2. Leading Change & Technological Development
Julian Girdham - St. Columba’s College
Adrian Dungan - St. Gerard’s School

3. Overview of Presentation
Leadership & Planning
ICT & Curriculum
Professional Development
ICT Infrastructure

4. Leadership and Planning - Activity
Think of an ICT initiative that you are involved with OR Are planning to become involved with? Q - What is/was involved in leading change?

5. PADLET tinyurl.com/leadchange2017

6. Leadership & Planning
What are you leading? Why are you leading it? Who else might be involved?
What are you planning? Why are you planning it?
What is your vision? How did you arrive at this vision?
When do you propose to introduce this initiative and sharing that vision?
What fears exist for you, your staff, your students, your parents, your BOM?
How much will it cost i.e. economic, time?

7. Managing the Change Process and Building a Culture
Training and development
Can assist transition and allay fears
Those reluctant to adopt and/or unwilling to engage may not have appropriate skill
Appropriate and relevant training will improve efficiency and morale
Job enlargement vs. compensation for increased workload?
Communication and consultation
Need to convince all stakeholders concerned in order to minimise negativity
Ask questions, set specific target times, ensure close communication to address contentious issues
Regular reviews

8. Changing management style
May require more openness and inclusivity
Creating a dynamic environment which requires flexibility
May require you to adopt role of a facilitator, co-ordinator, mentor.
Facilitative approach may require set objectives, training, communication and appraisal
Empowerment
Stepping back and allowing staff make the decisions?
Quality circles, focus groups where staff meet to discuss ways to improve/enhance
Teamwork and collaboration
Create teams with distributed leadership e.g. to address the aspects of this presentation.
Quality focused outcomes
These must focus on the student outcomes whereby the change has facilitated an enhanced educational and environmental outcome for the learners (students, staff, parents).

9. So what’s our point?
The point is the technology shouldn’t be the point!
Is it a leadership and/or management role?
Is it a process of change or a culture shift? It can be affirmation of good practice.
That fact that ‘I can’ doesn’t mean that everybody else can or the fact that you can’t doesn’t mean everybody else can (feelings of inadequacy?)
It may be as a result of something that arrives on your desk e.g. a social media policy for staff, AUP, internet use, mobile policy.

10. Find enablers, adopters, leaders, detractors. Low effort high impact vs. high effort less impact Enhancing the T&L experience Is it a distraction or a waste of time/effort? Is it purposeful, meaningful and facilitating deeper and lasting understanding? How savvy are the staff and students using ICT? Are we making assumptions - putting the cart before the horse? Establishing the KSA of stakeholders

11. ICT Infrastructure
As part of the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment, funding of €210m for ICT Infrastructure will be distributed to schools over the five years of the Strategy, commencing with €30m in the school year, rising to €50m towards the end of the period ( school year). The first tranche of this funding (€30m) is has been issued to schools.

12. This policy sets out a plan to embed ICT in teaching, learning and assessment through an ambitious programme of work for the period across a number of headings:
Theme 1: Teaching, Learning and Assessment Using ICT
Theme 2: Teacher Professional Learning
Theme 3: Leadership, Research and Policy
Theme 4: ICT Infrastructure

13. Information on eLearning Planning for schools can be found at www
Information on eLearning Planning for schools can be found at
If schools have specific queries in relation to eLearning Planning, these queries can be ed to
ICT advice on suitable technologies and on ICT procurement for schools can be found at
If schools have specific queries in relation to ICT advice or ICT procurement, these queries can be ed to

14. Teaching, Learning and Assessment Using ICT
Do you need to engage or do should you need innovate and lead?
Why should we address the tech?
Digital age. 21st Century Learning.
Is this is how students learn or engage now?
Lifelong learning i.e. enhanced competency and skill-set
Building their resilience, independence, inquiry based learning. Why shouldn’t the students ask WHY. Show don’t tell!
Is it a fad or is it progressive leadership?

15. PDST Best Practice Video
Strand 2 SSE Leadership & Management (
The new Junior Cycle provides opportunities for ICT (CA’s, Short Courses etc.)

16. A Personal Journey
External (cost factor, authenticity, associated with Croke Park) vs. Internal (collegiate, technological know how)
What might it look like?
How do you manage it? ASTI
External - infrastructure, hardware and software
Internal - peer observation, ICT triage, collaborative, show don’t tell (low effort high impact), Teachmeet, Innovation Lunches.
Why? Respectful, Trust, Collegiate, Timely, Brief