We all know change is a constant. Can the direction of change be controlled?
A very experienced teacher was anxious about using an online survey to gather feedback from her Stage 6 students. For Americans and other foreigners, Stage 6 is the last two years of high school in New South Wales. This teacher was afraid of what the students might write and how their feedback would impact her professional self-image.
She sent the survey. Six months later, these types of surveys are now an integral part of her teaching. She uses them to fine-tune her delivery and give the students ownership over the learning process.
She is no longer afraid of what the students write in survey responses.
There is a wider story. The school where she works hires an independent consultant to survey leaving students about their teachers. Various criteria are coalesced into a single percentage mark. The school considers anything below 80% to be of concern.
The teacher in question controlled change at personal risk. She is now well placed to thrive in an organisation which demands accountability.
A minister once told me that there are two things people hate. The first is the way things are. The second is change.
When suggesting technology integration, I'm often asked “why should I do this?”. There is a flavour to that question that is much more about culture and relationships than it is about a shiny new toy or the effectiveness of a LMS. Cultural/relational problems might just need cultural/relational solutions – not technological ones.
