Saturday, June 22, 2013

Show This Article to Your Principal!

Michelle Windell



This article demonstrates what effective principals and superintendents at the forefront of incorporating technology into their schools are doing and thinking. They are willing to take risks, and encourage their teachers to do so. They understand the concept of modeling desired behavior (blended teaching and collaboration are given as examples). They work to change policies instead of saying no to innovations. They support teachers’ professional development. They fundraise to support good ideas. And they take heat from higher up, because schools in transition do not always perform so well on standardized tests or on traditional evaluations. The bottom line is that they put students first. The article concludes with the plight of a teacher who was unsupported in his attempt to gamify in his classroom. His morale was shot to the ground as a result, and he continues his work - what he knows is best for kids - in silence, behind closed doors, and without administrative support.

As the title post suggests, I think this is an excellent article to share with reluctant administrators. As the article points out, many of them are caught in between the school district/school board and the reality of the classroom. As teacher librarians, we must advocate for best use of technology in our school, and articles like this one could help with our powers of persuasion.

1 comment:

  1. It is so true -- leadership can make or break innovation within the school. I have personally seen both sides of this coin and I much prefer the leadership that thinks creatively to put the interests of the students first. I have read countless studies that describes some of the nation's lowest performing schools raising scores significantly after curriculum became more student-centered. There is a definite lesson to be learned, but not all districts and/or schools are willing to make the dramatic changes necessary.

    ReplyDelete