Leadership and Technology: The Need for District, School, and Digital Vision

Introduction

The current trends and needs in education across the globe require that leaders must think in unprecedented ways that focus on the present and future integration of technology. Administrators also are required to acknowledge that how they lead their teachers has a direct connection with creating smart, technology-rich classrooms in their schools. This requires that educational systems, and most importantly their leaders, build comprehensive technological infrastructures that include continuous hardware and software development and network upgrades with their previous systems to incorporate the numerous digital opportunities and requirements that students must have in order to remain relevant.

As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, educational institutions across the world urgently seek to find new ways of addressing the needs of their current student populations while undertaking the formidable task of preparing for a future that is uncertain. The effects of the Coronavirus have impacted most aspects of life, but the consequences that it will have on the educational systems are yet to be determined and fully understood. The rapid transition to on-line learning has posed some serious challenges for educational leaders, many of whom may not have been prepared to migrate from physical classrooms to the world of virtual learning. For some students and teachers who had a sound technology plan and solid infrastructure, it was an easier transition, but for many other districts, it has proven to be an arduous task that saw the disruption of their educational programs.