Advancing Cultural Change in Schools Through Empowerment, Training, and Trust

Because Digital Natives think and process information fundamentally differently, we must address the reality that, as Marc Prensky puts it, “our instructors speak a different language than their students (that of the pre-digital age), and our faculty are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” Educational leaders today are faced with a daunting, albeit fundamental, choice. They can create, manage and lead innovation from within, or they can be pressured to change by outside economic and societal forces.

Those who find themselves in positions of influence during this time of unprecedented cultural transition in education are being called to take on the added role of "vital change agent" in their communities. This is a complex responsibility, and many educational leaders struggle as they try to envision how to transform the existing school culture into one that will support an entirely new kind of learning community— One that will serve the digital natives (students), their "digital immigrant" teachers, and the learning community as a whole. This is a tall order all on its own, and when added on top of the many existing responsibilities that educational leaders in K-20 already juggle on any given day, it is understandable that even the most seasoned, conscientious and forward-thinking principal, college dean, school board member and/or district superintendent would be hesitant in the face of launching a potentially costly and media-attracting, comprehensive technology integration plan in their school. Failure would be embarrassing, to say the very least.

This is exactly the point where a Technology Coach can be called in to help lead the charge. It would likely be very useful (and a great comfort) to any school administrator who is embarking on the implementation of a technology integration learning program for the first time to have the ongoing support of a senior education consultant who has been down a similar road before. An experienced Technology Coach can serve to break the inertia of uncertainty and fear that many times exists at the onset of such an undertaking by facilitating and guiding the integration effort on an operational level from the start to help ensure a smooth, efficient and successful implementation. 

The Technology Coach can continually provide encouragement and support as the implementation team works together to bring their shared vision to fruition in spite of any and all obstacles that they may encounter along the way.  The details of the resulting customized integration plan must be unique to the institution and flexible enough at the ground level so the school gets exactly what is needed, but should also be built on  the tenets of empowerment, training, and trust—three pillars which can serve as a sustaining foundation for the emerging community culture. Knowing that constituents in the learning community will embrace holistic changes to their established routines and protocols only if they understand the need for the change, the feasibility of successfully making the change happen, and their involvement in the process, the Technology Coach can begin by collaborating with school leaders to craft a vision for the initiative that elicits broad community involvement. 

The Technology Coach, drawing upon his/her experience and expertise, can serve as an effective guide for the implementation team as they plan, organize, and problem-solve the steps needed to create their new school culture, align constituents with the new vision, and ultimately empower the students, their teachers, the administrators and parents to all become active, contributing participants in an ever-expanding global community of learners.