In my last post, I talked about the importance of the commitment of the principal to his ongoing professional learning, and the need and importance of developing and maintaining (be a consumer and a producer) his or her professional learning network to connect with a community of knowledge and resources. We must make it a priority.

(Can easily be adapted for principals)

In addition, I have provided some examples of behaviors that school administration could adopt to transform certain routines and make professional development and networking daily activities. In my opinion these are essential in initiating and sustaining a shift to the digital age in a school.

WHERE AM I AT ?

It is important that principals self-assess their own practices to see which ones are «digital age worthy» and model the 6C’s, and which ones are not.

 

 

To do so, I suggest consulting the SAMR and T-Pack models. These are great starting points and can (with a bit of tweaking) help the principal transform his or her practices and maybe even help monitor progress as a pedagogical leader in the digital age. Teachers should also assess and monitor their shift to the digital age. These two models can guide the transformation of pedagogical practices. It goes without saying that the principal must model for staff, students and parents innovative practices and life-long learning.

TECHNO-PEDAGOGICAL VISION

If we are to tackle building a shared techno-pedagogical vision with staff, we must first know what the technological profile of our school is. In order to determine this profile, an inventory of technological tools must be completed and this for each of the rooms in the building. How many desktop computers do we have? iPads? Smart Boards? Laptops? Chromebooks? Is the wireless network reliable and powerful enough throughout the entire school? What about wireless access outdoors on school grounds? Do we have a BYOD policy in place ? Here is an example of what an inventory can look like, however there is an abundance of examples on the Internet to help inspire you.

Once the principal and teachers have a clear understanding of where they stand in regards to shifting practice and pedagogy to the digital age, along with the school’s technological profile, the ground is fertile to engage in great reflection and discussions in regards to the school’s techno-pedagogical vision.

Here is a great visual that I love to share, and shows that without vision, there is confusion:

Here are some great questions to help fuel your reflection and discussions:

• What do we hope to see in our classrooms in 2 years from now?
• In what ways are we going to collaborate, share and reflect on our practice?
• What high-performing pedagogical practices do we prioritize to help develop our students «21st century» competencies (6Cs)?
• What are the evidences that we are shifting our practices to the digital age?
• What are the roles of teachers and students in a partnership context for learning in the digital age?
• What is our budget plan in regards to furnishing our classrooms in a way that facilitates the implementation of a participatory pedagogy?
• How are we using technology to help our students become independent learners?
• How are we using technology to transform and redefine learning?
• How is technology helping to transform and redefine our teaching practices?

 

Good luck! I hope this post will be helpful, and I invite you to leave a comment below ! I leave you with this thought: