Leadership

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How Do Leaders Support EdTech Initiatives? – TIEOnline

How Do Leaders Support EdTech Initiatives - TIEOnline
How Do Leaders Support EdTech Initiatives? - TIEOnline

I had the pleasure of writing another article for The International Educator, a worldwide publication for international schools. My article, How Do Leaders Support EdTech Initiatives?, discusses the four key methods for leaders to explicitly support EdTech initiatives. This article was originally published in December, 2018.

Click here to read the full article.

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Educational Technology Leadership Training for Site Level Leaders – GESS Indonesia 2018

Educational Leadership Training for Site Level Leaders

Educational Technology Leadership Training
for Site Level Leaders

Educational Leadership Training for Site Level Leaders

[PDF]Educational Leadership Training for Site Level Leaders – GESS Indonesia 2018

This presentations outlines the resources and approaches best suited towards creating a roadmap or strategic plan site level leaders in schools or districts in Educational Technology. It was present at the GESS Indonesia conference in Jakarta, Indonesia in September, 2018.

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Educational Technology Leadership Training at the Ministry Level – GESS Indonesia 2018

Educational Technology Leadership Training at the Ministry Level - Matt Harris, Ed.D.

Educational Technology Leadership Training
at the Ministry Level

Educational Technology Leadership Training at the Ministry Level - Matt Harris, Ed.D.

[PDF]Educational Leadership Training at the Ministry Level – GESS Indonesia 2018

This presentations outlines the resources and approaches best suited towards creating a roadmap or strategic plan for districts, Ministries of Education, or nationwide approaches for Educational Technology. It was present at the GESS Indonesia conference in Jakarta, Indonesia in September, 2018.

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The Touchpoints of Educational Technology Excellence

Educational Technology Excellence

The Touchpoints of
Educational Technology Excellence

I have had the pleasure to work with a number of schools around the world in the area of Educational Technology. Usually, if schools want to talk to me it is either to show me something amazing or to ask my advice on becoming a school that would have something amazing to show. Sadly, a large portion of international schools fall into that latter category. They have a desire to use technology for excellence, but have not been successful.

Educational Technology Excellence

Of course, “success” is a loaded word in our field. Success suggests an end point to technology for learning. As in, “we have all the computers we need, so EdTech can be removed from our to-do list.” This is a common mistake. EdTech is directly tied to learning practices, budgets, and operations of a school, none of which are ever finished. Further, the impact of EdTech success is not something that can be easily measured as it has such a breadth of influence on a school. Boards often ask me for metrics or ROI for their technology investments and while I have a few measures to show them, true impact across a school cannot be shown by standard assessments. Famed EdTech researcher Saul Rockman said, “Those administrators and board members who insist on a specific test score gain as the return on investment [in Educational Technology] are, more likely than not, going to be disappointed.”

So, where does this leave us? We know there are schools doing amazing things with technology. Are they not successful? These schools have opted for excellence, a concept of continued improvement with no time limit, rather than success. When you visit these schools, you will notice they have common touchpoints for excellence in EdTech in the areas of learning, infrastructure, sustainability, and leadership.

Educational Technology LearningFirst, and foremost, excellence in EdTech is found in a focus on learning. EdTech’s role in a school is to enhance learning for all members of the school. It is not about frequently used tools or Internet skills or even assessment performance. Excellent EdTech fosters personalized, rigorous, and real time learning that is not constrained by traditional understanding of knowledge or access to information. With this, excellence can be found when schools clearly define the skills and competencies their students will work towards with access to computing in the classroom (and at home). Excellent schools put continued professional development for their staffs, teaching and non-teaching, as strategic and budgetary priorities. Learning for parents and the community are also focal points. And these schools take time to celebrate learning through sharing and promotion. Perhaps the most striking element of learning excellence in strong EdTech schools is the technology itself is seamless. It has become part of the DNA of the school rather than an area needing special attention.

Second, technology enhanced learning is supported by a robust infrastructure. Schools with excellent EdTech programs have reliable internal networks, a clear device access policy, supplemental devices to account for damage, and online systems – such as learning management, communications, or student information – that work well and support teacher and student needs. However, the true lynchpin of infrastructure excellence in schools comes through personnel. Many times I find that less mature schools fund equipment and services without hiring and developing IT staff that will ensure reliability. A strong IT manager who leads her team, is customer focused, and is strategic is worth her weight in gold. And the team she has assembled with be vital members of the non-teaching staff.

Third, programmatic excellence is not a one-time investment. Many of the school boards I have spoken to talk about funds they have set aside for large technology purchases or upgrades, but when I ask them how they will maintain their systems in the coming years few have a viable plan. EdTech moves at the pace of technology. Devices will run out of life, better systems will come online, and the needs of learners are ever changing as our understanding of learning changes. Excellence in EdTech requires that schools strategically plan for and clearly budget replacement and improves cycles for their devices, personnel, and programs. Three to five year budgets for device and system refreshes are critical. Further, excellent school visit their EdTech learning plans frequently and revise them on regular basis to ensure they are aligned with current practices.

Educational Technology LeadershipFinally, and most critically, schools with excellent EdTech programs will have publicly supportive leadership. The Head of School, senior leadership team, and the board will understand the role of technology in the school and tout its benefits to the school community. Their support is key to making excellence in EdTech a commitment of the entire organization and its members. Such support will appear in newsletters, reports, hiring practices, budgets, strategic planning, and staff evaluation…for a period of time. Strong leadership can push EdTech excellence into the daily mission of the school to the point where their support will only be needed in budgets and evaluation practices. Leadership ensures the focus on learning, the quality of the infrastructure, and sustainability of the EdTech programs.

Excellence in EdTech is not elusive or even overly expense, but it does require emphasis on multiple touchpoints rather than just focus on computers or short term solutions. Whenever I speak to schools aspiring to do great things with technology, I refer them to these excellent schools and then I caution them not to ask about the computers.

This article originally appeared in The International Educator in October, 2017.

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EdTech and Leadership: The Fuel that Feeds the Flame – International Teacher Magazine

EdTech and Leadership:
The Fuel that Feeds the Flame –
International Teacher Magazine

EdTech and Leadership: The Fuel that Feeds the Fire - International Teacher Magazine

I had the pleasure to write an article for International Teacher Magazine on EdTech and Leadership. In the article, I discuss the need for continued and supportive leadership being essential for EdTech programs to have sustaining impact on a school. The article was originally published in December, 2017.

Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read and/or subscribe to International Teacher Magazine.

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The Tenets of Educational Technology Leadership: Introduction – EdTech Digest

The Tenets of Educational Technology Leadership - Introduction - EdTech Digest

The Tenets of Educational Technology Leadership:
Introduction – EdTech Digest

The Tenets of Educational Technology Leadership - Introduction - EdTech Digest

I have been invited to write a series of articles for EdTech Digest on The Tenets of Educational Technology Leadership. In this article, The Tenets of Educational Technology Leadership: Introduction, I introduce the series and outline the six tenets of EdTech Leadership: Leadership, Management, Learning Technology, Information Technology, Systems Thinking, and Professional Learning.  This article was published online through EdTech Digest on 10th November, 2017.

Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read and/or subscribe to EdTech Digest.

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Culture Difference and My Leadership Style – ASCD In-Service

Culture Difference and My Leadership Style – ASCD In-Service

Culture Difference and My Leadership Style - ASCD In-Service

As an ASCD Emerging Leader for 2015, I had the pleasure to write an article for ASCD In-Service. In my article, Culture Difference and My Leadership Style, I discuss my experiences as an educational administrator in international schools and the need for cultural sensitivity in leadership. This article was published online through ASCD In-Service on 11th March, 2016.

Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read and/or subscribe to International Teacher Magazine.

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Committed Leadership is the Fuel that Keeps EdTech Alive

Committed Leadership is the Fuel that Keeps EdTech Alive

Educational technology (EdTech) is a movement towards contemporary learning needs. It takes the tradition view learning that consists of paper and pencil delivered by an expert in the front of a room and flips it on its head. EdTech brings learning, for both children and adults, into the modern world. It uses the tools and information at hand to build skills, competencies, and attitudes in learners rather delivering information to be regurgitated. It prepares people to live and work in our connected society in ways that 20th century schooling is unfit to accomplish…Committed Leadership is the Fuel that Keeps EdTech Alive

…and it is difficult for schools to fully engage as it challenges their long-held beliefs, their perceived role in student development, and the learning experiences of teachers and administrators.

Yet, creating successful EdTech programs in schools is moving away from “nice to have” or “emerging need” to “requirement” and “expectation”.

To meet this requirement and create a successful and sustainable EdTech program in a school there are three key factors: resourcing, engaged teachers, and committed leadership.

Resourcing is relatively simple. Does the school have ample technology, personnel, time, and budget to run its EdTech program? These need to be appropriately allocated and managed, of course, but the real factor is their existence in the organization. EdTech programs without resourcing can be challenging.

Next, an engaged teaching faculty is important. Teachers are where the rubber hits the road as they deliver the program. Teachers need to be engaged in improving learning for students and for themselves as part of the overall initiative. Without engaged teachers, EdTech will run into many barriers or become forced and autocratic.

However, committed leadership is what brings EdTech to life into a school and, more importantly, keeps it alive.

Committed leadership ensures that the ethos and operations of the school support EdTech in its development and its continued growth. Committed leaders, such as school boards, heads of school, division principals, and middle leadership, will demonstrate their commitment through multiple avenues like communications, time allocations, planning, and budgeting.

When you enter a school with a leadership commitment to improving learning with technology, you’ll feel it. EdTech will show up in newsletters, on the school website, and in the mission and vision. Leadership will speak about EdTech with enthusiasm and clarity of purpose, easily articulating the school’s long term commitment to the program. They will ensure that EdTech has become part of the school’s DNA, not just an add-on.

Committed Leadership is the Fuel that Keeps EdTech Alive

Leadership will provide teachers with time and training to build their skills around using technology for learning and the pedagogic shifts found in modern education. They will insist on robust strategic planning and indicators of success. And committed leadership will develop budgets that allow for program growth in the short term and sustainability in the long term. For example, they will allocate money to buy devices this year then include an annual line item to replace those devices as they become obsolete.

This is where we see the most trouble with EdTech in schools. Leadership makes a strong commitment and push for the development of the program to start. They build a strategic plan, hire personnel, buy equipment, and offer professional development programs. However, once those are completed the commitment wanes. They put a check mark next to EdTech and consider it accomplished. The commitment to continual improvement erodes as the newness of the program fades away. It is a common problem in school who have had early success in their programs.

However, EdTech is a long game. Technology changes, the ways it can improve learning changes, and the supported resourcing and professional development never go away. Further, devices get old and bandwidth needs increase.

For leadership to fulfill their long-term commitment to EdTech in a school they must include EdTech in the assessments, budgeting, and strategic analysis. The way the school assesses learning for its students and teachers should include an EdTech element, such as skills ladder for students or EdTech goals for teachers. Budgeting should include fixed annual funds for depreciation, replacement, and new equipment. And, most importantly, when the school conducts strategic analysis of themselves, as in external audits or accreditation, they should delve deep into the accomplishment and plans for their EdTech programs.

Committed Leadership is the Fuel that Keeps EdTech Alive

I have worked with several schools around the world and rarely have I found they have all key factors in place – resourcing, engaged teachers, committed leadership – instead being stronger in one or two of them. Yet, many of these schools have still made immense strides in developing impactful EdTech programs by overcoming their shortcomings. That said, none of these successful schools has been lacking in committed leadership. If a school can’t commit to EdTech from the top it will never develop a meaningful or lasting program, regardless of how much time and money they invest. And, as a result, they will find themselves falling behind their competitors, the expectations of parents, and the needs of students living in the 21st century.

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