e-Learning: Leadership
Turning Resistance into Co operation
I am on an e-learning strategy team in Nelson and we are wanting to assist the school into the e-learning future. Would love to understand from your colleagues who may have resisted change at first, why they resisted change and what helped them begin to embrace the digital era? We want to present the strategy into the school in a way which all teachers will feel excited about the vision. Thanks.
Replies
- Amy McCauley (View all users posts) 10 Sep 2012 7:49pm (257 days ago)
Hi Tania, we have had an interesting journey with our staff - in the past 3 terms we have introduced 100 ipads - at least 3 - 4 for each class, so a real learning journey for our staff. Happy to put questions out to staff for you and answer any questions you may have. Feel free to email me amy@pinehill.school.nz. I have also kept a blog about some of the things we have done to help the staff http://amymmcc.blogspot.co.nz
- Tania from Nelson (View all users posts) 11 Sep 2012 3:01pm (256 days ago)
Thanks so much Amy! Will be in touch.
- Kerry Jenner (View all users posts) 11 Nov 2012 1:40pm (195 days ago)
e-learning - motivate change? Words like resistance to change, challenge to change can be a bit scary. Where is the mutual respect and collaboration when we become evangelical and see others fear, as resistance, even it it manifests in this way? Sometimes looking at the needs of learners is less scary to teachers than someone focusing on the teacher's own professional need, or capability. Recently I came across an artilce in the Listener - about the MOOCs and other ways that tertiary institutions globally are creating ways for all sorts of learners to access education. It was riveting! If ever there was an articel that could inspire teachers who are focussed on learners need - it was this one. I highly recommend finding it and reading it. If we want our learners to have life access to learning (and who doesn't aspire to this?) we need to face fears, not for us, but for our learners. It is sharing this kind of motivation with teachers that can become collaborative as it brings out the best intentions we have together as educators.
- Tessa Gray (View all users posts) 12 Nov 2012 2:17pm (194 days ago)
Thank you Kerry for reminding me what is important when it comes to nudging and nurturing teachers to become more confident and capable users of technology. It reminds me of this quote,
"The cause of resistance to technology is often misinterpreted ...people do not resist the technology itself. People resist what the technology may represent - change, confusion, loss of control, inpersonalisation. As long as these concerns remain unaddressed, technology adoption in any organisation will be an uphill battle." http://www.elearnspace.org/starting/integratingtechlearning.htm
Tania, I hope you don't mind if I cheakily paste a response I had originally posted into the The e-Learning Planning Framework – how and why to use it | NAPP Kōrero 16 thread, I think it might have value here. It reads as,
Back in 2008, Greg Adams wrote that some teachers take to ICTs in the classroom like a 'fish to water' while others like a 'fish to a bicycle'. "The majority are somewhere in-between, searching for ways to improve their knowledge and understanding."
I think we can all agree that individuals differ in their attitudes, acceptance, and readiness to adopt technologies in the classroom. The e-Learning Planning framework itself embodies key understandings from two other frameworks, LoTi (Levels of Technology Implementation) and CBAM (Concerns Based Adoption Model). Both are outlined in this table.
Having a better understanding of this, enables us to develop strategies to better meet individual learning needs. The challenge lies in providing professional learning opportunities that cater for varying levels of e-learning understanding, skill and confidence. Some of these ideas have been touched on before in the Enabling e-Learning | Professional learning threads:
Extra:
10 Ways to Change the Minds of Tech-Reluctant Staff - 21st Century Fluency Project
- David Barry PIck (View all users posts) 13 Nov 2012 8:11pm (193 days ago)
It's interesting isn't it, that we all seem to resist change to a greater or lesser degree. I think there is a whakatauki that roughly translated (or is that remembered?) is "Leaders in front, the followers behind"
One very real personal challenge for me has (and continues to be) to lead from the front by investigating and evaluating change, while ignoring the internal resistance I feel to leaving behind the familiar. At times and especially with e learning, I find it necessary to align with an enthusiast in order to feel the possibilities for improvement. I would suggest that this may give me an advantage when later leading change, because I have an empathy for the resistance. It may also assist by meaning that the resistance, and rationale behind it can be countered.
One of the great thing about teachers and leading them through change is that many quickly grasp the advantages for the learner and so the "evangelism" factor is minimised and Kerry's concern about the mutual respect and collaboration is less of a problem (but point taken)