Archive forJuly 5, 2007

The Role of Leadership in Change

Scott McLeod of Dangerously Irrelevant has a very powerful post about the role of and necessity for leadership in effecting change in technology in our schools. Here is the overview:

When we talk about technology in K-12 schools, why must we focus on school leaders? Well, as the Wallace Foundation Learning from Leadership Project reminds us, principals and superintendents are the ones charged with setting direction and developing people. They’re the only individuals with the power to redesign the organization. Research has shown that school leadership, through both direct and indirect effects, is ‘second only to classroom instruction among all school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school’ and that ‘leadership effects are usually largest where and when they are needed most.’ In other words, ‘the greater the challenge the greater the impact of [leaders’] actions on learning. . . . Indeed, there are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around without intervention by a powerful leader.’Dangerously Irrelevant: Professional development for the leaders

I have been encouraged and supported in my use of all kinds of technology by my principal and superintendent, for which I am very grateful. But I also believe that the possbilities that come with these technologies require buy in at all levels.

Blogged with Flock

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Comments