iBook Technology Leadership

Technology Leadership By Peter Albion

Janet Holmes Fabrice Laguerre

February 1, 2014

Purpose
To

review the scholarly literature about technology leadership for key themes for the current state of the field with implications and directions. To analyze the relationship between technology leadership and technology indicators.

Question
In

the Age of sustainable education reform, what does the literature on technology leadership and education reveal about key themes in the field?

Information
Three broad categories emerge: The need for and nature of technology leadership

Visionary and cultural dimensions of technology leadership

Distributed leadership Parallel leadership Change Theory Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Learning by discovery Social capital and networked organizations Structural view Impact of ICTs Professional Development Teacher Education Program E-Leadership Learning and communicating technologies

Technology and the work of educational leadership

Information

Leadership goes beyond principalship. Should create a system within the school that would survive succession and promote continuous organizational improvement. Technology leadership goes beyond infrastructure. Leaders influence teachers technology use. 268 principals not qualified or comfortable to make technology decisions, but unwilling to relinquish decision making. Study identified key characteristics of technology leadership: Visionary leadership Development of appropriate policies and plans for technology implementation Understanding of teachers individual progression with technology Participatory decision making as important aspects of leadership for promoting technology use

Inferences
Technology

leadership with distributed leadership = Alignment of technology use with the curriculum and mission of the school, the presence of teacher leadership allowing teachers agency to influence technology development throughout the school, and public/private roles for technology.

Point of View
The

point of view is taken from the perspective of a learning organization Technology leaders in education

Assumptions
Technology

Leadership should incorporate distributed leadership and/or parallel leadership. Leadership style needs to be flexible. School and district policies, practices, and leadership influence various technology uses.

Concepts

Net use student and teacher use of email Technology integration the number of teachers integrating technology in various activities Student tool use the extent to which students used computers for academic work Distributed leadership a network of relationships within an organization Parallel leadership teacher leadership operates alongside the leadership of the principal Change Theory Organizational Vision and Culture Social Capital Networked Organization

Implications

There is a need for technology integration in curriculum training. A technology leader needs to have a substantial knowledge of education and technology. Further research is needed on distributed leadership within technology leadership. IT should be viewed as leaders and task-oriented. The design of postgraduate courses should prepare technology leaders and preservice teachers.

Implications

Technology leadership should transform learning for global understanding. Through distributed leadership, leaders must be active in conducting and applying research in their educational institution. Leader must develop organizational vision and change culture. Technology leader must build and maintain technology culture. Information and Communication Technology Coordinators need to be recognized as leaders and provided with resources necessary to adequately perform the role. There is a lack of leadership from principals in an area for which they feel less qualified.