Transforming learning in schools requires convincing diverse stakeholders to embrace the possibilities of 21st century learning and technology integration. In some schools, teachers and librarians are leading the way: trying to convince administrators to offer support and professional development time. In other places, administrators are trying to earn faculty support for new initiatives aimed at disrupting established patterns of teacher-centered content delivery. In some low performing schools, dysfunctional communication networks are the obstacles to change, and in some high performing schools, a track record of past success is a barrier for preparing for a changing future. All of these diverse scenarios are united by one common need: transforming schools requires a compelling answer to the question “Why Change?”
In this session, we will examine answers to the question “Why Change?” and we will look at strategies for communicating those answers to diverse stakeholders. We will analyze common patterns of ed tech reform in schools, and we will identify successful strategies for supporting reform in diverse settings.
