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June 15, 2002

Leadership Lessons

By Janice Jackson

I wasn't what you'd call an early adopter of technology in the classroom. This is ironic considering that my father was a programmer and, later, a systems engineer for IBM. As an "IBM brat," my introduction to computers came early in the form of Saturday morning romps with my siblings in my father's office where we played with the keypunch machines-and then promptly jammed them. I enjoyed toying with those massive objects, but worried we'd break something if we weren't careful.

Not surprisingly, this caution about technology followed me into my teaching career from the elementary classroom to administrative positions in both the Milwaukee and Boston Public Schools. I am now an assistant professor of education at Boston College, where my tech-savvy colleagues patiently watch as I gradually integrate technology into my courses. I dabble in e-mail to communicate with students and colleagues at BC and other institutions, and I am getting comfortable with my handheld Visor that lets me keep track of appointments, addresses, and notes. Though still a bit hesitant, I have also ventured into the world of presentation software.

Despite my own sometimes halting walk into the world of educational technology, I have seen firsthand the tremendous opportunity technology offers to improve student learning. In a visit to a high school classroom, I saw students using robots to make and test their own hypotheses about principles of physics. I peeked over the shoulders of students who were visiting online museum collections in cities far from their classrooms and sharing their research with fellow students via PowerPoint presentations. And in one poor urban school, I watched movies made by high school students who had videotaped interviews with older members of their communities to document the rich history of their neighborhoods.

As administrators we're required to play an integral role in nurturing teachers' natural curiosity, while also assuaging their fears of using technology in the classroom. For example, on a visit to a school in Atlanta, Ga., I spoke with a teacher who only a year earlier had been reticent to use computers with her students. Her principal had encouraged her to take advantage of training that would teach her how to use a literacy software program to help students decode words. Now, she and her students are enthusiastically using the program to review basic reading skills.

Technology, in the hands of a skillful educator using it to support and enrich learning, can create a sense of wonder and guide students in using higher-order thinking skills. When I visit classrooms, I look to see how students use technology to ask and answer questions because these are often examples of its best applications for learning. I have seen that schools with a well-reasoned plan for the use of instructional technology have the greatest success in integrating it across the curriculum. They place their emphasis not on hardware and software acquisitions but rather on how new technology purchases enhance student learning, as well as teachers' understanding of how students learn.

Lessons Learned

Public education is under great scrutiny at this moment in history. High-stakes testing, school choice, and the search for the most effective foundations for literacy programs are just a few of the topics garnering heated debate. And, as always, the appropriate role of technology as an instructional tool in classrooms still generates a variety of opinions. As education continues to change, there are lessons I've learned in practice that seem to weather all technological change, legislative action, and, ultimately, the test of time.

Respect for the wisdom of children radiates from those who inspire excellence in America's classrooms. Thomas Payzant, superintendent of the Boston Public Schools and my mentor, embodies this wisdom. He keeps a sign on his desk that asks, "What have I done for children today?" He reminds me that no matter what a person's position in the school district is or how far removed they are from interaction with students, he or she must think of their work in terms of how it affects students' learning.

Place the highest priority in your work on teaching and learning. Have a clear vision about what good teaching looks like and how you know your students are achieving at high levels. This vision should be supported by a set of core values that clearly articulate that vision. As educators, our commitment is to ensure that all children in our care are academically and socially successful.

Model mutual respect by looking at educators and students as individuals. In the age of accountability, many leaders focus on the instruments that measure our students' academic achievement. The much-longed-for standardization of instructional practices and educational outcomes will not likely lead to the desired success of America's youth unless we attend to the variety of learning needs they present. A key responsibility of a leader is to embrace the many ways our students learn, and to find ways of rewarding and respecting different ways of understanding the world.

Courage and compassion are at the heart of the work of a good leader. In his book, The Answer to How Is Yes, Peter Block encourages readers to find what matters in their work and to act on that. As an educator, it's critical that you know who you are, what you stand for, and the price you are willing to pay to do your part to improve the life circumstances of children in your care. School leaders are the chief advocates for children and youth. We are often the last line of defense when it comes to making a positive impact on a child's education, so we must embrace and act on that responsibility.

Those who facilitate learning must balance lessons learned through research and those learned through experience. It is important that educators and researchers talk to each other and explore questions that whet their appetites for deeper understanding. Those in practice should remain current on research, but weigh its conclusions against the reality of their day-to-day experience.

Balance in one's life is important to remaining healthy, physically and mentally. The work of transforming schools is daunting at times, making it difficult to disengage from the work and engage in living life. Time to clear my head and be still becomes more important as work demands increase exponentially. I often jokingly tell others that I can tell how stressed I am by how my houseplants are doing. When I fail to pay attention to watering them, I am not paying attention to my own need to be refreshed.

Keeping It in Perspective

As we prepare children for an unpredictable world, we must help them learn to live healthy, happy, and productive lives in the midst of ambiguity. To rise to the challenges of tomorrow, these future decision makers will need to have deep content knowledge from a variety of disciplines, be capable of bringing together seemingly disconnected information to make informed judgments about what is correct, and to think outside of their own experience. They will be asked to function at advanced stages of cognitive and social development. Technology can assist them in facilitating this growth.

Janice Jackson, assistant professor of education at Boston College, specializes in educational leadership and conflict resolution.

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