Leadership for education technology in 21st century schools calls for a holistic, dynamic approach.  The administrator must generate a shared leadership model within the school.  The collective and individual strengths of each stakeholder need to be called upon for designing and launching the enhanced IT environment.  Adaptability and flexibility will be essential for day to day, short and long term goals and activities.

Dancing with ‘change’  becomes the norm not the exception. The driving force within collective leadership is the school’s focus on student goals.  At the heart of the school’s leadership are a collective vision, which calls on the spirit; learning, which invigorates the brain; and action, which produces vigor. From these perspectives, leadership development shifts from individual-centered to collective-centered; from static curriculum and instruction to dynamic content production. The robust technology classroom continuously evolves around students’ personalized learning experiences.  Teachers empower learners; leaders empower teachers.

 An education technology leader first must create a successful foundation by developing a shared vision for within the school.  The administrator must lead the effort with honest communications, sharing expected program outcomes, modeling technology integration, building an effective and supportive infrastructure.  An engaged leader strives to grasp the culture changes happening to stakeholders by understanding new processes, environmental shifts, accelerated pace and robust technology integration that characterize true 21st century schools.  Facilitating consistent professional development and understanding the impact of ‘change’ for individuals is a significant piece of this leadership work.

Michigan’s Freedom to Learn (FTL) administrators’ professional development is a hybrid of education technology research, specifically that of one-to-one teaching and learning, and the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning’s (McREL’s) Balanced Leadership. Rich education technology engagement causes a dramatic shift in educational practice presenting opportunity and challenge.  The leaders’ ability to navigate and guide a transformed ecosystem is critical for success.

Planning is crucial.  For some, the changes from traditional to a high tech environment will be embraced.  For others, the divergence will seem to ‘attack’ core values and beliefs.  Those in the latter group need the collective leaders to address their fears while encouraging risk-taking in a safe environment. McREL calls this ‘leading second order change’ in schools.  There are 11 leadership responsibilities necessary for facilitating second order change (McREL 2005).  Those responsibilities coincide with what we have learned about leadership needs for implementing education technology rich environments.