Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Panel one. Key factors facilitating evolution from one stage to the next (continued)
and administration in a relevant manner. The principal considered the school's well-
established professional development program to be effective and that it related ICT use
to curriculum objectives. The principal had also gained valuable experience in dealing with
technical consultants and vendors and had the knowledge and confidence to determine
whether proposed solutions were appropriate for the school.
Stages 3 to 4 (Example: School 3)
Key factors
•
Strong belief in the value of ICT to support curriculum and administrative
objectives
•
Strong vision and leadership provided by top management
•
Planned professional development
•
Innovative approach to ICT use
•
An ability to recognize and leverage the support of external agencies/business
partnerships
•
Strong commitment to ICT resourcing that is driven by targeted development
policies
•
Willingness to be a leader among other schools.
School 3's culture strongly valued and encouraged ICT use. Its principal had built with
vision upon the previous management's commitment to ICT. She had a wide knowledge of
ICT and its educational application, and encouraged innovation and creativity in the use
of ICT within the school environment. She actively sought to model ICT use and
encouraged staff use by creating appropriate organizational expectations, for example,
requesting electronic copies of long-term plans to be emailed or stored in a shared directory.
The principal also took a strong leadership role, placing value on being a part of a
community of learners in ICT and fostering interest and understanding by sharing resources
and ideas. Most importantly, she had a core belief in the value the ICT holds for education.
The school demonstrated a strong commitment to providing well-planned profes-
sional development opportunities for staff, including training sessions, seminars, and
workshops on the use of ICT in education. The case evidence also suggested a strong
commitment to ICT resourcing coupled with a careful purchasing policy as an important
characteristic of planning maturity. Maximizing the support received from external service
providers further enhanced the school's ability to provide appropriate resources.
principal found it difficult to make decisions on technical matters, such as identifying network
requirements: “
I'll have to get my head around networking because there are different
types
.” This lack of knowledge necessitated reliance on external expertise, but the principal
found the advice received was not always what was best for the teachers and students.
The principal's comments in this regard, along with other evidence, suggest that Stage
2 schools tend to be aware of the gaps in and problems with their infrastructure. Certainly,
the principal of School 1 held that the ICT plan should provide for targeted professional
development, and, indeed, the school was beginning to shift its professional development
