Leadership & Service
What I want to be as an Educational Technology Leader
As an educational technology leader I want to promote digital literacy by bringing researched methods into the classroom for the use of technology, both current and emerging; helping transition our education system into one that better fosters learning through discovery and creativity. Having the privilege of starting k-12 in the early 1990's I have watched the technology landscape grow from word processing and calculation machines into tools that can help make research, education, industry, and many other fields more effective and efficient as long as sound methods of implementation and use are practiced. Newer generations of learners are going to be more and more accustomed to multimedia and interactive content; having not known a world before the internet. The ability to be constantly connected, as well as a hunger for immediate results, has influenced how young people interact with the world around them. In his interviews with students, Wagner (2008) notes that they are increasingly becoming more impatient with traditional lecture style of learning and diligent reliance on textbooks for information. Following this evolution of learning preferences, rather than ignoring it for a more traditional educational environment, will help to motivate today’s students and promote digitally literate citizens of the world.
My Educational Leadership Philosophy
Having such a strong IT support background, the situational approach to leadership highlights much of how I approach any interaction; be it a client or a follower or subordinate. The premise of situational leadership is that “different situations demand different kinds of leadership” (Northouse, 2022). Remaining adaptable to the needs of followers allows me to adjust my leadership style dependent on the level of support and direction that they need. Using a combination of supportive and directive behaviors I’m able to flow into a leader that provides high levels of support and direction where needed, and then backing down to lower direction and/or support when followers can feel and act highly competent and/or are committed to the tasks set forth.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California, United States of America: Sage.
Wagner, T. (2008). The Global Achievement Gap. New York: Basic Books.