1.4 Diffusion of Innovations & Change
Candidates research, recommend, and implement strategies for initiating and sustaining technology innovations and for managing the change process in schools.
Artifact:
Reflection:
In one of our first classes, we were charged with looking at the Vision and Mission Statements of our school and determining what role, if any, technology played. What we discovered, almost across the board, was that while the Cobb County School District had a vision and mission for technology, individual schools did not. So we had to look at what was lacking and determine, based on the School Improvement Plan (SIP), what course of action needed to be taken in order to develop a vision and mission for technology. This was no easy task, since none of us were accustomed to looking so in-depth at school-wide planning initiatives.
We were invited to take a look at the places within our school which were weakest academically, and determine how technology could help to strengthen these weak areas. We had to research, recommend, and implement strategies for initiating and sustaining technology innovations and for managing the change process in our school. Technology integration was a change agent for our particular school, so this was simple to determine.
I learned a great deal about my school and how the development of the School Improvement Plan takes place as a result of this activity. I was able to look at the National and District Technology Plans which helped me to determine what a technology vision could look like at the school level. I was able to analyze our current school improvement plan and see how much it was lacking in any mention of technology. As well, I was able to be involved this past year in writing our 2012-13 SIP. I was able to contribute my knowledge and expertise on technology integration, and was able to ensure that technology was addressed in this year’s plan. As a result, we were able to implement a great deal of technology this past year that we may not have done had it not been for my input. I found this to be very empowering.
As I look back on this Technology Plan Analysis, I regret that I did not know then what I know now about technology. If I were to change anything, I might suggest that perhaps it is a good idea to place this course at the beginning of the program, but to revisit the responses as the coursework progresses. There are so many more innovations I know about now that I did not know before, and I would have loved to have included these in my analysis.
We were invited to take a look at the places within our school which were weakest academically, and determine how technology could help to strengthen these weak areas. We had to research, recommend, and implement strategies for initiating and sustaining technology innovations and for managing the change process in our school. Technology integration was a change agent for our particular school, so this was simple to determine.
I learned a great deal about my school and how the development of the School Improvement Plan takes place as a result of this activity. I was able to look at the National and District Technology Plans which helped me to determine what a technology vision could look like at the school level. I was able to analyze our current school improvement plan and see how much it was lacking in any mention of technology. As well, I was able to be involved this past year in writing our 2012-13 SIP. I was able to contribute my knowledge and expertise on technology integration, and was able to ensure that technology was addressed in this year’s plan. As a result, we were able to implement a great deal of technology this past year that we may not have done had it not been for my input. I found this to be very empowering.
As I look back on this Technology Plan Analysis, I regret that I did not know then what I know now about technology. If I were to change anything, I might suggest that perhaps it is a good idea to place this course at the beginning of the program, but to revisit the responses as the coursework progresses. There are so many more innovations I know about now that I did not know before, and I would have loved to have included these in my analysis.