Hi Colleagues:
What is Donna’s vision for their institution?
Donna’s vision is to embrace technology through a schoolwide approach.
How have they gone about making a case for change?
Donna advocates for students to have better control over learning in terms of flexibility and location. She envisions that technology will be used intentionally and a tool to facilitate learning to prepare for a career path.
What changes have been proposed?
Donna has developed a personal learning network where she collaborated with other digital leaders around the world. However, its affordability of technology becomes a great challenge. Donna proposed to set out a plan of action where a budget can be developed to invest in the technological tools that are most important to the needs of her students. Donna uses data to make informed decisions about the needs of students, how students are monitored, and how best to manage resources.
How are students and academics affected?
Students and academics will be affected when parents are not able to afford to buy internet and/or a device for students, which may be a factor that affects student’s digital capabilities.
How will they achieve this change?
To achieve this change, planning is necessary. Additionally, data is needed to make purposeful decision-making to cater to the needs of the students and by extension the institution.
Reflection
The case for change Donna has proposed is made in response to the strengths and opportunities of the institution to benefit students. However, it can also be a weakness and/or a threat depending on the needs and priorities of the school. My management would support Donna’s case because they render support to any areas for school improvement and embracing technology.
At my institution, students embrace technology openly. I believe that the approach that was used to sell the idea of embracing ICT has had a positive impact on how students embraced technology. While it is still a great challenge to have all students having access to the internet and a device at home for online learning, the institution is working with students who cannot afford net and/devices to not leave them behind. For example, our computer labs are available to a student who needs to use the net while complying with the COVID-19 guidelines. WiFi is available anywhere on campus and students are provided with a desktop computer in the meantime while we continue to wait on the distribution of the other tablets from the Ministry of Education.
A proposal for change advocated by Donna will certainly have a positive impact on our internal stakeholders, organizational structure, and institutional reputation. In terms of internal stakeholders, technology creates new opportunities, offers teaching and learning flexibilities, expanding learning opportunities, and improving administrative tasks.
In terms of organizational structure, the management will deploy and budget trained personnel to drive the technological changes and provide the necessary resources to steer the cause ahead. In terms of institutional reputation, this change is part and parcel of our marketing strategy to maintain our enrolment and increase student retention rates. I believe that like Donna, schools need to make purposeful decisions, be realistic, and set out a plan that needs to be rolled out periodically and intentionally.
Thank you!
Pauline