In the early days of ICT in schools, headteachers could always rely on at least one member of staff taking to the subject as if they had found their life’s destiny.
And, in many cases, heads were content to leave it at that, because it relieved them of the need to keep up too closely with a new and obviously important development. “Computers? Oh, see Chris Johnson.”
Is it still like that? Do school leaders still leave edtech to the staff enthusiasts? Well, yes and no. Today’s headteachers undoubtedly should be more computer-literate than their predecessors. At the very least, they will have a screen on their desk, a portal into the management information system, and the capacity to understand complicated presentations of performance data.
What they also need is the knowledge and professional insight to be able to question rigorously each technological development which is put before them.
That’s because the enthusiasts among the staff still exist. They are the ones who go to the Bett educational computer show and come back filled with gung-ho notions of how the school can be transformed by this or that shiny box or piece of magical software.
Perhaps, for example, these teachers believe that a reasonable aim for the school is for every student to have a portable device (commonly known as “going one-to-one”). Or they may feel that one of the latest learning management systems is going to make teaching both easier and more efficient. Both are valid aspirations given the right circumstances. The world of edtech generates endless possibilities.
For the school leader, two points are important here. One is that they need to keep up their own knowledge of the world of educational technology, and not be swept along by it.
Heads should be at the big computer shows along with their staff - and, to be fair, the organisers encourage this in many ways. The Bett and TES School Leaders Summit, for example, is described as “one of the centrepieces at Bett, aimed at addressing some of the most significant challenges currently facing senior leadership teams”.
The second point is that school leaders must be ready to ask some key questions of any staff member proposing they adopt a new piece of technology. These questions are not designed to discourage but they do serve to remind the edtech enthusiast of some important factors.
These questions are not in any particular order, nor will you necessarily pose them directly. They are, however, useful to consider:
- What do you expect will be the impact on learning? Bear in mind we cannot compromise our existing successful features.
- How will we implement the new system/device across the school? Will there be a small-scale pilot? If so, who will take part and over what period of time? What kind of CPD will be involved, and how will it be handled?
- Is the infrastructure capable of running the new system? Will we need to upgrade the Wi-Fi? If the Wi-Fi cannot cope, there will be failures which will turn staff against the new system, and yet upgrading can be expensive. We need to talk to the network manager about this.
- Are you sure we don’t have the means of doing this already? We pay the licence fees for a lot of software, not all of which is fully utilised. We have existing devices that can be brought up to date. Windows 10, for example, can bring unused computers back into action. Again, we need to bring the network manager into the discussion.
- We need to know the real costs of ownership. The business manager needs to be in on this. Using Microsoft Cloud on a pay-as-you-go basis can be a real advantage.
What is apparent is that adopting new edtech requires a real team approach, with input from all specialities. Some years ago, Isobel Bryce, founding head of Saltash.net community school, spoke of the kind of team most suited to innovation.
“Within your leadership group, [you need] someone to lead at strategic level, the bigger thinker, with the knowledge and expertise to make ICT work effectively across the curriculum,” she said.
“Alongside this person, [you require] two other key people: one is your network manager who, with a team of technicians, is able to support staff as they roll out what they’re asked to do. [The other] needs to be a very strong classroom practitioner who can really lead on ICT supporting learning.
“And, of course, the headteacher has to believe passionately in the project.”
Variations on this formula are possible and common. We’ve already mentioned the business manager, and some would give greater prominence to the network manager as an essential supporter, or perhaps an initiator of change.
The important point, though, is that the enthusiastic visionary cannot go far without being asked to face some practicalities. The ability to do this without dampening creativity or losing the chance of real progress is what leadership is all about.
Gerald Haigh is an education writer and author of 15 books on educational management issues, and was a teacher for 28 years; the Bett Show is on now at the ExCel Centre, London, until 28 January 2017; find out more here.
