ICT planning: real goals from a cloudy vision

Everyone agrees that school implementation of ICT into the curriculum is very complicated. And every one talks about goals and strategic planning. But there are dangerous distractions for school leaders taking their attention off what really matters. I think what matters is kids learning, and that we should focus most of our attention on this. But look at what gets in the way.
Here are the four strands that the Digital Education Revolution (DER) set out as the basis for school strategic planning.
Schools are reporting to DEEWR on their achievement of these four strands. However, there are many such lists of goals. Most ar similar, but they approach the task from different perspectives.
Here is another set of national goals for integration of ICT, alongside the DER four strands.

I have drawn lines to connect elements that seem to match. Clearly, the Making Change Happen set of goals is broader, and is focused more on student learning and outcomes.

But lists can be quite deceptive and cloud our vision because they imply that listed items are of similar importance. They rarely are. A more precise list of the elements would look like this:
But this is my judgment of their relative position. The original document does not tell the reader this information. But there is only a limited indication in this list of the relative importance of the 3 main items.

Pity the poor school administrator who is looking for a quick overview of what to focus on when planning school ICT development. No one needs to tell school principals that ICT infrastructure is costly, complex and urgent. Unless one has a clear view of direction, the urgent will tend to displace the important.

Smartphones overtake PC and notebooks

A remarkably detailed presentation Internet Trends by Morgan Stanley, just published, has some very striking things to say about the mobile world taking over the internet. They predict that sales of smartphones will overtake combined computer sales by 2011 (in Nth. On the graph, smartphones is the green bar. Also notice that desktops have leveled off and notebooks have been ahead since 2009. A bit sad to note that some secondary schools are still purchasing large numbers of desktops.

It seems that they have not included iPad type devices in the graph, which are neither a phone nor a notebook. I think they classify more as a mobile device than not, and their amazing take-up will make the changes all the more dramatic.

The move to mobile devices has a message for schools, surely, though the well practiced habit of education in holding itself at least 5 to 10 years behind societal trends will continue, no doubt. But when students can pull out of their pocked or their bag, a small device that is more effective in accessing the internet than what the school has to offer, guess which one they will use?

Strategic planning for school ICT - there be dragons there

Strategic planning is a well meaning strategy for school to manage the very real complexity of change. It creates a nice logical structure, but hidden within the process are some very real dragons that can smite well intentioned school administrators setting out on this voyage of school improvement.

Here are the typical stages for strategic planning for the use of ICT. First, the happy scenario without the dragons.

1. Assess where you are
A small team of leaders and special interest people review what happens in the use of ICT, maybe surveying staff and consulting teachers.
2. Identify where you want to be
The planning group explore reasonable next steps for development based on what exists and what is desired.
3. Identify actions
The planning group in consultation with staff decide on actions to improve the program.
4. Document the plan
The details of what is planned are documented and distributed.
5. Implement the plan
The teachers and others involved in the implementation proceed with the agreed plan.
6. Review what you have achieved
The planning group or another group survey, measure and and assess how much improvement has occurred the the cycle of improvement starts again.

When dragons exist, and they usually do, they smite the unsuspecting sailor who is simply trying to get from A to B. This is what might happen to the strategic planning process.

Stages 1-4
The planning group of leadership people and enthusiasts for ICT may not have the same perspective as that of the average teacher and so may proceed without understanding the impediments. They may be influenced by technology enthusiasts in the planning group rather than the curriculum leaders. Dragon 1, experts leading the way. Planning stages 1-4 assume that the planning group and those they consult with actually know the direction the development should take. There is a sense of confidence about actions to take that is not justified. Dragon 2, a false sense of clear direction. Planning by a small group of people with a mission can easily become too ambitious and complex as the planning process takes on a life of its own. Dragon 3, excessive complexity. This dragon is particularly dangerous because its existence is used to justify a planning group doing most of the thinking because it is too complex to interest normal teachers.

Stage 5
This may be the first time the general teacher population are really engaged with the changes, and they may not be happy or committed. Dragon 4, disengaged teachers.

Here are some steps that will help avoid the dragons.

Dragon 3 - excessive complexity
Settle on a small number of objectives that are directly related to student learning. For example:
Primary benefits of technology in learning: students achieve higher levels of: [from the Florida Matrix]

• Active engagement in learning - choosing, selecting, pursuing topics
• Collaboration with peers, experts, near and far
• Constructive activities to build understanding, sharing, publishing
• Authentic learning engaging with real world issues beyond the school
• Goal directed planning, monitoring, reviewing - metacognition

I think these five elements adequately sum up how ICT can benefit learning. Teachers understand them all. They are widely accepted and are unlikely to change very much, and are not dependent on any particular technology.

Dragon 1: experts leading they way
Listen to experts by all means, but test their input with teachers all the way along. Last year's solution might not work now.
Dragon 2: a false sense of clear direction
Test innovations in the classroom before adopting them, gaining supporters along the way. Gain commitment to it being a learning process for classroom practice, not simply the implementation of a set procedure.
Dragon 4: disengaged teachers
Involve teachers all along the way in change they can observe in students.

To the unwary, the six step strategic planning process is a risky way to plan a voyage into unfamiliar territory.

Image: Baylee46

Planning for school improvement (and avoiding strategic planning)

The short video (3min 30 sec) explains some of the limitations of strategic planning for ICT development in schools. Then it outlines an alternative approach - emergent planning.

See the next post for more on strategic planning.