Reflection #1

If you’re like me, you sometimes experience mundane moments in life where events seem to be continually repeated every day.  I had one of these ‘Ground Hog Day’ moments today as I emptied the contents of my backpack: a laptop, iPad, iPhone, and a host of power cords.  In my best Bill Murray impersonation, I unload these digital devices every day, but today I look at them differently; as tools to lead and connect.

As education continues to move further into the digital age, I am learning that it is imperative that school leaders develop a vision for the role that technology will play and establish a strategic plan for implementation. Leading this change, as was reaffirmed in Eric Sheninger’s book Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times, requires leading with transparency, remembering to model embracement as opposed to buy-in, provide applicable professional development, and support.  As someone who can find it difficult to move from vision to action, I found Sheninger’s 6 Pillars of Digital Leadership (which align perfectly with the NETS-A standards for technology leadership) helpful because they provide the framework to begin the process of transformational change using technological resources.  

Plain and simple, Sheninger reminds us that the outdated twentieth-century model for education that prepared students for an industrialized work force no longer fits the needs of society or, more important, that of our learners.  This book does an excellent job of reaffirming my notion that we can no longer take a Ground Hog Day approach to education.  To develop my ability as a digital leader, I must develop a plan for change that incorporates the ‘big ideas’ needed to take schools from ambiguity to relevancy.  I feel challenged to be a digital leader who is advocates for change that will transform schools into a dynamic institutions filled with learning opportunities that fit the needs of today’s learners. 

A strong theme in Eric Sheninger’s book Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times is connectivity. Reading this book reminds us that we cannot lead with a Ground Hog approach because a paradigm shift is taking place in education as a result of increased connectivity and access to information. Technology has positively changed education forever and I feel there is an urgent need for schools to respond appropriately. As a developing digital leader, I am learning that although we may not know exactly how technology will continue to drive the changes that will impact on the learning experiences of school communities, I do know that schools must be prepared to accommodate those needs by utilizing the opportunities for connectivity that come with the emerging technology. Being a successful digital leader means using technology that will resonate with all stakeholders and set the stage for increases in student achievement.  So, the next time you unload your backpack, take an inventory of the tools and their endless possibilities that can used to connect to your twenty-first century stakeholders.