How to Develop a Clearly Defined Vision and Plan for Your Digital Transformation

In this blog, the Combermere School will attempt to justify if a digital strategy or technology plan is needed for the school. As a result, defining a clear vision, strategy, objectives, and targets will be achieved, which is a crucial factor for this decision-making process.

What this blog will teach you?

• Why you should develop a digital strategy or technology plan.
• Several important factors to think about when developing your digital strategy/technology plan 
• An approach and framework for developing a successful digital strategy/technology plan 

PURPOSE

In this steadily advancing age of technology, why change from the methods of before to the modern ways? The purpose of this blog is to determine to what extent a digital strategy or technology plan can affect the current modus operandi. To decide if a digital strategy or a technology plan will be more appropriate for integrating technology at an educational institution such as the Combermere School.  In addition, discover if digital teaching and by extension digital learning can be utilized at the school. As a result, the educational institution will be analyzed and evaluated using the correct methods for data analysis to make a final decision on the direction that they are willing to take.

Your vision enables you to define and share who you want to be, set goals and objectives, and provide the entire organization a direction and a road map for getting there.

VISION

The Combermere School's vision is to make the best use of technology in an effort to give students a way to grasp technological improvements over the long term in this modern era. The students of the Combermere School must, in turn, become the pinnacles of excellence in that field as the world becomes more dependent on technology.

The community, staff, students, parents, and partners are among the stakeholders to whom we owe the following commitments that align with the vision. 

• Technology will be used to raise and broaden students' academic achievement, particularly in reading, writing, mathematics, and science.
• We will use technology to fulfill the requirements of students with different learning styles in our technologically advanced classrooms and media center.
• In order to strengthen 21st Century skills like cooperation, critical thinking, and effective communication, technology will be used to promote communication within and between our staff, students, and parents.
• Staff and students' access to tools, networks, and resources will increase thanks to the usage of technology.
• The use of new technology will receive training and support from the staff.

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The Deciding Factor

Thus far in this blog we have identified the issue and stated the possible solutions, and now we will select the most useful system for the Combermere School to proceed forward.

So lets us be clear, a digital strategy establishes goals and objectives for how technology will be adopted and used as part of attaining those goals as opposed to a technology plan, which outlines the school's investment in and usage of technology and how it will affect operations.

In regards to both the digital strategy and the technology plan, both use technology to achieve an end result, be it the introduction of technology to the institution and how it is introduced. However, that is where the comparison ends as the digital strategy deals with how the task is going to be undertaken before it even starts. This indicates that the digital strategy is the blueprint that must be done before implementing the proposed technology.  

A digital strategy is concerned with utilizing technology to enhance performance, whether this entails developing new goods or rethinking existing procedures. It details the strategies an organization will employ to make these changes, as well as the path it will take to develop new technological competitive advantages to improve the efficiency of daily tasks.

Although the technology plan is useful it mainly focuses on the financial aspect and how the usage of the technology can potentially affect the institution. However, this is not a problem for the Combermere School since this type of issue rests on the shoulders of the Ministry of Education, Technological And Vocational Training (METVT). The school would not have to necessarily pay the bill for the technology plan

Additionally, METVT has the final say in what is implemented in schools and their approach in a system-wide one as all schools are to benefit. For example, the EduTech program implemented by the METVT can be considered a technology plan as it sought to ensure that all students graduate from school with the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to function effectively in today's knowledge and technology-driven labor economy.

EduTech consists of four connected parts:

• School facility physical rehabilitation was done to improve the physical and instructional environment; purchasing and setting up hardware, software, and other technical infrastructure for the educational system and MET;
• Training of teaching and administrative professionals within the school system as part of human resource development;
• Institutional Strengthening: providing staff from the Ministry and associated institutions with training and technical support; 
• Curriculum Reform was carried out by updating the curriculum to address changing social norms in Barbados.

The Combermere School prefers a strategy that makes use of currently available technology to serve the needs of the student body and best prepare them for this new wave of technological advancements rather than a large-scale implementation. The digital strategy, in my opinion, promotes that. The purpose, vision, values, and goals of a company are encapsulated in such a strategic plan. In other words, a digital plan takes into account the technology requirements and preferences of that specific institution.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIGITAL STRATEGY

Regarding implementing the digital strategy at the Combermere School, it would be wise to ensure that the three components of the digital strategy; digital literacy and capacity, digital technology infrastructure, and digital leadership are fully utilized. Please find below the means by which the digital strategy will be implemented and how they will be linked to Combermere school's technology integration.

DIGITAL LITERACY AND CAPACITY

According to Kaeophanuek et al (2018), digital literacy education refers to the practical capacity to use digital tools for managing information sources, the ability to develop and distribute different media, as well as the ability to effectively present and communicate using the appropriate processes and tools.

The Combermere School will seek to address this by giving the students safe access and internet data privacy on their devices. Information Technology (IT) classes will be taught at the school from first to upper sixth (11-18) that would be best suited for those age groups and their learning ability. This will give the students the knowledge to surf the internet correctly and efficiently.  The students will be presented with their own emails to communicate with teachers and students.  Additionally, the students will be exposed to software productivity applications such as Microsoft word, Excel, etc., and use online platforms such as Google Workplace as a means to provide homework or class assignments.  

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

The collection of tools and technologies that serve as the backbone of a facility's information technology is referred to as the institution's digital technology infrastructure. 

The assurance of fast and reliable access to the internet with high-speed Wi-Fi. The local internet provider will ensure that the internet will be of high quality but given at a low cost. Also, the students will have access to laptops that have been provided by the MET if there is an inability to have their own.

DIGITAL LEADERSHIP

Digital leadership can be defined as being able to analyze the effects of technology on wellness and consider how to best use it for stress-free staff development and training. recognizing the significance of pedagogical and leadership concepts to manage change and support a school-wide strategy for implementing digital technology for both now and the future. In other words, a digital leader is not afraid to be a technological pioneer for the benefit of the school. Chin (2010) agrees and states that the ability of leaders to develop, manage, guide, and use ICT knowledge to enhance the performance of their organizations is highly valued in the notion of digital leadership.

Students will need to develop both teamwork and information literacy abilities in order to incorporate twenty-first-century skills into the classroom. Students will be encouraged to become digital leaders at the Combermere School. The students will be taught about copyright via a digital citizenship curriculum. When using and reusing materials protected by copyright, digital leaders abide by all applicable laws. Also, introduce students to the concept of their digital footprint. Make sure they comprehend how incorrect social media postings may affect their career possibilities and emphasize the value of acting professionally and civilly at all times online.

CONCLUSION

In closing, the digital strategy is the most effective course of action that the Combermere School can undertake. The components of the digital strategy are in tangent with the vision of the school going forward. I am eager to experience a school that has embraced the 21st century in all its glory and take on the challenges head-on, unafraid but most importantly prepared.  

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Technology Plan Vs Digital Strategy- The Clash of Plans

In the section of the blog, the attention will now focus on the benefits of the Technology Plan versus those of the Digital Strategy. This will be done as a means to select the most appropriate system to use at the Combermere School. 

DEFINITIONS

It would be necessary to provide a definition as a means to give clarity to the aforementioned terms so that no misunderstandings will occur as we proceed.

DIGITAL STRATEGY

A company's overarching digitalization vision and the tactical steps taken to realize it is outlined in a digital strategy. In the context of products, services, and value creation as well as for the structure and culture of an organization, it sets specific, short-, medium-, and long-term digitalization goals and activities (Lipsmeier et al 2020).

TECHNOLOGY PLAN

A technology plan acts as a link between conventionally accepted standards and instructional methods in the classroom. It articulates, arranges, and incorporates, using the relevant technology, the procedures and content of education within a certain field. It facilitates decision-making at various levels, particularly in school districts, schools, and educational organizations that permit the distribution of supportive resources (RTEC 2002).

IDENTIFYING THE CORRECT COURSE OF ACTION

According to Westerman (2018), even though making predictions about emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and the internet of things (IoT) can be fascinating, putting too much emphasis on it can be risky. Digital is not the solution when it comes to digital transformation. It is transformation. Lipsmeier et al (2020) state that In order to create your own digital strategy, many businesses must overcome significant obstacles.

This is because there aren't enough effective ideas and techniques for creating a digital strategy. Therefore, the absence of digital strategies, which coordinate the digitalization initiatives in line with a uniform strategic direction, is a major barrier to an organization's ability to transform digitally (Lipsmeier et al 2020).

As a result, Lipsmeier et al (2020) made mention of steps that can potentially deliver the most effective digital strategy:

1. An outline of a digital strategy-A organization's overall goal for digitization, together with the tactical steps necessary to realize it, are outlined in a digital strategy.

2. Positioning a digital approach- Analyzing both real-world examples and academic papers is necessary to evaluate where a digital strategy fits within the established strategy tiers.

3. The steps involved in creating a digital strategy- The top-down approach, bottom-up approach, and down-up method, which combine these two approaches, are recognized approaches for developing strategies.

The digital strategy seeks to provide additional support to the educational system so that all students have the chance to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully navigate a digital environment that is constantly growing.

• It outlines your intended route and point of departure.
• It serves as the foundation for all that you do and is still your roadmap for implementing organizational change.
• It is a strategy that has the support of everyone involved, is in line with the corporate and individual goals of each person involved, and is governed by the same culture and values. Therefore, everyone ultimately moves in the same direction.

Technology plans seem to prioritize "new" over "old" technologies. In addition, technology plans frequently prioritize results above instructional procedures (Zhao and Conway 2001). Zhao and Conway (2001) went on to say that the interpretation of the technology plans' treatment of teachers leads us to believe that while they do recognize the significance of teachers in the adoption of technology, the plans stop short of suggesting ways in which teachers might be resourceful, knowledgeable, and intentional creators of educational technology.

However, NCES (2002) states that a technology plan can help optimize the benefits of new developments while assisting in overcoming implementation difficulties. In the end, it ought to lead to more cost-effective spending and increased student accomplishment.

SWOT ANALYSIS

A SWOT analysis enables decision-makers to get a thorough understanding of all elements that may have an impact on the result of the planned action. Organizations must also make judgments on data analytics rather than conjecture and supposition. Decision-makers can examine their firm from several angles and viewpoints with the use of a SWOT analysis.

To better determine if the digital strategy or the technology plan would be more beneficial it would be best to utilize the SWOT analysis.  Below is a SWOT analysis for the digital strategy and the technology plan.

SWOT Analysis

DIGITAL STRATEGY

STRENGTHS	WEAKNESSES	OPPORTUNITIES	TREATS
·       The most recent educational technology, and well-run facilities     ·       Improved technological skills of the students	·       Too many distinct apps must be switched between students each day.	·       Cloud-based storage	·       Pricing increases by service providers     ·       New laws and regulations

 

TECHNOLOGY PLAN

STRENGTHS	WEAKNESSES	OPPORTUNITIES	TREATS
·      Parents are informed about the technology their children use and why, as it enables parents to comprehend our technology plan better.	·       Technology may not be a top priority for parents or teachers.	·       The technology and vision strategy will provide precise strategies for raising student achievement.	·       Teachers who refuse to implement the plan

 

The conclusion of this comparative analysis will be seen in the next post. 

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