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Organizational Change Plan/Strategy Part B
Change is challenging, particularly in the education system, which has seen minimal transformation over the past century. Despite the immense challenges we encounter in our daily lives as educators, we remain committed to our dreams and objectives of making a meaningful impact upon our students. Leading innovative change in a tense environment requires me to be a self-differentiated individual who supports, educates, identifies, and creates opportunities for the benefit of the entire district. In recent weeks, I have explored highly effective strategies that I consider the foundation of valuable leadership, initiating changes that enable continuous progress in my organization. To be leaders of change and enhance our work relationships, we must be effective communicators who convey the truth respectfully. Addressing any change in our organization necessitates dealing with the core issues. The core is where the essence of the problem resides. We cannot change someone who is unwilling, but we can influence outcomes by focusing on behaviors. As the program advances, so does my Innovation Plan, and I am prepared to implement it as the new school year approaches. The plan includes adopting a blended learning environment that integrates technology in all fourth-grade classrooms. Leading change requires careful consideration of various factors. Why would someone comply with your request? Which key behaviors need alteration? How will you implement your plan, and how will you manage when emotions intensify?
Understanding the “Why” behind your actions is crucial before initiating change within your organization. If you can articulate the core reasons for the changes you wish to implement, people are more inclined to support and follow your lead, particularly if they resonate with your rationale. My "why" is that I believe our students have the right to explore learning using curiosity which will inspire them and transform lives by creating independent thinkers.
By establishing a significant learning environment in the classroom with blended learning, we promote curiosity and inquiry with flexible, student-centered instruction. Here, students are empowered with choice, ownership, and voice over their education, leading to enhanced knowledge and a commitment to lifelong learning. By embracing my "why" while implementing my innovation plan I am confident that I will be able to nurture a passion for learning in my students by integrating technology and inquiry, preparing them for success in our tech-centric society. We must commit to our "why," listen to our hearts, adopt blended learning, and utilize technology effectively. Our goal is to tailor education to each student, enabling them to become the best versions of themselves.
The subsequent phase in driving change involves identifying the behaviors and actions required to achieve this transformation. Consider the end goal and the influencer strategies, vital behaviors, and the six sources of influence that will have the greatest impact to maximize support for your plan.
To achieve my goal of leading my school in creating genuine learning environments, we must leverage technology and a blended learning approach to foster self-directed learning, granting students choice, ownership, and voice to enhance collaboration and exploration. It's crucial to utilize our influencer strategies and identify the key behaviors we aim to transform. Identifying our organizational influencers is essential; for me, these include the principal, assistant principal, mentor teachers, department chairs, and the curriculum director. Once identified, we must understand what influences our vital behaviors within the district, such as recognizing the obvious, identifying crucial moments, learning from positive outliers, and detecting culture busters. The success of my innovation plan will be measured by these criteria:
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Mentor teachers and administrators will conduct informal observations of blended learning units to evaluate the advancement in student-centered learning and engagement.
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Teachers and mentor teachers will evaluate student progress using a rubric.
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Students will offer feedback on their experiences within a blended learning environment.
I am committed to adhering to the six sources of influence to garner teacher support for my innovation plan. This will help shape the vital behaviors so that we can reach my goal. My focus will be on their personal motivations, helping teachers grasp the importance of a blended learning environment and its potential to enhance their teaching while also providing efficiencies in lesson planning. I will then address their personal ability by starting from the initial rollout phase, observing and co-teaching in a blended learning setting within the classroom weekly, and continuing this support periodically throughout the school year. In terms of social motivations, we will encourage teachers to recognize the positive impact of a blended learning environment on our students and share insights during our meetings. For social abilities, I will create a blended learning folder in our school's Google Drive as a collaborative space for teachers to share activities and resources they have found or successfully implemented in their classrooms, thus inspiring others. Another key focus is social motivation, for which we will allocate extra conference periods to allow ample collaboration and planning time. This strategy promotes a learning environment where students enjoy greater choice, ownership, and voice, leading to genuine learning experiences in the blended learning classroom. Finally, structural ability is crucial; we must ensure that each classroom has the necessary technology and resources to support blended learning activities for students. This is vital because, no matter how much teachers and administrators strive to adopt a blended learning approach, without the right tools, it will not succeed.