Component 1: Develop, Sustain Vision

 

Component 1: Develop, Sustain Vision

 According to Chrispeels et al. (1990) vision provides not only guidance and direction, but also purpose, meaning, and significance to the work of an institution, as well as enabling leaders to motivate and empower their staff to contribute to the realisation of the vision.

While taking on the task of Principal at a newer secondary school my vision for the institution was to incorporate technology in all facets of the institution to birth digital creatives who are not only innovative digital citizens but ones who would add value to our society.

After carefully inspecting the ISTE Standards: For Education Leaders, I used it to guide my decisions as an educational leader in the execution of this vision that I created for technology use at my institution. I focused on the following areas mentioned below:

1. Leadership and Vision 

Under leadership and Vision educational leaders inspire a shared vision for comprehensive technology integration and foster an environment and culture conducive to realizing that vision.

 

Educational leaders must:

• facilitate the shared development by all stakeholders of a vision for technology use and widely communicate that vision. 

• maintain an inclusive and cohesive process to develop, implement, and monitor a dynamic, long-range, and systemic technology plan to achieve the vision. 
  
  
• foster and nurture a culture of responsible risk-taking and advocate policies promoting continuous innovation with technology. 
  
  
• use data in making leadership decisions. 
  
  
• advocate for research-based effective practices in use of technology. 
  
  
• advocate on the national levels for policies, programs, and funding opportunities that support the implementation of the technology plan. 

 2. Learning and Teaching 

With learning and teaching Educational leaders ensure that curricular design, instructional strategies, and learning environments integrate appropriate technologies to maximize learning and teaching. 

Educational leaders must: 

• identify, use, evaluate, and promote appropriate technologies to enhance and support instruction and standards-based curriculum leading to high levels of student achievement. 

• facilitate and support collaborative technology-enriched learning environments conducive to innovation for improved learning. 

• provide for learner-centered environments that use technology to meet the individual and diverse needs of learners. 

• facilitate the use of technologies to support and enhance instructional methods that develop higher-level thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. 

• provide for and ensure that faculty and staff take advantage of high-quality professional learning opportunities for improved learning and teaching with technology. 

3. Productivity and Professional Practice

In this area Educational leaders apply technology to enhance their professional practice and to increase their own productivity and that of others. 

Educational leaders must: 

• model the routine, intentional, and effective use of technology. 

• employ technology for communication and collaboration among colleagues, staff, parents, students, and the larger community. 

• create and participate in learning communities that stimulate, nurture, and support faculty and staff in using technology for improved productivity. 

• engage in sustained, job-related professional learning using technology resources. 

• maintain awareness of emerging technologies and their potential uses in education. 

• use technology to advance organizational improvement. 

4. Support, Management, and Operations

Under support, management and operations Educational leaders ensure the integration of technology to support productive systems for learning and administration. 

Educational leaders must: 

• develop, implement, and monitor policies and guidelines to ensure compatibility of technologies. 

• implement and use integrated technology-based management and operations systems. 
  
  
• allocate financial and human resources to ensure complete and sustained implementation of the technology plan. 
  
  
• integrate strategic plans, technology plans, and other improvement plans and policies to align efforts and leverage resources. 
  
  
• implement procedures to drive continuous improvement of technology systems and to support technology replacement cycles.

5. Assessment and Evaluation

Additionally, Educational leaders use technology to plan and implement comprehensive systems of effective assessment and evaluation. 

Educational leaders must: 

• use multiple methods to assess and evaluate appropriate uses of technology resources for learning, communication, and productivity. 
  
  
• use technology to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice and student learning. 
  
  
• assess staff knowledge, skills, and performance in using technology and use results to facilitate high-quality professional development and to inform personnel decisions. 
  
  
• use technology to assess, evaluate, and manage administrative and operational systems. 

How did I incorporate these areas into my vision?

As an effective educational leader, I used this insightful information to set clear objectives that determined the purpose of the technology Google Workspace For Education and OpenEMIS at my organization.  All of these were clearly outlined in the institution's short and long-term goals for the next three years. 

Dwivedi (2006 et al.) states that visionary planners are leaders who can develop a strategic vision for technology integration in education, foresee the future of technology in schools, and articulate a clear path for digital implementation.

As a visionary planner, my vision for the institution was to transform my team's behaviours through visioning, planning, coaching, and implementing the ISTE Standards. The ISTE Standards: For Education Leaders were also to guide my practitioner's instructional practice and ensure efficiency within my organization.

With this in mind, I conducted research, attended conferences, and reviewed key resources which I shared with my team. I also rallied my Admin team and scheduled interdepartmental sessions for brainstorming and planning. I incorporated ongoing training for my school's administrative team and teachers where they learned about our key initiatives and developed instructional technology plans to suit our mission.

Check out my next post which discusses Vision Planner - Component 2: Build a Strategic Plan.