Passage Through the Threshold of Technological Change : Insights Into Leading Qualities of a Teacher

Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-7 “I am Just a Teacher”....Pages 9-14 Three Leadership Paradigms Revisited....Pages 15-25 Coaching and Mentoring—Knowledgeable, Supportive, Humble, and Excited?....Pages 27-37 Assisting Student Learning—Eager to Learn, Explore, and Share?....Pages 39-54 Supporting Others—Encourage, Retain Trust, and Network?....Pages 55-71 Curious Technologist—Approachable and Willing To Accept Feedback?....Pages 73-80 A Passionate Leader....Pages 81-85 Back Matter....Pages 91-100 Technology is becoming entrenched in schools’ daily operations and classrooms. The evolution of information communication technology (ICT) is changing teachers’ delivery of content, their interactions with students, and their management of information. Because ICT places new, unfamiliar demands on preparation time, it challenges teachers to strengthen their qualities to lead others and to help them thrive during technological change. As a result of the author’s research work towards her doctorate degree, this book focuses on the four sets of qualities that are vital to teachers who are leading teachers, administrators, “digitally native” students, parents, and ICT professionals. These qualities are hidden in every teacher and appear to be deceptively simple, yet teachers need to nurture them within their core to effectively communicate and collaborate with others and expand their instructional repertoire with ICT. As these qualities strengthen, teacher leaders will be able to help their colleagues to realize their potential to use ICT beyond the classroom. This book focuses on the essence of being a teacher leader: • Coaching and mentoring • Assisting student learning • Supporting others • Becoming a curious technologist Taken from the author’s research findings, this book presents much-needed teacher leadership reflections for teachers, school administrators, directors, and professors on building qualities to lead others through weaving ICT into the culture of their classrooms.