In my last blog I have written about my own attitude towards new digital tools. More important actually is the attitude of the school where I am doing my internship at the moment. In the comment posted on my last entry Jos Montulet gave me some advice about literature to study about how to describe my school on the current situation towards the digital revolution and innovation. To do this I will use the theory of Larry Greiner about the five phases of growth within a company. This way I will view the elementary school as a company and the implementation of technology as growth.
As you can see in the graphic shown above five stages can be detected. After every new stage there is a kind of crises. Something is not going right, so changes need to be made. The changes are what leads to the next stage.
If a company grows fast they experience the phases in quick succession. Thus the more rapidly or slowly the growth the more rapidly or slowly the progress through the phases.
If a company grows fast they experience the phases in quick succession. Thus the more rapidly or slowly the growth the more rapidly or slowly the progress through the phases.
If you look at this description and the level of technology implementation in the school you could say they are in the first phase but on their way to the second phase. They have written an vision and appointed a teacher who is responsible and leading in the implementation of the use of technology in the classroom. All the teacher have taken a test to scale their skill level and have written their own program to improve their skills. At this moment there is a big difference between the teacher and their personal skills. While some of them just use the digital schoolboard as ax expensive blackboard or projector others are starting to discover different usages and functions. The next step will be to appoint different specialist and organize exchange between the teachers so they can share their experiences.
Now I know what the next step should be, I should find out how to achieve it. John Kotter (1995) designed 8 strategies to implement transformations within your organization.
Now I know what the next step should be, I should find out how to achieve it. John Kotter (1995) designed 8 strategies to implement transformations within your organization.
Now I already know the vision is written and it is communicated throughout the school. I have asked a few teachers who aren’t used to using computers and are hesitant towards them, why they are so and why they don’t use. They have told me, they haven’t used it simply because they don’t know how it works or even more important how to use it effectively. I can imagine this, because these are my own reason not to have used them before. |
For these reasons I think the empowerment of the teacher to act on the vision could be a good step forwards. Make sure that there isn’t just one teacher doing all the work and trying to get everybody aboard, but get more teacher involved and support all new ideas and initiatives. Also it could make a difference when teachers hear their own colleagues talk about their successes with the new technologies and how they have used it. This can be viewed as short terms winnings. Because if a teacher hears about a great lesson where all the students were motivated, involved and enthusiastic they are more likely to try it themselves.
This will mean I am going to start to use some tools in my class, so my own mentor will be able to see them, learn how to use and experience how the students response to it, as will I. So for the next lesson I will design my first Prowise presentation and share it with the other teacher. Now all I need to do is find out how to work Prowise…
Greiner, L. E. (1998). Evolution and revolution as organisations grow. Harvard Business review , 3-11.
Kotter, J. P. (1995). Leading Change: Why tranformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review , 59 - 67.
This will mean I am going to start to use some tools in my class, so my own mentor will be able to see them, learn how to use and experience how the students response to it, as will I. So for the next lesson I will design my first Prowise presentation and share it with the other teacher. Now all I need to do is find out how to work Prowise…
Greiner, L. E. (1998). Evolution and revolution as organisations grow. Harvard Business review , 3-11.
Kotter, J. P. (1995). Leading Change: Why tranformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review , 59 - 67.