Schools can only be understood as multifaceted organizations, and the decisions that are made and the actions that are taken within them and the conclusions we draw about them only make sense if we are clear about how we are defining schools at the moment. Consider this incomplete list: Schools are political organizations. Public schools 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’ve been reading some of Robin Dunbar’s work recently, specifically Dunbar’s number. According to this idea, humans are capable of having meaningful interaction with about 150 people. In my recent readings, it seems “other” personified entities (such as God or our pets) can be included in our counts. Dunbar suggests the number is actually one 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
Management refers to those organizational practices that affect how decisions are made and how resources are used. The arrival of computers in schools did add another to the management tasks necessary in schools as it became necessary to draft and approve policies related to technology (acceptable use policies for example), to plan for both large Read More
The potential for dysfunction within the teams charged with technology planning is great, however. Educators and technologists participate in planning and decision-making processes within their specific domains, but those activities are very different within each group. Technologists have recognized and commonly understood guidelines and standards within which they work and design, and most problems can Read More
Reach out @garyackermanphd if you are interested in the entire chapter. ABSTRACT Schools have become places filled with digital tools. Despite this fact, school leaders find technology planning to be an area of relative weakness. This chapter describes the experience of four school leaders who adopted an unfamiliar strategy for making technology decisions. The leader participated in a Read More
The need to train and retrain teachers has taken on increased importance as digital computers have arrived in schools. As an undergraduate student enrolled in a course on teaching methods, I made an appointment with the staff at a small media office and had them sign a sheet confirming that I successfully threaded a film Read More