Chapter 7, Hall
What is communication? Communication is simply defined as the exchange of information from one party to another in such a manner that is relevant and understandable. The most important word in this definition is relevant if one has little knowledge of what your are talking about then that completely breaks down communication. The party has to be aware of what you are talking about in order to even began to communicate. Hall's plan to develop a plan of what you are trying to communicate is helpful. Simply identifying who you are talking to, what is the purpose of you contacting them, and what do you want them to do is the essenses of communication. In addtion, I think it is important to discuss when advising deadlines in communication is just as important.
Chapter 11, Anthony
Developing and designing professional programs can be very cumbersome because it is ongoing. We all know everyone learns but we must always remember in developing and designing professional programs that not all people learn in the same manner. It goes without saying that adults are still humans, meaning although they are grown it does not mean their learning style has changed much. Programs should provide a variety of activities that meet the needs of all participants. There programs should be evaulated on a consistent basis to find out what works, what doesnt, or what particpants enjoy. Because technology is moving like a bullet train, it should be constantly monitored and professional development trainings should be offered to keep everyone on board. I like the blogging idea as a way to evaluate it allows participants the opportunity to share ideas, techniques and provide feedback.
References
4 comments:
References
Anthony G. P. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.). Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon.
Hall, D. (2008). The Technology Director’s Guide to Leadership. ISTE.
I think your comment from about the Hall book, and the Picciano book really go hand in hand. Communication requires the awareness of whom you are talking to, and why. It has to be done in an effective way so that information is conveyed, and understood. Both parties need to have their end of the conversation successful. This is the same with professional programs. This is essentially at its root communication. This is communication of information dealing with technology that the end user must understand. No to humans receive or convey information exactly the same way, it is therefore important that instruction is adjusted when necessary for successful communication of the information we are providing about technology.
Communication does need to be clear. When you have trouble getting your point across it is not easy to understand. It is true people learn technology different just as if they were sitting in a classroom. Not everyone is the same learner. Training should be available to the teacher who need it. Different levels of training should also be offered.
I agree that communication is key for an It department. Not only should we be communicating with the public, but we should also be suing effective, timely communication with our co-workers. One aspect of IT departments that I appreciate is timely feedback.
For example, I began experiencing issues with my work laptop. I tried all of the troubleshooting tricks I knew and made sure to backup my files. I tried to restore the computer, along with a few other troubleshooting steps. Nothing worked. I could not even access email or submit a trouble ticket, so I called the IT representative for our region. He works for the curriculum vendor rather than our school. I left a message expecting to hear from him in a few hours.
I was surprised and pleased that he returned my call in less than an hour! He walked me through all of the same steps I had tried; he said to humor him in case it happened to work this time. Nothing worked so he pronounced my laptop dead. Then, he said he was overnighting to my house a laptop that would be configured with my email and ready to go. Since we had a face to face staff meeting the next day, I would not be home to sign for it. I asked him to ship it to the school office. It arrived at the office a little before 9am. I walked in right after it was delivered.
To me, that is timely, effective communication and service. We don't always find that in our schools. When it happens, we need to make sure to express appreciation for it!
Post a Comment