On Wednesday, I’ll have the chance to present to the technology committee of our school district’s Division of Principals. In the process of preparing, I asked my network the ONE bit of advice they thought school leaders interested in driving change in their own buildings needed to hear.
Many of the responses shared the same theme — a theme that was summarized nicely by Tim Wilhelumus, who wrote:
@plugusin Lead with the learning and not with the tools. Always. #wcpsstech #cpchat
— Tim Wilhelmus (@twilhelmus) February 13, 2012
In the end, driving change in schools means remembering that technology alone isn’t revolutionary. Technology just makes it possible for teachers and students to do revolutionary things.
Our choices about technology need to start and end with our beliefs about learning. Forgetting to put learning first in ANY conversation about education is a recipe for failure.
I also loved Jon Becker’s advice:
@plugusin that very few things could be more impactful than them modeling what it is to be a learner.
— Jonathan Becker (@jonbecker) February 13, 2012
Jon’s right, isn’t he? Principals ARE the lead learners in our schools. Your modeling means everything to us — and that includes the example that you set when exploring the ways that new tools and social spaces can change learners.
Finally, Steven Anderson’s point is worth noting:
@plugusin Get connected. Team up with other admin and share and learn and grow, together. It’s how we improve ourselves and our craft.
— Steven W. Anderson (@web20classroom) February 13, 2012
Whatever you do, move forward. Take the digital plunge — and bring some friends! Learn together. Experiment. Figure out what’s possible and what matters. Change your own learning and then start changing the learning in your buildings.
Any of this make sense?
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Related Radical Reads:
Making Good Technology Choices
Doubting Bauerlein’s Dumbest Generation
Reflections on Teaching for Tomorrow
