Ingredients for Leading for Transformative Change

On May 8th Tech Learning Live Chicago comes to the Lincolnshire Marriott. Among the many other topics being presented at this one-day conference, I will be co-moderating a session that will look at “Leading for Transformative Change.” I will join a group of district leaders who will discuss the ideas, people, and resources needed to spark movements that result in new directions for schools. It is interesting to see how similar and different these mixtures can be. Over the past five years, under the leadership of Dr. Ken Wallace, our schools have helped lead the way in becoming a successful 1:1 Chromebook school district. As we have progressed, we have been active in sharing our successes and challenges through hosting site visits, sharing our resources, and presenting at conferences. In all of these interactions, I’ve learned that no school has the same formula to create a successful 1:1 program. Each has its own set of transformative ingredients to find success. However, there is one constant ingredient for transformation: the power of the learning demonstrated by students. I am amazed by how well kids can react, respond, and adapt to nearly any new situation. For all of the time we spend preparing for worst-case scenarios in 1:1 settings, few of us can imagine the learning opportunities students can encounter under the direction of an excellent teacher. I am often left wondering if we actually get in the way of the most transformative factor in our schools--our kids.

Cross Posted in the Tech & Learning Newsletter