In Sheninger's book "Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times, he does not spend much time defining what or how to be a digital leader, but what he does do is to show the importance of the technological shift that we are in the middle of. Those of us who are becoming leaders in our school districts, we are the ones that will be leading the charge for this enormous change. Within the book there are several suggestions and ideas to assist in how to move forward with this new type of leadership. One very important part of the book discusses the "7 Pillars of Digital Leadership which includes communication, public relations, branding, student engagement/learning, professional growth/student development, re-envisioning learning spaces and environment, and finally opportunity. These seven pillars are great stepping stones for school administrators to try and impart change in their buildings where technology falls short.
The book also takes the lessons learned by other various leaders to try and show us future leaders different ways and the reasonings behind the technological change that these students are accustomed to and how to get the teachers that are resistant to change on board with where the future is going. Sheninger states that leaders and schooling have not changed much, but how students and staff are getting their information could not be more different, and to combat this a school leader needs to be proficient in the world of technology.
Having grown up and watching the evolve in front of my eyes makes me think back to the 5th grade when I had to do a state report on Florida so I went and found the F encyclopedia and gathered all of my research information from that book. If I were to tell my students today that they could not use the internet, but instead had to find an encyclopedia and gather their information from that, I would have 30 students looking at me like deer in headlights. I would be willing to be that less than 5 of those 30 students would even know what an encyclopedia is or even how to use it. Kids and adults alike are accustomed to instant information at the click of a button. As wonderful as this is in terms of turnaround time, there is still something to be said about digging through the information "the old way."
With technology advancing so much over the last 5-10 years it seems like a constant game of cat and mouse trying to get caught up with the latest technology. One question I do have is how do districts catch up and STAY caught up, especially with the funding issues surrounding education? This will be answered in time I'm sure, but for now all we can do is try our best to introduce new technology to our schools and provide the appropriate training/education for all stakeholders involved, and with more education regarding the technology, the apprehension to use it in the buildings will slowly fade away.
Andy, your anecdote with encyclopedias takes me back in time! It also reminds me of how students don't know how to use land-lines at school; the concept of dialing 9 and having to remember a phone number are definitely fading away. I even had a student asking me where the send button was on my classroom phone. These anecdotes illustrate the need for schools to catch up to the way 21st century students learn and provide them resources to thrive. Great reflection Andy!
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