Week 5 - Learning Organizations Survey

According to Garvin (1993), learning organization is an organization skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights.

From this definition, it is obvious that we need the learning process to acquire and transfer knowledge among the members of organization (i.e. learning process and practices). In the meantime, the “readiness” of members (e.g. openness to ideas, psychological factor) also plays an important role in the learning organization (i.e. supportive learning environment). 

You may find interested in watching the "Importance of Learning in Organizations" in which David Garvin and Amy Edmondson, Professors of Harvard Business School, were interviewed.

Learning organization scores summary	The results indicates that our organization hasn't done well about learning in different areas.  In particular, there is much room for improvement in leadership as well as learning environment.  Needless to say, the importance of leadership is to direct organizational members on the right track and tells us how to get there where we should go.
Concrete learning Processes and Practices	Our school is able to collect information and conduct good analysis then.  However, it seems difficult to put "analysis" into practices. There does not have enough medium and practices in which organizational members can acquire and exchange knowledge from and to one another.
Supportive Learning Environment	Our organizational members seem not get ready yet.  They may get used to conventional ways of doing things and be fear of change.  But one thing is not bad that time for reflection may not be a problem for them.
Suggestions	Organizational leaders have to share the vision and set clear goals. Then appropriate learning processes and practices can be developed and facilitated.  To get members ready, two-ways communications should be conducted with them so that they are able to understand the needs and benefits of learning.

week 6 - story telling in organizational learning

We have an experience of having lots of students sit in Financial Management lectures on Wednesday.   Originally, 175 HRM students have enrolled in that lecture, but turns out to have more than 200 students from other streams sitting in the lecture.  The reasons may be the lecturers are popular in lecture explanation and the students would like to fit in their schedule in attending lectures.
This cause the overcrowding  and queueing  problem at the lecture session.   A lot of students not taking the seats have complained to the program leader about the problem.   To solve the problem, we have the suggested solutions as follows:

1. only registered students can be allowed to attend the lecture;
2. a card with student name and student no. has been given to every registered student;
3. a spot check will be carried out randomly during the lecture;
4. other stream students can only be allowed to sit in the lecture when there are vacant seats available at the lecture hall.

Last but not all, I would like to state my suggestions to solve the issues:-

1. attendance sheets will be distributed at the lecture hall and make sure the registered students have attended the lectures and not the other stream students.
2. spot check the attendance of students by asking them questions and review if any other stream students are present at the lecture.
3. go around the lecture hall and discuss with students during the break of lecture.  This will act as a random check of other stream students who sit in the lectures.

Week 6 - Storytelling in Organizational Learning

As a member of the school I.T. Team, we found that the printers in the staff rooms are depreciated in an extraordinary short time. The printers were bought in last year’s summer vacation, but all of them are running out of order recently.

From our experiences, most of the I.T. facilities will work fine within their warranty period. However, all these printers nearly broke down at the same time. Even the printers can be repaired or replaced during warranty period, it disturbs the normal work of our staff members.

When we look into the issue, we found that there were many huge printing jobs from our staff members. Some of them were using printers instead of using the bulk printing service from the school, where more durable bulk printers were used. The misuse of printers makes the life of the printers shorter than expected.

In order to deal with the situation, we are considering setting print quota for staff members, so that their printing job could be limited. Moreover, we are looking for rental services from printing companies, so that printers or photocopiers could be rented. Printing jobs are paid according to the meter counts recorded on the server. We hope that the measure can correct the misuse of printers in school, and in turn lower the unexpected I.T. expenses.

Week 5 - Learning Organizations

As I had joined my organization for over a year, I have responded the learning organization survey based on my perception of my college. Summary details can be stated as follows:

Learning organization scores summary	In our organization, it is not easy to speak up about what is on our teacher mind. If one teacher makes a mistake, it is often challenged by students and our group leader. The management and program leader seldom reinforce learning within the division. You can see the score is near the bottom quartile. There is also lack of learning environment within our division. The score result is also near the bottom quartile as well. I find our leaders seldom encourage a learning atmosphere within our division.
Concrete learning Processes and Practices	The organization seldom cooperate with other best-in class organization in invent new technologies like the application of PowerPoint 2 turningpoint used in our lectures. We seldom have training workshops for trial demonstration of the new software tools. However, we do have regular introduction blackboard workshops for new teaches. Thus, our score in internal staff training and information transfer is at a median score level and there is still room for improvement in our organization.
Supportive Learning Environment	Our leaders seldom invite innovative inputs from our staff in our meetings. They do not encourage multiple points of view from staff. I cannot observe our manager has set up any forums for teachers and administrative staff to identify problems and organizational challenges. He seldom spends time and resources for reflecting and improving on our teaching performance. That explains why we score a low result at bottom quartile in staff psychological safety, appreciation of differences and openness to new ideas.
Conclusion	The college does appreciate and encourage new innovation. However, our leaders seldom discuss with staff on new technologies and ways to improve the IT infrastructure in our organization. I think our organization still has lots of room for improvement in learning processes and openness to new technology issues.

Week 5 - Learning Organizations

This article is studied our organization as a learning organization, the position of my school on all over the world. My school is a band 2 DSS secondary school on Hong Kong Island. The analysis is based on the Learning Organization Survey. Details are shown as below:

 

As the analysis is compared to the institutions all over the world, it is not surprised that most of the categories are in the 4^th quartile. The traditional administrating culture of Chinese institutions is similar to this. It is not a Learning Organization for the whole institutions. The learning culture occurs on only the mid-level administers, and they are not very welcome the frontline staffs participate in administration.

It must be noticed that the traditional culture do not ignore the feedback from the frontline. They usually analyze the feedback from the frontline and revise the policy, but they usually ignore the alternative ways or new innovations suggested by the frontline.

Furthermore, being a teacher in Hong Kong is very busy, so that it is difficult for us to development new innovations or exchanges the views with the same profession.

Week 5 - Learning Organizations

This week, we are going to study to what extend our organizations are learning organizations.

Since I am new to the current school, I have completed the Learning Organization Survey according to my understanding on my previous school. Details can be found as below:

Learning Organization Scores Summary	The leaders encourage learning organization.
Concrete Learning Processes and Practices	The school is willing to cooperate with vendors to try new technologies, such as the use of smart board in Maths lessons. School can gathering statistics on academic and other achievements through different channels. However, for information in IT aspects, the performance is less appreciated. Analysis on data was mainly done by the vice principals. Little involvement was present. Training was very much treasured in the school. Adequate and systematic training for new teachers were provided. Extra training for new initiates were conducted as well.
Supportive Learning Environment	Colleagues are not very much confident in raising out new ideas. The school appreciates new ideas. For my panel head, he often discusses with me on new technologies and ways to improve the IT infrastructure in school. The school is willing to introduce new idea and equipment, such as smart board, new design in multimedia room, etc. The school do not have heavy workload, such that colleagues can have time to reflect on their teachings as well as their performance in using new technologies.

Week 4 - Professional Development

Week 4
What Personal Development happens in your workplace?

What strategies does your organization have in place to encourage development, change and innovation?
To facilitate the professional development happen, my school has launched a system called “AIMS” (like as below) in which the activities of staff development and online performance appraisal will be captured.

Per Fullan (1991), professional development can be defined “the sum total of formal and informal learning experiences throughout one’s career”. Likewise my school, we could be offered various professional development opportunities, e.g. educational sponsorship for formal educational programs (e.g. doctoral or master degree program), different seminars/workshops on different topics including both teaching and industry related topics, or teaching different courses in different semesters. However, to a broader sense, professional development can be considered all about making changes. I agree that we able to develop ourselves further in our careers through managing change.

May I take the change in program curriculum as an example - our school has to undergo a program curriculum restructuring in which general education curriculum will become dominant. That means we have to manage a change in which we may face a new challenge of teaching general education program in future. The first task is to develop new general education courses for coming academic year.  Before we could write up a course curriculum, we have been equipped with the general education knowledge and skills by inviting Fulbright GE scholars to conduct seminars.  It is obvious this is an example of professional development due to the change in program curriculum.

To manage change in program curriculum, we need to consider various factors according to Newhouse’s change model as below. 

However, I think there may be few factors that are not considered good enough in our school concerning the example of program curriculum restructure, like vision, resources and collegiality. In view of this situation, the change becomes confusion, frustration and isolation. I think this really reflects what we are currently encountering.

Week 4 – Professional Development

What Personal Development happens in your workplace?

What strategies does your organization have in place to encourage development, change and innovation?

Our college is a community college of a local university and we adopt the university’s Blackboard e-Learning in our college system.  One of the online functions at the blackboard is called AIMS.  AIMS stands for Administrative Information Management System at university.  It is a suite of university information systems allowing staff, students and alumni access to a variety of essential academic support and administrative services.  All IMS functions are web-based and primarily developed for self-service purposes.

Staff can access with AIMS to information related to their employment such as appointments, payroll, benefits, etc.  They can also online update their contact information, submit leave applications, apply for staff development courses, etc.

Referring to ERIC* database, professional development refers to “activities to enhance professional career growth.”  The activities will include individual development, continuing education, and in house service education, as well as curriculum writing, peer collaboration, study groups, and peer coaching or mentoring.

Fullan (1991) also defined professional development to include “the sum total of formal and informal learning experiences throughout one’s career from preservice teacher education to retirement”

* Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

Grant (n.d) suggests a broader definition of professional development as follows:

Professional development includes support for teachers as they face the challenges that come with putting into practice their evolving understandings about the use of technology to support inquiry-based learning…. Current technologies offer resources to meet these challenges and provide teachers with lots of supports that help them continue to grow in their professional skills, understandings, and interests.”

Our college does offer various staff professional development opportunities for staff like the in-house staff development courses, the University’s credit-bearing courses, financial sponsorship for postgraduate programs, conference, seminar/workshops activities for updating teaching and industry knowledge.   

Professional development helps teachers to build new insights and new practices.  Referring to Shirky (2003), “we have to learn to embrace change in all forms and at all levels that we have to take advantage of new opportunities.”  “We have to work and learn together in organizations that learn.  Fullan (2002) also stated that “it is not good enough to have vision…and built-in professional development, partnerships and collaboration”, “what is needed it a very strong underlying conception of the change process”.  As a professional teacher, we have to learn how to deal with resistance to change more effectively and I do agree professional development is how about staff making changes and managing the changes.

Recently, our college faces the change of course curriculum by restructuring our program curriculum in which general education courses will become core and dominant.  New general education courses will be developed at coming new academic year.  Teachers are invited to develop new GE course curriculum.  Workshops/seminars/conferences are held to equip teachers with the general education knowledge and teaching skills.  Fulbright GE scholars have been invited to deliver seminar talks, workshops and conference at semester B and semester break at June.  Teachers will face a new challenge of change to teach general education courses at coming new academic year.  Referring to Newhouse’s change model summarized as follows:

The top management should well consider the various factors like vision, incentives, resources and collegiality in implementing the change of new program curriculum.  Otherwise, it will have the demerit effects as follows:

1.        Lack of vision, staff in the organization will end up with confusion.

2.        No planning for new skills made by the organization, staff will become anxious.

3.        No incentives given to staff, staff will have resistance of change.

4.        Not provide resources properly, staff frustration will occur.

5.        No sense of collegiality, staff isolation will be resulted.

     

The above effects may more or less reflect our current situation.  

How can our schools be described according to Senge’s five principles?

	Secondary School	Community College
Personal Mastery	·     teach for their professional subject, and the mobility of teachers in my school is low	·      not able to develop a personal vision and aspirations and an awareness of current realities ·      seldom spends time to communicate with staff about the organization’s mission and staff’s personal vision
Mental models	·    seldom provide their vision on school development ·    teachers from the same panel and committee are working for the common aims and objectives.	·      not motivated to change or develop
Shared vision	·     teachers willing to share their opinions privately ·    schools will fine-tune their shared vision (MAC) after gathering information from the surveys	·      change may threaten the job security so that sense of commitment to the future cannot be established
Team learning	·    no team learning in my school ·    teachers are grouped into panels and committees to work together	·      team learning seldom encourages within the division.  The teaching sharing experience is only carried out at informal peer gatherings and not at formal communication
Systems thinking	·     seldom view the development of our school as a whole. ·     not much studies on the interdependence among policies	·      look at the goals and problems as isolated ·      only solve problems at one by one case

Week 4 - Professional Development

Professional development in my school is organized by the Staff Development Team. Usually, they invite external speakers to deliver talks to us, with topics related to the school's major area of concern (MAC) and yearly plan.

According to Shortland-Jones, Alderson & Baker, the school's professional development is equipped with vision, skills and incentives. Professional development is trying to deliver resources to our colleagues. With a lack in action plan, colleagues will feel like treadmill.

Similar case happens in the development in I.T. in education. However, it seems that the colleagues have to vision that I.T. can be beneficial to students, they simply don't have the skills. Most of them feel anxious when teaching in I.T.

Week 4 - What Personal Development happens in your workplace?

What Personal Development happens in your workplace?

What strategies does your organization have in place to encourage development, change and innovation?

My School is a tradition secondary school. Leading group of my school respects the personal mastery of teachers, so my school provides convenience to teachers for self-directing personal development, but seldom provides vision and direction of personal development and systemic training for the tendency of student centre learning model.

Refer to ACOT Model of Professional Development; my school is just step in the stage of “Adaptation”. Except Computer Studies, seldom homework and projects are required the use of IT except Word and PowerPoint. Recently my school started to use WebQuest for School Based Assessment of HKDSE. Collaborative learning using IT still hasn’t appeared.

To enter the next levels of facilitation of my school, Figure below (Shortland-Jones, Alderson, & Baker, 2001) illustrates the process needed to help change occur.

For my school, the main element lacks is Action Plan. Although the IT coordinator in my school has good vision on IT development, leading group has not provided enough support for him to draw up a practicable action plan that can move all the stakeholders to participate in. A committee responds on innovation of pedagogy in IT can be held to increase the authority to manage resources and draw up the plan.

---

Shortland-Jones, B., Alderson, A., & Baker, R. (2001). Leadership for Cultural Change: Developing a Community of Learners in Teacher Education. International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning, 5(1).

Week 3 - Application of RFID in schools

You may know that the Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been widely recognized technology to enhance efficiency across warehouse management and supply chain network.  Actually, RFID refers to the technologies that made use of radio frequency transmission to identify people or objects automatically. To understand the operations of RFID, you may simply click below demonstration video:

You may also ask why we need RFID rather than Bar code in order to identify objects. The answer can be found in the following table which shows the comparison between Bar Code and RIFD.

http://www.hk-rfid.com/

Really, RFID has been applied to educational sector yet. Likewise, a new workbook was published with using RFID.  The RFID-based book is able to stimulate students' learning interest and enhance quality of learning by accompanying with voice explanations from RFID when students read over the workbook.  

 

Furthermore, there are also other applications of RFID extensively used in schools, like students' attendance records, queuing problem, students' safety assured by sending messages via mobiles to parents.

Group-to-Group Reviews

Group: TRY Reviewer group: OL

ePortfolio of Activities - 4 all members contribute a high standard of writing the blog message e.g.   Apply Roger Model to use Institutional Repository IR project ePortfolio Design and Navigation – 2 The blog categorize the material mainly by the date of publication. We suggest that tags can be added in the posts so that visitors can find the information more easily. Links to Relevant Resources – 3 The blog have some links about graphs and diagrams about relevant topic, like changing model. We suggest that links to relevant websites and multimedia can be added. Individual Student Activity – 2 Not enough interaction with other group blogs.   Group Collaboration on Key Tasks – 3 The group shows good capabilities in gathering and synthesizing information and relates relevant models in their workplace. Group: OL Review by One Piece (2) ePortfolio of Activities - 4 Every member contributes equally in posting and replying work ePortfolio Design and Navigation – 3 About the Lables, clearly catogorised and named each member's name may help access more conveniently. Links to Relevant Resources – 4 Resources are added with both graphic and video clips. Besides, all video clips are not only available for play but also given very good explanations. Individual Student Activity – 2 There is a need for more interaction with both making comments and replying, as it would be better for sharing each memeber's ideas for the group work. Group Collaboration on Key Tasks – 4 Each group members properly indicates good explanation and analysis of the topic based on each working place. Besides, some members can have critical reflection about the topic.

week 3 blog activities- Ideas for describing leading change in an organization

Bb e-learning

Our college Blackboard Learning is formerly known as Blackboard Academic Suite. There are three components of our College Blackboard:

• e-portal,
• course site (LMS),
• Content Collection

The blackboard e-learning provides hands on experience as a student like

• read the announcements;
• download the course documents;
• join an online discussion;
• submit an assignment;
• view grade and comments made by the instructor

The instructors like the course examiner, they can manage the teaching team (i.e. understand the roles and privileges and manage his/her Bb course team by assigning the right roles) and use class list to get some initial understandings of our students.

The Blackboard e-learning also provides hands on experience as an instructor in

• upload course documents;
• post announcements;
• set up a discussion board;
• set up an assignment submission mechanism;
• make his/her course available/unavailable

There are good reasons of putting up course documents are user authenticated and the document is digital and is on the web. It also helps design and review the learning activities.

As most of the instructors are only assigned the role of lecturers and tutors, there is a restriction of their access right. Due to the heavy administration and teaching workload, teachers seldom pay extra time and effort in understanding the infrastructure and rules of our college’ blackboard system. Thus, the intended learning outcome can only achieved for functions like assessing student profiles by using the Class List function, notice announcements, collect student assignments via the Bb assignment tool but not the other functions like content/lecture materials dissemination, setting up and using the discussion board.

However, the top management like principals and head of divisions should take the lead role of using blackboard for communication and discussion purpose. They only use e-mails to announce message and communicate with staff and serves only one-way communication and not two-way communication.

Week 3 - eBook in School

Books with printed text on paper are used in education over the century. They are considered to be a good learning aid as students can gather information from them, and customize them by highlighting and adding their own notes. However, as the quality of paper improves, textbooks become heavy and less portable.

With the advance of information technology, tablet PC becomes light-weight and interactive. More and more people are keeping an eye on the application of tablet PC in education.

(Apple Education Trailer - AkkGaming)

In Hong Kong, the use of eBook in replacement or supplement of traditional textbooks becomes an hot topic in education sector. EDB has set up a working group in sourcing for the possibility in using eBook in schools, and has come up with a pilot scheme on e-learning.

Hong Kong Jockey Club Primary School is the first one who has deployed the use of iPad in schools as textbook in the scheme. As an innovator of the school, the new I.T. coordinator, Mr. Chu, introduced iPad in his English lessons, and let the students learn from the interactive eBook in the iPad.

(CNC World - Pads instead of Books)

The students seem very enjoyed in the lessons. Mr. Chu found the students very involved in the lessons, and hence improve the effectiveness of the lesson.

With the efforts by Mr. Chu, quite some number of colleagues in the school is moving towards the eBook trend. A public class was held in Hong Kong Institute of Education in sharing the outcomes of the school to the education sector earlier this year.

(Public class by HKIEd - 1AP+30iPad eLearning Seminar)

(Sorry that I cannot find an English version of this video)

Mr. Chu is an innovator in his school. He is also an innovator in Hong Kong or even in China. His efforts could bring up more and more early adopters in the Greater China region, who in turn drive the change in the world.

More on eBooks and eLearning:

http://mashable.com/2012/02/16/higher-education-digital-infographic/

Week 2 - Model of Change

In this week, I am using Kotter's 8-Step Change Model to share a case of change in my school. As a member of I.T. Committee, we need to cater for the change in I.T. infrastructure. Most of the school's computers are now running on Windows XP, but it was announced that Windows XP will reach the end of lifecycle by April 2014. In order to cater for the change, we need to implement an upgrade in the school's computers. However, we are facing resistance from our colleagues.

Step One: Create Urgency

Due to the end of lifecycle of Windows XP, no more support will be provided. We need to plan for the change to ensure proper functioning in school.

Step Two: Form a Powerful Coalition

I.T. Committee has informally set up a focus group to investigate into the issue.

Step Three: Create a Vision for Change

We need to ensure the proper functioning of the I.T. infrastructure in our school. We are planning to migrate our school's computers to Windows 7 in a long run. The focus group can then pay more attention to the solution as well as the potential changes needed in our school.

Step Four: Communicate the Vision

We have announce and explain the situation to our colleagues during staff meeting. Due to the change, I.T. Committee will migrate the computers to Windows 7 during the coming summer vacation.

Step Five: Remove Obstacles

In order to provide sufficient user licences, we have joined the School Agreement offered by Microsoft. We may upgrade to any versions of Windows in the school campus. Moreover, some of our colleagues do not want to upgrade to new versions of Windows due to unpresent user experience. In order to remove obstacles, we have decided that computers who are not willing to upgrade to Windows 7 will no longer be supported.

Step Six: Create Short-term Wins

To catalyze the change, we are planning to provide staff development on the advantages of Windows 7 and Office 2010. Useful educational software and plug-ins will be introduced so as to attract colleagues' interests.

Step Seven: Build on the Change

Except computers of the colleagues who are unwilling to upgrade, we will upgrade the computers to Windows 7 during the coming summer vacation. Useful plug-ins and software will be pre-installed together with the new Windows 7 platform.

Step Eight: Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture

We hope that with positive user experiences with the new platform, those who are unwilling to change will also opt for the changes.

Week 2 - Sharing comment of model of change at our organization

Our college places emphasize in using the technology adoption model in teaching and learning media.  I do agree the college does have a strong tradition or culture regarding a local distinctive college vision and mission.  Our main objectives of ICT implementation is to improve the lecturer effectiveness and efficiency in teaching and students’ competence in learning.  Our top management is the main change agent and they do encourage teachers and students to use the new IT tools like our case “blackboard” tools to facilitate better teaching and learning in our organization.

Due to lots of administration and teaching workload, teachers has paid less effort and time in attending training workshops and seminars.  In addition they do resist in change in IT application, they seldom focus on infrastructure and technical training in using the blackboard for better communication and teaching purpose.   They may not have clear defined personal targets and schedules for achieving better ICT technical competencies in teaching application.   It is very important to motivate the whole teaching staff to move from an “engineering approach” to “re-engineering approach” in what we discussed at our last lecture.  Teachers should change or redesign their teaching concept and utilize the new ICT technology in our teaching and learning processes.

As last but not all, adopting ICT to automate the teaching tasks and processes within the college is crucial for all staff at our college.  It involves the fundamental rethinking of the teacher concept on nature of education and the rapid change of learning processes within the whole college.  To set a good example in learning attitude and performance, probably teachers should move a great step and quickly adapt the new change of IT model in our organization.

(from Maria)

Week 2 - Changing Model

Identify a model of change to help explain change within an organization you have experienced.


My School is a tradition secondary school. Personal mastery of teachers is strong but there are seldom vision sharing and systems thinking among them. Therefore some reforms on pedagogy have been processed these years but the results are not obvious.

Changes in recent years that can mention as "success" are usually the application on harewares and systems like eclass. Eclass is an integrated platform on teaching and school administration. The application of eclass was decided by principle and IT coordinator. At the start teachers were uninterested and regardless on it. Therefore the principle ordered the administration staffs to train on using eclass as an administration tool. After that the principle commanded that all the administration works moved to eclass. This forced the teachers to try more on eclass (they still haven’t need to work with eclass yet, but they must check the students records on eclass). Later on, the teachers used comfortable on eclass and started trying new functions of eclass. It is a good example of Technology Adoption on Change Model.

Week 2 - Change Model

I think the Technological Adoption Model should be adopted in my school.  This is because we do not have a strong school culture in respect of distinct vision and mission.  Our main objective is to enhance the teaching and learning effectiveness of students by using ICT.  The principals and head of division are considered as main change agent.  Our teachers are only seen as the producer of good use of ICT-based learning resources, like implementation of “Blackboard” in enhancing teaching and learning effectiveness.

When the Blackboard was launched, most teachers showed resistance to this change as they didn’t think they have yet possessed enough technical competencies to master the Blackboard.  Teachers only used it as a kind of class notes and assignments posting. The other features of learning were to be ignored in general, like discussion forum with students, quizzes setting and assessment. Only very few teachers are able to “fully” utilize the functions of Blackboard.  In order to encourage teachers to use, the principals had organized relevant trainings and experience sharing sessions for system skills development.

However, I think the staff development alone is not enough for the change. To put ICT into practice, I think we need policies which can tell about the meaning of change.  This thing should be well reflected in our mission statement. Unfortunately, we do not have such documents in our school. Or else, the principals’s leadership could play a crucial role in the change, e.g. Principals may take lead of using discussion forum for communications with teachers.  On the other hand, I don’t see teachers could show their commitment to the use of Blackboard in the meantime. Certainly, positive reinforcement should be considered, e.g. showing recognition to those teachers who had done a good job by inviting them in the experience sharing. But I think another important stakeholder - students should also be considered in this change.  We have to think about the ways to encourage students to use Blackboard so as to facilitate their learning. In return, the benefit is to push teachers to use Blackboard to get back to students.

Diffusion of Innovations Model:

Week 1 - experience sharing about learning in workplace

I am working as an ICT teacher in a secondary school. Since I am still fresh in this school, I can only discuss my organization based on my understanding on it.

Personal Mastery

The school is requiring all the teachers to teach on their major subjects. Since most of the teachers are teaching on senior form, teachers are putting their own efforts to improve students performance. Teachers are mastering on their own major subjects, so that they can bring the students to a higher standard.

Shared Vision

Teachers from the same panel and committee are working for the common aims and objectives. Moreover, schools have set up major areas of concern (MAC) year by year, as well as 3-year plan, so that teachers can have a shared vision on school work.

Mental Models

Most of the schools nowadays will conduct self evaluations. Schools have set up some mental models, and will evaluate their own performance through judging on the models. These models include administration, teaching effectiveness, etc. The schools will fine-tune their shared vision (MAC) after gathering information from the surveys.

Team Learning

Teachers are grouped into panels and committees to work together. Peer discussions are encouraged so that teachers can learn from their colleagues for good practices.

Systems Thinking

Evaluations will be done after implementing new policies. However, it seems that there are not much studies on the interdependence among policies.