Organization Change Model- Week 3

Based on Rogers’ definitions, Is this innovation an optional innovation-decision, collective innovation-decision, or authority innovation-decision?

      I firmly believe that if a new technology tool is expected to be used throughout a school system with a certain amount of success, the decision should be a collective innovation-decision. In reality, it is rarely the case in a school system (maybe more likely in charter and private schools) to use this method of decision making. It is usually an authority innovation-decision or an optional innovation-decision. In the case of my DTTP, I believe that it would fall in the category of an optional innovation-decision. My role as an Instructional Technology Specialist, would be seen as "an individual who is in some way distinguished from others". (Wikipedia, 2016) As the individual who will be tasked with making the decision, I will be expected to apply my knowledge and opinion with regards to the adoption of the new technology. (Chatterjee, 2012) My opinion will be formed based upon data gathered from various stakeholders. By using this data to make an informed decision, the decision would not be made in a vacuum. It is critically important that those who are expected to use the new technology be aware that their opinions were taken into consideration even if the decision does not align with their individual opinion.


As you think about your DTTP, and assume the role of an Instructional Technology Specialist, what is your role in regards to opinion leadership (you may want to research this term from Rogers more on your own, too)? Why?

     According to Katz (1957), an opinion leader are those who "pass on what they read and hear to those of their every-day associates for whom they are influential." (p. 61)  By crafting the DTTP, I am serving in the role of opinion leader.  Ultimately the decision to adapt the plan rests with school district's superintendent or governing board.  If I am to garner the influence of being an opinion leader, it becomes my responsibility to be constantly researching the latest innovations and any data available to determine their potential success in my school district.  Along with keeping abreast of new innovations, I must have a pulse on my school district's demographics, available spending potential as it relates to new technologies, as well as teacher and student performance data.  This will allow the recommendations I make to be well-informed.


List one strategy based on Rogers’ model that you will use to support the change process you’re beginning in your DTTP (or discuss why the model will not be a resource to you). You can discuss any element of Rogers’ theory, for example, attributes of the innovation, adopter categories, the adoption-diffusion process.

      Diffusion of Innovations (Wikipedia, n.d.) discusses "injecting an innovation into a group of individuals who would readily use said technology" as a strategy to move the adoption of the new technology along.   This group, comprised of innovators and early adopters, would be tasked with providing their honest assessment of the technology. Using this method, one could employ strategy 4 as pointed out by Gann and Smith (2010).  This strategy states the following: "use assessment tools and results to communicate honest results, both positive and negative.  Listen and adjust the vision or implementation, sometimes to build trust or go back through a phase that was missed".   I think that this strategy can by powerful because these individuals could pilot the new innovation, if possible, and help to provide the necessary data to help to adjust the plan of implementation where necessary.

List a specific method or strategies you will use when working with later adopters and laggards (Rogers) to change and your PD program.


     Late adopters and laggards tend to view change as negative and wish to continue with business as usual.  In my opinion, the best strategy to persuade them, is to capitalize on the views of the innovators' and early adopters' energy and allow it to diffuse throughout.  I would also ask the innovators and early adopters to assist with conducting some of the training sessions.  I think that teachers tend to relate more with a fellow teacher than someone who may not be teaching in the classroom any longer.  These teacher leaders would be an integral part of the implementation integration success.




Chatterjee, R. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations. In Correia, A.-P. (2012) (Ed.). Breaking the mold: An educational perspective on diffusion of innovation. Wikibook/textbook,. Retreived from: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Breaking_the_Mold:_An_Educational_Perspective_on_Diffusion_of_Innovation/Rogers%E2%80%99_Diffusion_of_Innovations 

Diffusion of innovations. (n.d). In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations
 
Gann, K. & Smith A. (2015). 4 strategies for guiding people through change. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=425&category=Lead-the-way&article=

Katz, E. (1957). The Two-Step Flow of Communication: An Up-To-Date Report on an Hypothesis. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 21(1). 61-78.