I was recently asked to share my thoughts on developing a technology vision for an independent school. I have learned a lot (and continue to learn) from this process over the years and I think it essentially comes down to five things:
- Make it mission driven.
- Populate it with recognizable organization language and themes
- Address all community members
- Stay out of the weeds
- Write in the present tense.
I would offer the technology vision I developed for The Bolles School to illustrate these five things.
Make It Mission-Driven
The technology vision needs to be overtly tied to the mission of the school. It needs to be obvious that it supports the mission of the school. If your mission states your school is preparing students for college and life, then the technology vision necessarily needs to include how technology will support and serve that mission.
Populate with Recognizable Language and Themes
Use the school motto. Quote the school song. Set the tone that technology is not only part of but integral to the school culture. When I wrote the The Bolles School Vision for Technology it was a bonus the school motto is “All Things Possible.” This expression was used throughout the school as a rallying cry no matter what you were trying to do. I also used the refrain, “As the river flows before us, we move forward to succeed” from the Alma Mater to set the tone of continued change, adaptation and growth.
Address All Community Members
There are many different stakeholders involved in school life: students, faculty, administration, staff, alumni, parents, donors etc. They should all recognize that they are represented at some level in the school technology vision, as in. the statement, “…community members have access to a wealth of information, services and social networks, both locally and globally.” Students need to learn, teachers need to teach, staff need to complete administrative work and parents/guardians need to be able to participate in their child’s academic life. They need to recognize that the technology vision supports what they do.
Stay out of the Weeds
Keep focused on the goals that technology can afford your users, not on the technology itself. What are the end goals? Support, security, efficiency, facilitation, reliability, and adaptability are great for your department but your community needs to see how that supports its stakeholders’ goals. It’s easy to get caught up in terms like networks, software, hardware and cybersecurity. Or lofty terms like state-of-the-art, innovative, and forward thinking, but if you address the goals of your stakeholders, getting the job done whatever that might entail, then the vision stays out of the weeds, is relatable, and stands the test of time.
Write It in the Present Tense
Write your school technology vision in the present tense as your commitment to it. If your vision is written in the future tense, it gets to stay in the future and not hold you, your tech department or your school accountable to making that vision a reality. Don’t use words like “will” or “seek/plan to be.” Even if you are not where you want to be, commit to being there now. Maybe not, “Every learning space is equipped with the necessary technologies to support teaching and learning.” but that’s the vision and it is committed to every single day. If you are really committed (and a tad brave) you will throw in some absolutes like “every”, “all” and “anytime, anywhere” to challenge your commitment and make the vision just beyond reach.
Your technology vision should push you, your team and your community to constant improvement and forward progress as a commitment to the school mission.
Envision for today. And every day forward.