WHY Statement:
We believe in empowering educators through the Blended Learning Leadership Program, nurturing their confidence in digital learning to become inspirational leaders who guide students to seize their fullest potential.
HOW Statement:
To achieve this, we create a significant learning environment by modeling the COVA approach to enhance teachers' self-efficacy, guiding them to transition from teacher-centered to learner-centered classrooms.
WHAT Statement:
We prepare educators to lead the transformation from traditional to innovative classrooms, fostering motivated learners who take charge of their educational journeys.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a profound reevaluation of teaching approaches, revealing a stark divide between those familiar with technology and those thrown into chaos. Districts were fast to supply teachers and students with devices, but what they didn’t think about was the shift teachers needed to make in their pedagogical approach as a whole. They simply gave us devices and said, GO! without any consideration that teachers may not understand what to do with these devices.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve watched teachers scramble to keep up with the latest and greatest educational technology tools and apps. I’ve watched teachers resent technology completely as they settle back into a place of comfort with printed copies and pencils. But what I’ve observed the most is willing, able, and excited educators become frustrated when trying to implement technology in the classroom due to the lack of pedagogical knowledge that comes with blended learning.
Driven by a passion for assisting teachers in fulfilling their purpose, the innovation plan for the blended learning leadership program, Empower, was effortlessly decided. My deepest empathy is reserved for those teachers who aspire to improve, create innovative lessons, and inspire and lead, yet find themselves hindered by a lack of knowledge. Therefore, I believe in inspiring and empowering educators through the Blended Learning Leadership Program, nurturing their confidence in digital learning to become inspirational leaders who guide students to seize their fullest potential. I believe wholeheartedly in the WHY.
Teachers want to learn and are ready to take the next step, and I hope to create a sense of urgency when they learn that they will leave the program feeling inspired and empowered to transform their traditional classrooms into a place of innovation. Teachers are trying to evolve but have not been provided the necessary professional development to help them do so. I hope they see this program as a catalyst for change and an opportunity to grow into the teachers they yearn to be.
As Tom Asacker explains in his TED Talk, “Why TED Talks don't change people's behaviors,” information does not move us, desire does (TEDx Talks, 2014). He continues to explain that desire grows around our most powerful personal truth: our identity (TEDx Talks, 2014). I believe that, with my ‘why,’ I will be able to tap into the hearts of teachers because each teacher deserves the confidence necessary to do what they do.
It’s no secret that this pedagogical shift comes with discomfort, but if teachers believe they will leave Empower with greater self-efficacy and the belief they will become more impactful educators, I’ll have done my job. Lastly, Dr. John Kotter (2011) tells us if we want to implement change, we must bring urgency up and complacency down. I am confident that this program will generate enthusiasm within our district, fostering a desire to deliver an enhanced education to students. This shift will propel us from a state of complacency to a sense of urgency, and I'm ready for it!
Resources:
Dr. John Kotter. (2011, March 23). John Kotter - The Heart of Change [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKti9MyAAw&t=109s
TEDx Talks. (2014, June 30). Why TED Talks don't change people's behaviors: Tom Asacker at TEDxCambridge 2014 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0jTZ-GP0N4&t=117s
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