Honey vs. Vinegar: Technology Leadership

Nervous, excited, anxious.  Butterflies.  Playing sports all my life, it was a very familiar feeling, but this time, it wasn't on any court or any field.  It is 6:53 in the morning and I am walking into my first day of school not as a teacher but as an administrator in the technology department.  It was a move that has and will continue to excite me beyond words.  My first week had lots of challenges to speak about, internet outages, computer troubles, logistical issues, but there was one thing that I learned from that week and it is something that I believe should resonate with any and all technology integrators.  Technology leadership is not about the devices, the network, or some other nerdy technology-related ideas, but rather it is about people. Over the last 20 years school districts across the country have tried to grapple with the vast changes that define 21st century learning.  One of the obvious differences is the ubiquitous nature of technology in our society, and it is logical that schools, in the spirit of preparing our students for a digital world, try and adopt new methods that teach students how to use technology.  It is in this train of thought that the problem lies.  Simply placing devices in the hands of students, teachers, and administrators is not enough to guarantee success.  Nor is it enough to host training after training and expect everyone to become technology geniuses overnight.  Like any leadership position, it is helping people realize their greatest professional self by leveraging the tools available to them.  It's always important to reflect to gain perspective on your current situation and reevaluate when and where to move forward, and through this process these three ideas have resonated with me over the past 2 months since that first day.

It's A Journey

Empathy

Clouds and Dirt

Over the last couple of months I have learned a tremendous amount about technology leadership, but my journey is only beginning, and I have much more to learn.  However, I think a firm grounding in the tenants above are a good starting point who is currently in or looking to break into the field.