As I listened to Roselinde Torres’ Ted Talk “What it Takes to Be a Great Leader”, I reflected on the steps I’ve taken over the past eighteen months developing my innovation plan and how Torres’ three Key Questions lined up with the questions posed throughout my DLL journey: “What worked? What could you do better? And What lessons have you learned?”.
Torres’ first question, “Where are you looking to anticipate change?” is one that was addressed in through the foundational courses in the DLL: Concepts of Educational Technology, Applying Educational Technology Portfolio, and Disruptive Innovation in Education. I began with looking at my organization and seeing where I could implement authentic meaningful change using COVA. The next step was to develop my EPortfolio for the purpose of creating the change I was preparing for. In preparation for the anticipated change, I learned some valuable tools to help me become a self-differentiated leader capable of addressing resistance to the change I’m anticipating when launching my innovation plan.
The second key question posed by Torres, “What is the diversity measure of your network?” can be found within the courses in the DLL that center around the concepts of learning: Creating Significant Learning Environments, Digital Learning in Global and Local Contexts, and Assessing Digital Learning and Instruction. I learned how to incorporate constructivist theories while implementing my CSLE so that I could reach the diverse population in my network, I investigated others’ innovation plans and learned from what worked and didn’t work so that I could adjust my innovation plan to better meet my network’s diversity, and I learned how to assess the instructional impact of my innovation plan on CSLE within my network’s diverse needs.
Torres’ third question, “Are you courageous enough to abandon the past?” is found within the DLL courses centered around the concept of leading: Leading Organizational Change, Resources for Digital Environments, and Effective Professional Learning. In order to be a leader, one needs to be courageous; change is not easy and having the skills to lead and influence people to follow your innovation plan is essential to success. I learned how to abandon the past by not keeping the whirlwind at bay and not letting it take over. I learned how to create and follow 4 Disciplines of Execution and Six Sources of Influence of which both help me to charge forward with change while garnering the support of my network even if they are reluctant. I also learned how to plan and perform action research where I identify a problem, formulate a specific question and apply the investigative results to my innovation’s instructional design.
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