Framing Innovation

Abstract

This study explored the role of professional learning communities for district leadership implementing large-scale technology initiatives such as 1:1 implementations (one computing device for every student). The existing literature regarding technology leadership is limited, as is literature on how districts use existing collaborative structures such as professional learning communities (PLCs) to implement technology initiatives. This study examined how superintendents and their leadership teams expect educator collaboration and whether and how they connect these expectations to large-scale technology implementation. Specifically, the concept of professional learning communities (PLCs) and their constructs were studied as collaborative mechanisms designed to support educators implementing large-scale technology initiatives. This qualitative study employs a multiple case study method to explore how the use of collaborative structures supported large-scale technology implementation in five school districts. These respondents and their stories detail a unique moment in educational leadership as increasing numbers of districts seek to implement such large-scale initiatives in school systems. Study results highlight how superintendents use leadership planning and implementation teams to serve as PLCs at the district level. This study confirms that the collaborative constructs of the PLC do serve to assist in the implementation of large-scale technology implementations in school systems, but largely at the central office strategic planning level. Superintendents utilize these collaborative structures for personal learning as they design implementation but do not scale up such structures for use by all educators across the implementation or system. Recommendations are made for use of collaborative structures to create technology educator learning ecologies across school systems.