Leadership in the Digital Age
It will take a situational leader to survive in the digital era. As the learners change throughout "eras", situational leaders’ will adapt to new pedagogy and emerging technology. The situational leaders will assess and reassess the learning environment to diagnosis the state of learners.
The digital age educator must be able to adapt to change. This educator must be willingly open to new pedagogy. Although educators should be passionate about teaching, personal objectives must be implemented through technology. The digital age educator must be a learner as well. Technology advances at very fast pace and training will be consistent.
To prepare for the future, I will to concentrate on learning methods to successfully incorporate emerging technology into pedagogy. I will be a source of motivation for my peers and learners. I am empathic to the unlearned in technology and understand the fears and hesitancy. I will take my experience of those emotions into the teaching environment.
The digital age educator must be able to adapt to change. This educator must be willingly open to new pedagogy. Although educators should be passionate about teaching, personal objectives must be implemented through technology. The digital age educator must be a learner as well. Technology advances at very fast pace and training will be consistent.
To prepare for the future, I will to concentrate on learning methods to successfully incorporate emerging technology into pedagogy. I will be a source of motivation for my peers and learners. I am empathic to the unlearned in technology and understand the fears and hesitancy. I will take my experience of those emotions into the teaching environment.
Challenges with Transformative Leadership
Similar to the (Beaudoin, 2007), opinion, I believe faculty is invested in their own objectives. The majority do not want to make the effort to learn technology or apply new pedagogy. We offer workshops on instructional technology, SLOAN C training and technology conference. The most successful events are the conferences which include lunch. Using transactional leadership, offering incentives will be the most effective motivation to influence faculty to join the evolution of DE. Personally, I believe senior leadership is vital to the advancement of DE. It is their responsibility to motivate their subordinates. Training and DE programs should be made part of the organizations strategic plan requiring faculty to see the urgency and relevance of being an active participant in online learning.
Beaudoin, ASF Series, Vol. 8. chapters 5.1 and 5.2, pp. 73-102
Beaudoin, ASF Series, Vol. 8. chapters 5.1 and 5.2, pp. 73-102
The Role of the Distance Education Leader
The role of a DE leader is to make stakeholders aware of the pedagogy of distance education, and engage in effective communication. DE leaders must be able to provide solutions to challenges. Solutions are gained in part by acknowledging the concerns, establishing a guiding coalition then developing methods of resolutions.
Newly Introduced Change Can Transform the Organizational Culture
To ensure that newly introduced change can transform the organizational culture, the first step is to create a culture of team and collaborative decision making that encourages and supports innovation, provides strong leadership, and recognizes that change takes time. Role models should be visible, communicate expectations and provide support. Inclusive work environments that incorporate the best aptitudes should be expanded. A strong organizational culture of employee empowerment will allow input to be vetted properly with all stakeholders represented properly.
Creating Conditions for Innovation and Change
Kotter defines leadership as “a set of processes that creates organization in the first place or adapts them to significantly changing circumstances.” Leadership requires the ability to stratertgize and motivate people to implement the vision. Management give out direction, however it is up to the leaders of the organization to see that the vision is implemented. It is important that a leader get clear direction from management in order to align employees to the vision.
I found it really interesting that, according to Kotter, “successful transformation is 70 to 90 percent leadership and only 10 to 30 percent management”. This supports the notion that establishing direction, aligning people and motivating people is a more successful approach. Management in which people are directed can lead to complacency, and failing coalitions. It is important that people feel that the vision is obtainable, beneficial.
Kotter, J.P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
I found it really interesting that, according to Kotter, “successful transformation is 70 to 90 percent leadership and only 10 to 30 percent management”. This supports the notion that establishing direction, aligning people and motivating people is a more successful approach. Management in which people are directed can lead to complacency, and failing coalitions. It is important that people feel that the vision is obtainable, beneficial.
Kotter, J.P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Reflections DEPM604
Kotter' View of Organizational Change Problems/Mistakes as it Relates to My Organization.
My place of employment is struggling
with the use of online tools let along DE programs. I work at a university in
the IT Department. It is a constant struggle to convince faculty to participate
in online learning. The students push for it more than the faculty. According
to Kotter, I believe it is a matter of leadership allowing too much
complacency. I think it should be mandatory that faculty utilize online
learning tools such as Blackboard, and Tegrity, The faculty is not willing to
take on the added responsibility of learning and planning for online course
material.
We have an Instructional Technology Department, geared toward supporting the faculty and students. We offer training and support but the percentage of faculty on-takers is low. Faculty are intimated by technology, and unwilling to commit the time needed for training.
The major task is to inspire/motivate faculty and leadership. What do you do when leadership has (in Kotter’s terms) underestimated the vision. When I say leadership, I speak in terms of the university President and Provost. The vision is stifled because IT has the go ahead to promote learning and instruction tools but they don’t help us enforce the usage.
Kotter, J.P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
We have an Instructional Technology Department, geared toward supporting the faculty and students. We offer training and support but the percentage of faculty on-takers is low. Faculty are intimated by technology, and unwilling to commit the time needed for training.
The major task is to inspire/motivate faculty and leadership. What do you do when leadership has (in Kotter’s terms) underestimated the vision. When I say leadership, I speak in terms of the university President and Provost. The vision is stifled because IT has the go ahead to promote learning and instruction tools but they don’t help us enforce the usage.
Kotter, J.P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.