For the last several weeks, I have been learning a great deal about facilitating change in an organization. The book Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change (Grenny, 2013) has been helpful an understanding the steps that I will need to take in order to help implement my project successfully. Begin with the needed get very clear about the desired result I was looking to achieve. In this case my goal is that by December 2019 at least 25% of the teachers on my campus will be implementing some type of computational thinking activity as a part of the learning in a project. I can’t just jump right in with a project and goal. Everyone’s first reaction is going to be to push back and avoid it. I have to start with the “Why”. Going back to my earlier post [link] where I outlined the Why, How, and What of my innovation project, you can see the reasoning behind starting from why. For the teachers were going to begin by talking about the need for building resilience and confidence in learners. This is an entry point that teachers can understand, they believe in, and see value in. It’s at this point that the vital behaviors I have listed out we’ll begin to have an impact. To help support that, teachers need to see evidence of this process and its effects outside of their classroom. This will help others see the work and be more open to joining in. It will also keep reinforcing the work that the current teachers are doing. It’s part of that peer influence. By getting influencers on board I will also give myself a better chance of success. The influencers I’ve listed out here are ones to help carry on the work and are a part of the infrastructure of implementing the work. In addition, I’ve been carefully selecting the first teachers I’m working with. They have various roles on the campus including department chair and team lead. More importantly, these teachers our “Opinion Leaders.” The other teachers in the building respect their opinion and listen to them. Having them be a part the growth faces of the project is critical. Before beginning it’s important to give the teacher the personal support they need for success. If they don’t have buy-in to begin with, then the project will go forward. Part of the buy-in comes from the teacher understanding why this project is important. They need to believe that developing stronger problem-solving skills will give their students the needed tools to become better learners. Wanting to do the project is not enough. The teachers also have to understand what computational thinking is, how to teach it, and most importantly how to measure it. These tools will give him the starting foundation. To support the teachers in taking on this risk I’m going to make use of their current curriculum and current project. Instead of coming up with something completely new we’re you use a project they’re already working with and adjusted this would give them a structural support to help them be more successful. I am not a proponent of just applying technology to a problem and calling it “solved”. The technology is just a different way to access learning. I believe in the same thing when working with teachers. I am also working with my students to start the process of helping teachers test out the projects before-hand and have examples of what the possible out-comes will look like. Even if the students have choice in the outcomes, it is much easier to start something new if you have an idea of what it could look like. The social supports are going to be critical for this. Many of the teachers I am starting with are putting in computational thinking on their own. It isn’t something their team is doing. Having support is critical. I am enlisting help from a number of sources on campus. To start, I am utilizing many of my students who are excited to help teachers implement this in their classroom. Our campus Digital Learning Coaches and Instructional Coaches are a second source of support. The first teachers I am working with are also opinion leaders on campus. Their backing will go a long way to this being something that happens all over campus. My campus and district administration are being supportive. Finally, I will be working with the teachers to create a support network on campus. This will be the key component to having this become self-sustaining and not something that only happens because I am pushing it. References
Cross, J. (2013, March 20). Three myths of behavior change: What you think you know that you don’t. [video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/l5d8GW6GdR0 Grenny, J. (2013, April 26). Change behavior: Change the world. [video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/6T9TYz5Uxl0 Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading change. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Kotter, J. (2011, March 23). The heart of change. [video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/1NKti9MyAAw Kotter, J. (2013, August 15). Leading change: Establish a sense of urgency. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtu.be/2Yfrj2Y9IlI Sinek, S. (2013, September 29). Start with why: Ted talk. [video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/sioZd3AxmnE
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About 5304This is my fifth course in the Lamar University Digital Leading and Learning program. I am now working on how to create the change in my school to facilitate the successful completion and longevity of my project. ArchivesCategories
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