Eugene G. Kowch

Do we plan the journey or read the compass? An argument for preparing educational technologists to lead organisational change

A sample leadership process: strategic versus operational planning ‘Strategic planning is the activity through which one confronts the major decisions facing the education organisation’ (Kaufman & Watkins, 2003). Change-capable education institutions are influenced by global, national and regional issues; so, managing change ‘well’ depends on more than ‘project’ planning (Dickson, Gewirtz, Halpin, Power & Whitty, 2003). Outsourcing and ‘virtual schools’ require careful collections of leadership, design, development, delivery and institutional technology skills, pushing educational technologists beyond conventional practice (MacAruthur, Parker & Giersch, 2003). In 2002, 63% of American universities had (information) technology plans but only 37% of them had a distance education plan (Green, 2002). Consider your most recent leadership role in an educational technology venture—one that changed (or could have changed) your institution. Referencing Figure 1, ask yourself if your plans are strategic, tactical or operational. Sustainable organisational change means we must plan by using all stages and time horizons, and this requires an intimate knowledge of the organisation (Bennis et al , 2003; Norris & Poulton, 1991).

Conceptualising the essential qualities of complex adaptive leadership: networks that organise

Complex adaptive organisations are represented in many ways. Complex adaptive organisations depend on the interaction of members exchanging information and resources shared influence. Leading is enacted by people with generative and unifying capabilities (Hazy, 2011). Complex organisations manifest networked patterns of interaction between leaders who can span traditional organisation and environment boundaries. Knowing leader networks as incompressible structures in nested eco-systems seems a concept well-suited for conceptualising organisations of leaders where small changes by one leader can impact the entire system. By way of presenting organisation study findings from a recent network analysis of large scale state-wide shared service in a new light in this paper, this author explicates the essential qualities of complex adaptive emergent leadership networks to suggest new ways for conceptualising truly complex leadership in contemporary organisations by engaging the principles of network theory and complexity.

School Identity in the Context of Alberta Charter Schools.

ABSTRACT The central tenet of this investigation is that educational institutions possess their own school identity. Acknowledging that school identity is influenced by institutional mechanisms and personal dynamics, we examine school identity in the context of 13 Alberta charter schools. Narratives of 73 educational stakeholders across the network of Alberta charter schools reveal a heightening of trust and authenticity as related to school identity. We propose that lessons learned from this study can inform stakeholders within other school settings. In particular, that an explicitly articulated vision of school identity may challenge the entrenched norms and practices typical of large bureaucratic organizations.

Eugene’s Voice: Women Leaders Guiding My Ethics of Caring

This is an unlikely tale from an interdisciplinary colleague who began professional practice in the sharp-edged world of engineering. This is a critical narrative of my own development as a scholar and a leader in the field of technology-enhanced learning. It is, in fact a recounting and reflection of a life in engineering, teaching and the professorship through an ethic of care lens. Beginning with my first encounters with technology from youth until now, I examine the idea that women leaders have helped me to shape my passionat care about learners, design, development and education leadership to eventuate much more important caring - the care for others in the profession. By examining reflexive unknowing first, this paper offers examples of caring about and caring for ideas and people over my careers spanning petroleum engineering, K-12 teaching and leadership, a professoriate and AECT leadership. The result is more than an outline of essential characteristics for all leaders engaging an ethic of care - it is an example of how women leaders (and all leaders) can turn indrect caring about things into impactful caring-for people in organisations.