Educational Technology: Leadership, Integration and School Culture

I have been thinking recently about leadership at schools, specifically in the area of educational technology.  Often when people ask me what I do for work, I tell them that I assist teachers and students use educational technology to improve learning.  I mention the definition from AECT that educational technology “is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.”  and I tell them that it isn’t about the tool but innovation in the classroom to make learning more authentic. However, I have come to the realization that this is not the most important work I do.  In fact, the “real” work I do is the foundation of everything else I do.  What I do is build relationships.  These relationships are with teachers, students, parents, and administrators.  It is through these relationships that the real power of transformation is kindled.

Relationships are the most important aspect to the success of any endeavor. It is through a positive relationship that mutual trust is created.  It is this mutual trust that enables a school culture to change.  Let me share a story that will help to show what this mutual trust can do. When I first began teaching, I worked at a school where the administrator was very controlling, they had their hand in everything. This is called micromanaging.   The faculty constantly walked around as if they were walking on thin ice.  Nobody felt enabled to do anything and the culture of the school suffered.  A few years later, this administrator left and was replaced by another administrator who had a distributed leadership philosophy.  This new administrator showed the faculty that they were trusted to do their job and that he had their back.  Over the next couple of years, the school’s culture changed and teachers began innovating.  The school went from one where change was not allowed and even discouraged to one where change was embraced and supported.  It was the mutual trust that was developed between the administrator and the faculty that enabled this change to occur.

Developing healthy supportive relationships where mutual trust is created is the key to moving a school culture forward.  It is this type of culture that supports teacher progress as well as student progress.  If the teacher feels supported in trying new and innovative teaching practices, they are more likely to try stepping outside their comfort zone.  When this happens, students benefit immensely as the traditional methods of education are no longer enough to meet the needs of our ever-changing society.

It takes a shift from a fixed mindset to one that is more growth-oriented.  In this mindset, it is okay to make mistakes and fail because that is where reflective practice takes place and learning and improvement occur.  If the teacher adopts a growth mindset there is a good chance that this will impact the way they teach and the expectations set for their students.  Change, while not something most people enjoy, is a necessity.

So as someone whose job it is to support change, it isn’t enough to give the teachers and students the tools to change, they all need to feel that they are supported and trusted to try new innovative things.  It is the relationships created that enable this to occur.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Shannon H. Doak