How I Got Here
When I first decided to earn my master’s, it was all about me—getting those two or three little letters to add to the end of my name (I wasn’t expecting them to be MET, as I had absolutely no idea at the time what that stood for). I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to study; I just knew it would be something related to K-12 education, as that has been the focus of my career for nearly 10 years—and two years prior to that in what seems like a distant life as a Junior English teacher. That experience and the decade I’ve spent as an editor for an educational publisher has opened my eyes to the challenges facing teachers and students today—challenges that are just starting to get personal again now that my son is in kindergarten.
As I began to build awareness of the higher education opportunities available to me, it became apparent that there is a revolution in educational technology. I was aware of this indirectly through articles in Education Week and stories coming in from the field at my job, but I had not witnessed it or been a part of it. I decided this was my chance, and started to seek more information, moving up to the next step on the CBAM staircase.
Still thinking of myself, I searched for a master’s program that would work for me—my schedule, my goals, my skill set, my interests, my timeline. I had to make a decision and come up with a personal plan. I narrowed it down to a few programs, some of which were accelerated, and talked to a handful of advisors. An advisor at Boise State said something that made an impact on me: Boise’s Master of Educational Technology degree has full-semester classes because “we want our students to actually learn something.” Wasn’t that what I wanted too? I was not seeking a new career, and, although it would be nice to finish before I’m 40, there was no rush. I also liked that I’d be learning how to use technology that would update the print journalism skills that had served me well in the past but would not necessarily cut it in the future. There were classes covering multimedia instruction, web design, digital storytelling, podcasting, graphic design, and more. Yes, I was still thinking about myself and how I could update my portfolio, but now it wasn’t as much about WHAT I wanted as WHY—and how this change would affect me.
Where I Stand
Now more than halfway through the MET program, I am focused less on myself and more on the task at hand (i.e., it). I have learned a lot about management—of my time, of connections, of relationships (including with my husband, who suffers the loss of time with me in the evening), of applications for these skills (mostly potential, but some of which have manifested). My coursework is constantly challenging me to master new technologies and build new skills. I am asked to come up with ways in which these technologies and skills could be applied—but moreover, whether and how these applications would be valuable to students. So, in reaching the middle tiers, my thoughts have begun to shift from myself to the students.
I am now concerned with the consequences what I am learning will have on others. I have never resisted new technology, but I can’t say that I’ve been quick to embrace it. When I was teaching back in 2001, there weren’t many interactive instructional tools available to me (overhead projectors still ruled in our school), but I didn’t seek them out either. I was stuck then in the same middle tiers I find myself now—focused on the tasks at hand: designing lessons, managing the classroom, writing tests, grading papers (a task that I performed even in my dreams).
I asked myself countless times whether teaching was worth it, and honestly can’t believe I decided to hang in there a second year. I made a positive impact on a few students, but I fear my red pen negatively impacted many more. Likewise, I’ve often asked myself: Is this master’s worth it? Honestly, I don’t know. But I’m hoping to find out that the answer is a resounding “yes” when I reach the higher tiers.
Where I’m Going
Collaboration is something I’d like to do more of in every aspect of my life. Despite the discussion forums and occasional group projects in the MET program, I still feel isolated in the change I am undergoing. This may be a personality shortcoming, as I do not go out of my way to network and build relationships. It may be because I’m still unsure of where this change will lead me in my career. But whatever the reason, I need to start thinking outside of my box and thinking in terms of us. What can we do as education professionals to advance the common goal of using technology to maximize learning. Joining one or more professional learning communities (PLCs) outside of class could be a good first step toward becoming more connected with the larger edtech community. Reading blogs and watching webinars could also help me move up the CBAM staircase.
The publisher I work for emphasizes results. One of our mottos has been, “From research to results, there’s a child behind everything we do.” As a company concerned primarily with the impact our instructional solutions have on students, we are situated in the highest tiers. We are continually refocusing, communicating with customers to gather data about how well our educational solutions are working and asking ourselves if there’s something that will work even better.
As I near the finish line with my MET and look toward the future, I ask myself similar questions: Is this working for me? What have I gotten out of it so far? What could we (my peers, my instructors, and I) be doing better to maximize the impact of this change? When I was teaching, I didn’t stop much to think about whether my instruction was working for students; it was hard enough to focus, let alone refocus. But now is the time to refocus on students from a different viewpoint, and so far I have found it much easier to be strategic about change from a distance.
*Hall & Hord. (1987). Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM).
It is clear to me that I am firmly grounded in the middle tiers of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)* when it comes to understanding and implementing educational technology. This is the story of how I arrived at this point and the plan for how I will prepare myself for the climb to the highest tiers.
How I Got Here
When I first decided to earn my master’s, it was all about me—getting those two or three little letters to add to the end of my name (I wasn’t expecting them to be MET, as I had absolutely no idea at the time what that stood for). I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to study; I just knew it would be something related to K-12 education, as that has been the focus of my career for nearly 10 years—and two years prior to that in what seems like a distant life as a Junior English teacher. That experience and the decade I’ve spent as an editor for an educational publisher has opened my eyes to the challenges facing teachers and students today—challenges that are just starting to get personal again now that my son is in kindergarten.
As I began to build awareness of the higher education opportunities available to me, it became apparent that there is a revolution in educational technology. I was aware of this indirectly through articles in Education Week and stories coming in from the field at my job, but I had not witnessed it or been a part of it. I decided this was my chance, and started to seek more information, moving up to the next step on the CBAM staircase.
Still thinking of myself, I searched for a master’s program that would work for me—my schedule, my goals, my skill set, my interests, my timeline. I had to make a decision and come up with a personal plan. I narrowed it down to a few programs, some of which were accelerated, and talked to a handful of advisors. An advisor at Boise State said something that made an impact on me: Boise’s Master of Educational Technology degree has full-semester classes because “we want our students to actually learn something.” Wasn’t that what I wanted too? I was not seeking a new career, and, although it would be nice to finish before I’m 40, there was no rush. I also liked that I’d be learning how to use technology that would update the print journalism skills that had served me well in the past but would not necessarily cut it in the future. There were classes covering multimedia instruction, web design, digital storytelling, podcasting, graphic design, and more. Yes, I was still thinking about myself and how I could update my portfolio, but now it wasn’t as much about WHAT I wanted as WHY—and how this change would affect me.
Where I Stand
Now more than halfway through the MET program, I am focused less on myself and more on the task at hand (i.e., it). I have learned a lot about management—of my time, of connections, of relationships (including with my husband, who suffers the loss of time with me in the evening), of applications for these skills (mostly potential, but some of which have manifested). My coursework is constantly challenging me to master new technologies and build new skills. I am asked to come up with ways in which these technologies and skills could be applied—but moreover, whether and how these applications would be valuable to students. So, in reaching the middle tiers, my thoughts have begun to shift from myself to the students.
I am now concerned with the consequences what I am learning will have on others. I have never resisted new technology, but I can’t say that I’ve been quick to embrace it. When I was teaching back in 2001, there weren’t many interactive instructional tools available to me (overhead projectors still ruled in our school), but I didn’t seek them out either. I was stuck then in the same middle tiers I find myself now—focused on the tasks at hand: designing lessons, managing the classroom, writing tests, grading papers (a task that I performed even in my dreams).
I asked myself countless times whether teaching was worth it, and honestly can’t believe I decided to hang in there a second year. I made a positive impact on a few students, but I fear my red pen negatively impacted many more. Likewise, I’ve often asked myself: Is this master’s worth it? Honestly, I don’t know. But I’m hoping to find out that the answer is a resounding “yes” when I reach the higher tiers.
Where I’m Going
Collaboration is something I’d like to do more of in every aspect of my life. Despite the discussion forums and occasional group projects in the MET program, I still feel isolated in the change I am undergoing. This may be a personality shortcoming, as I do not go out of my way to network and build relationships. It may be because I’m still unsure of where this change will lead me in my career. But whatever the reason, I need to start thinking outside of my box and thinking in terms of us. What can we do as education professionals to advance the common goal of using technology to maximize learning. Joining one or more professional learning communities (PLCs) outside of class could be a good first step toward becoming more connected with the larger edtech community. Reading blogs and watching webinars could also help me move up the CBAM staircase.
The publisher I work for emphasizes results. One of our mottos has been, “From research to results, there’s a child behind everything we do.” As a company concerned primarily with the impact our instructional solutions have on students, we are situated in the highest tiers. We are continually refocusing, communicating with customers to gather data about how well our educational solutions are working and asking ourselves if there’s something that will work even better.
As I near the finish line with my MET and look toward the future, I ask myself similar questions: Is this working for me? What have I gotten out of it so far? What could we (my peers, my instructors, and I) be doing better to maximize the impact of this change? When I was teaching, I didn’t stop much to think about whether my instruction was working for students; it was hard enough to focus, let alone refocus. But now is the time to refocus on students from a different viewpoint, and so far I have found it much easier to be strategic about change from a distance.
*Hall & Hord. (1987). Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM).