What I have studied in this course so far…
Through the weeks so far in this course I have worked on many of
the E-Activities. I began with stumbling blindly through the orientation
tasks, finding it difficult to understand enough to commit to a research topic
without fully understanding the direction of the course. The ecological
perspective tasks were interesting and challenged / reminded me to look at the
school from a larger perspective. We often become very insular and focus
only on the issues and work in front of us.
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Considering the wider factors as suggested in Davis’
(2013) Arena of Change graphic we are able to effect change more
successfully. The introduction of various change models began as a new
source of confusion mixed with excitement of possibilities. As my
understanding of the different models and they cultures they would be best used
within grew, I could see how aspects of these models have been used within my
own school, and how with proper planning they could be used to effectively
implement change in practice. It is important to be able to view the
institution from an ecological perspective in order to determine which model of
change would be the most appropriate.
I enjoyed the scenario planning, although I did not manage to
complete as many of the E-Learning activities in this area as I would have
liked. The consideration of extreme possibilities appeals to my
imagination. I believe that many effective principals may use scenario
planning instinctively as they consider the ‘what ifs’ and plan to bring about
their ideal.
The
e-Learning Planning Framework is an interesting document. It outlines
a possible pathway for schools in New Zealand to build their e-Learning
capabilities. While there may be aspects missing, it is a workable
framework and I believe would be more trusted by New Zealand Board of Trustees
as it has been developed in NZ.
How will this relate to practice?
In my situation this course is very relevant. Despite the
fact our school is small, the staff are keen to develop more effective
e-Learning strategies – or a scaffolding of skills that will allow students to
participate in e-Learning when they are in the senior end of our school.
All of the aspects considered in this course will assist me to plan a course of
action to support this development and its implementation more effectively.
The questions I am still asking….
Now that I have learnt so much, what else is out there that I
don’t know – but should!
Is developing and implementing effective e-Learning at primary
level (or trying to) worth the effort knowing that most of our students will
attend a high school that has limited support for e-Learning innovations.
Are there models of effective pedagogy that will support
e-Learning development or do we need to invent our own wheel?
Why these questions….
While I enjoy knowledge for the sake of knowledge – if it does not
have practical application it is of less interest to me. J
What I have yet to learn…
Almost everything!!!!
I have to learn how to develop the theory and my new knowledge
into a practical application. How to use these models in my situation to
develop a plan of action to create revolutionary learning experience for my
students… and then how do I share that with others!
Ecological views
Davis, N., Eickelmannt, B., & Zaka, P. (2013).
Restucturing of educational systems in the digital age from a co-evolutionary
perspective. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29, 438-450.
doi:10.1111/jcal.12032
Change Models
Evans, L., & Chauvin, S. (1993). Faculty
developers as change facilitators: The concerns-based adoption model. To
Improve the Academy, Paper 278. Retrieved from
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1277&context=podimproveacad
Legris, P., Ingham, J., & Collerette, P. (2003).
Why do people use information technology? A critical review of the technology
acceptance model. Information & Management, 40(40), 191-204.
Sherry, L., & Gibson, D. (2002). The path to
teacher leadership in educational technology. Contemporary Issues in
Technology and Teacher Education [Online serial], 2(2). Retrieved from
http://www.citejournal.org/vols/iss2/general/article2.cfm
Hi Megan
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your reflection. I think a sa leader within the school you are in such an important role to help guide those around you. I would love to see in the future how this course has adapted the way you approach change and the authentic barriers that you as a leader face.
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your reflection, I can understand the stumbling blindly comment as I too felt like that at the start of the course, and then things started to connect and make more sense. It is a shame that you didn't get to complete all of the scenario planning e-activities, they were quite interesting and helped me to understand a lot more, especially since I was stumbling blindly at the start of that bit as well! I like that you still have questions, shows that you are still learning, as we all are :)
Jen
Hi Megan
ReplyDeleteI like your question and can see where you are coming from; sometimes it can be overwhelming thinking about what we don't know, particularly as we have so much access to information (such as on the SP4Ed course). However, I think the best approach is to take what we do know and apply it as effectively as we can through the use of a process, such as one of the change models.
Cheers
Tim