I’ve always enjoyed the reflective part of the day and year: The “5pm slot” and the Autumn season. And I predict this means I will enjoy my 60s/70s as well, if I get that far! With this spirit of reflection it’s time for me to look back over 2017 with The Edtech Podcast, inspired by a similar post this time last year. This article then sets out some 2018 goals and ways I’d love for you to get involved!
This is a copy and paste of an article I wrote, currently running in Education Technology (55-59), on 2017 trends. Go check out the full article there. My responses are to their questions on trends. Would love to hear your thoughts below on where you agree/disagree…
There will never be a ‘right time’ and digital competency, literacy and leadership is not going away. Start now. Start small and learn as you go.
Embrace the edge? What does this mean? Throw away old models of top-down leadership and make sure you are using digital connectivity to garner the best ideas from your network of staff, students, parents, Governors and local businesses.
Nothing will dampen the spirit of your new digital leaders more than a class ‘buffering’ due to poor infrastructure. (See also ‘security’. Don’t be the next ransomware story.) Work with your network manager and digital leaders among teachers to balance innovation, longevity and security.
Truly measuring impact has become one of the top skills for digital leaders. Programmes like UCL Knowledge Lab’s Educate and the Jefferson Education Accelerator are working with edtech companies to help make their products more efficacious. But in the mean time you should also be reviewing any programmes you set up and making sure they have impact. Mark Anderson (aka ICT Evangelist), Former Assistant Head, Award-winning blogger, speaker and edtech consultant gives the teachers’ point of view…
Recruitment and retention is a huge issue for school leaders, but could better, more relevant CPD opportunities keep some of your best staff engaged?
4. Build the right team
Early adopters, laggards, luddites: each nursery, school, university, college or workplace has its own unique mix. No different to any other form of leadership, building a strong and balanced team around you, with honest communication, will be key to your success.
2. Understand what your aims are
A legacy of poor investments in hardware when times were ‘flush’ has given digital leadership a bad name, with vanity projects outweighing efficacious projects within schools. Having a robust framework to establish and keep track of your strategic objectives is essential.
1. Know yourself as a leader
Eric Sheninger is probably the leading self-proclaimed digital leader in education in the world. But that didn’t stop him being a huge sceptic just a matter of years ago. ‘I was the principal who didn’t believe in any of this. I wrote the policies that blocked social media.’