What is ISTE doing to train leaders?

Last Saturday, I invited readers to send me comments and concerns about how well ISTE is serving the profession, and promised to take those thoughts to the ISTE leadership in my role as board member. One of my Minnesota colleagues took me up on it.

His concern/question was: "What is ISTE doing around the issue of leadership development ...?"   adding "We have got to get our leaders on board - otherwise, nothing is going to happen. You know this, I know this. I'm frustrated that more ed tech organizations / corporate partners / government agencies are ignoring the leadership piece - they keep focusing on students and teachers, despite those individuals' inability to effectuate systemic change... " Great question and valid observation.

I forwarded these comments to the Board and ISTE CEO Don Knezek replied in short order. He's graciously allowed me to post his answer to the question above here in the Blue Skunk (for both readers, I told him.)

Does ISTE do enough to support and train leader in school change and effective use of technology? Of course not. If it did, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But I would challenge you to find an organization that does more.

And of course if you are not already an ISTE member, please consider joining whether a library media specialist, technologist, classroom teacher, administrator, college professor or any other shape or form of educator. For me, one of the major strengths of ISTE has always been the diversity of member job types, K-16. English teachers are members of NCTE; math teachers, NCTM; librarians, AASL, etc.. ISTE members share a single common element - a desire for improved education through the use of technology.

Here are Don's comments: 

 Hi Doug (and ...):

Thanks so much for giving me this opportunity to reflect on the many activities ISTE has underway to address technology leadership for learning.

Scott mentioned ISTE’s Institutes -- a blended, extended leadership development program that takes a school administrator and leadership team through a shared learning experience around school change and sustaining innovation, and mentors the team virtually as it develops plans for addressing specific school-improvement projects through technology-rich interventions.  This model enhances shared school leadership for technology and encourages development of a culture conducive to effective use of technology.  Our largest implementations of this model have been in support of schools awarded HP Grants and schools in the eMINTS program in Missouri.

ISTE also offers a similar blended and extended development experience for cohorts of school principals which offers them a multi-year professional development experience for leadership with technology.  Our largest implementation of this model to date involves well over 200 principals in the Chicago Public Schools.  We’ve customized similar programs for about 90 principals in Miami-Dade County, as well as school leaders in Buffalo and other locations.

When given the opportunity (every district in Wisconsin, for example), ISTE has worked with teams (involving the Superintendent and 3 to 5 principals from a district) around this “leadership for school transformation” agenda.

These models also take participants through self-assessment against essential conditions identified as necessary for effective technology implementation systemwide.

It is nice to see the ISTE collaboration mentioned with the Johns Hopkins University School of Professional Studies in Business and Education that delivers online a graduate certificate program in Administration and Supervision focusing on instructional technology and the NETS•A to national and international audiences.  This program prepares aspiring administrators and supervisors with effective strategies and tools to deal with issues of leadership and educational technology while ensuring that all students, including students with diverse learning needs, succeed.

ISTE has supported other educational leadership development programs as well with professional development, application of standards to the leadership development process, referrals of candidates, and even letters of support to strengthen their opportunities to receive grant funding to support their programs.
 
ISTE does publish books widely used by education leaders to improve their own capacity to lead and use technology.  A few of those include:
• Making Technology Standards Work for You: A Guide for School Administrators
• Self-Assessment Activities for School Administrators: A Companion to Making
  Technology Standards Work for You
• Administrative Solutions for Handheld Technology in Schools
• Online Professional Development: A Customized Approach for Technology Leaders
• The Electronic Briefcase for Administrators:  Tools and Templates
• We’re Getting Wired, We’re Going Mobile, What’s Next?
• 1-to-1 Learning:  Laptop Programs that Work
• 101 Best Web Sites for District Leaders
• 101 Best Web Sites for Principals
• Technology Innovation and Educational Change: A Global Perspective
• The Technology Coordinators Handbook
• Teachers as Technology Leaders:  A Guide to ISTE Technology Facilitation and
  Technology Leadership Accreditation
• And a variety of revealing works related to:
   - Project-Based Learning Using Information Technology
   - Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology
   - Using Existing Technology to Promote Higher-Level Thinking
   - Concept Mapping
   - Web Searching Strategies
   - Computer Ethics, Etiquette, and Safety
   - Emerging technologies: Handheld Computers, Smartphones, e-Books, Podcasts

ISTE also addresses leadership issues within our periodicals:  Learning & Leading, and the research journals.

We are launching a series of webinars featuring our authors, many of whom focus on leadership for technology in schools.  In the last year we’ve conducted online conferencing events featuring Tim Magner and his vision for the Office of Educational Technology in the U.S. Department of Education, and Hilary Goldmann, our Director of Government Affairs discussing policy and advocacy … and both were specifically targeted to our leadership special interest groups.

Four special groups with which ISTE has specifically addressed leadership for technology are (1) Education Technologists from each of the Department of Defense schools in the EU, (2) national trainers from 70+ countries for Microsoft’s Partners in Learning ICT infused project-based learning curriculum, (3) members of the Association of International School Heads (AISH), and (4) TRIO Project teams from across the country.

ISTE offers expert facilitation of strategic planning for education organizations and institutions including guided analysis using the Implications Wheel process to explore the possible consequences (intended and unintended) of decisions and actions being considered for movement toward a desired future.

ISTE supports Special Interest Groups for administrators and for technology coordinators where leaders support each other in their pursuit of effective school leadership with technology.

ISTE works to establish state-based advocacy teams, provides an advocacy toolkit online, and collaborates with CoSN in providing the Educational Technology Action Network (ETAN), a powerful tool to help Superintendents and other school leaders effectively advocate for policy and programs that ensure engaging learning experiences for today’s digital learners.  

ISTE will involve our Affiliates and others in the Spring of 2007 to build their capacity to support leaders in their geographic areas to advocate effectively.  And, at least annually ISTE teams with other educational technology organizations to conduct an Advocacy Bootcamp and Legislative Hill Day in Washington, DC.

Also later this school year we will be teaming with ISTE collaborators to offer regional leadership events … much like the Southwest Leadership Academy we held in the Phoenix area a little over a year ago …  to provide some support and dedicated time for leadership teams from schools and districts to begin to shape a shared vision for educational technology in their institutions or systems, and to plan next steps in moving toward that vision.

A substantive shell of leadership and policy has emerged around the tremendous best-practices experience that is the NECC Conference.  Just this year, events that come to mind include:
• ISTE’s Annual Leadership Symposium
• ISTE’s Digital Equity Summit
• ISTE’s Superintendent Summit
• Technology Leadership Forum 2006
• ISTE/CoSN Chief Technology Officers’ (CTO) Forum
• NECC Exhibits (over 500 providers)
• 2006 ISTE Outstanding Leader Award
• The Sylvia Charp Award for District Innovation in Technology (with THE Journal)
• NECC’s entire Vision, Leading & Accountability strand; NECC Leadership Workshops

ISTE is building a special leadership thread for NECC 2007, collaborating with the Georgia Leadership Institute and ISTE’s leadership SIGs to develop programming and networking opportunities to support education leaders in building community.

ISTE conducts an annual National Education Association Leadership Summit in Washington, DC typically leading a couple of dozen education associations addressing such topics as:
• Making the case for educational technology
• Using technology to improve professional development
• Defining an intentional role for associations in the future of education
• Essential elements for transforming schools for the digital-age learner

ISTE and ASCD have worked to be involved in each others conferences over the last couple of years and have even encouraged some activity between each organization’s state affiliates.  We have been very supportive of the NSBA T+L conference striving to provide important experiences to their members at that event.

ISTE builds vision for transforming schools by exhibiting thought leadership in the media, through participation in summits, and through extensive speaking to groups of education policymakers and education leaders.   And, the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS•A), which will go through a refresh between NECC 2008 and NECC 2009, offer a great deal of support and guidance for leaders in education and technology.

Just a few quick thoughts on your blog topic.  Feel free to share these.

Thanks,
Don Knezek
ISTE CEO

Comments

[project management professional exam]

I see that's lot for an answer of the question, "What is ISTE doing around the issue of leadership development ...?" which is raise by Doug.

Well, I can see that Don's answers are comprehensive and shows that there project management are well. Keep it up!