Capstone 4: Systems Designer
Engage
According to the Glossary of Education Reform, "systemic improvement" is synonymous with systemic reform and impacts multiple levels, philosophies, changes, and phases. Within every organization comes the need for change, thus impacting multiple facets of the educational landscape. Rarely does reform impact a single element within a system, but more a multi-faceted and ongoing approach to making things better. Instructional leaders who seek change do their homework and gather data to make informed decisions in an effort to inform school improvement efforts.
Fostering Systemic Improvement
An instructional leaders' role in enacting meaningful change is peppered with initiatives and frameworks. Educational technology is an evolving arena, and school leaders must be mindful of issues impacting systemic improvement.
- ISTE defines Essential Conditions, 14 critical elements necessary to effectively leverage technology for learning. They offer educators and school leaders a research-backed framework to guide implementation of the ISTE Standards, tech planning and system-wide change.
- In addition, the US Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology launched the "Future Ready" initiative in November of 2014 - a commitment by local district leaders to foster a culture of digital learning.
During this Capstone, you will be challenged to critically review and gather data surrounding the elements of a Future Ready school. In addition, you are asked to gather data and engage stakeholders in dialogue about how these pieces impact your Systemic Improvement efforts as an instructional leader. You will be exploring tools and resources from the site to build your skillset from 21Things for the 21st Century Educator (21things4teachers)
