This is an excerpt from some work I did recently in which I described school leaders whose adoption of technology planning appeared to reflect Rogers’ (2003) stages of adoption of innovations. Our school had been struggling with some aspects of our educational technology. Both our teachers and our technology people were trying, but we seemed Read More
For more than a generation, we have heard that “information technology is causing deep changes in how we communicate.” There has been a steady stream of literature supporting the claim, along with others who reject the claim. In the 2020 book, The Future of Change: How Technology Shapes Social Revolutions, Ray Brescia make the claim that Read More
I walked past the books in the discount retailer I was visiting to purchase storage supplies for my wife’s home office. When she arrived at the section she needed, she noticed I was not with her. When I finally caught up with her, she noticed the book in my hands: Walter Isaacson’s 2014 The Innovators: Read More
As information and computer technology (ICT) has become more deeply embedded in curriculum and instruction, technology planning has become an essential part of school leadership. School leaders are expected to take steps to ensure students use technology for diverse learning activities, so infrastructure must be installed and managed, and teachers must be trained in its Read More
I’ve been fascinated by leadership for my whole life. The characteristics of leaders… how they react in different situations, especially when challenged… how they handle direction from others… how they frame their own contradictions of themselves… these are all interesting. They also tell me much about the direction of the organization, it’s potential for success, and the degree to which I Read More
I have addressed the problem of cold closure in this blog before, but I still see it happening… and it is still a drain on educational technology resources. Just like good stories, good technology support has a beginning (when the problem is reported to the appropriate technician or trainer), middle (when the problem is solved), Read More
Computers break; they break frequently. Timely repairs of IT systems are essential in schools. For much of the history of computers in schools, the “timeliness” of repairs was ill-defined and not critical. The strategic goal of schools is ostensibly to “help students learn to consume and create information.” When most information was created and consumed Read More
School and technology planners must answer three questions: “What are we doing?” “Why are we doing it?” and “How shall we do it?” Planners typically address those questions in the order written. The “what” question has greatest urgency as it determines the actions that will be taken by technicians and teachers, thus the experiences of Read More
143: The Paradox of Moving Goals Goals seem a natural part of human organizations and design; we define what we want, then take steps to achieve what we want. Those who have been involved with defining or achieving goals are likely familiar with the phenomenon of “moving goals.” We observe this when a goal is Read More
156: On Social and Technology-Rich Education Education. Ever since there have been humans, they have invented methods of teaching. The need to teach arises from our nature as social and technology-using creatures. Humans need to teach the young how to survive (what to eat and how to find it, how to modify the world for Read More