The Four Major Elements of Successful Planning (The Four Cs)

Planning in and of itself it is a concept near and dear to most educators. Educators spend countless hours planning lessons, activities, and assessments. It is a necessary evil. Merriam-Webster defines a plan as a “set of actions that have been thought of as a way to do or achieve something” and planning as “the act or process of making a plan to achieve or do something”. Both of these definitions point out that while planning is a process, it requires that you have the end result in mind prior to implementation.

In our first synchronous discussion, my classmates and I spent a good deal of time talking about the planning process as it relates to planning for technology in education. We agreed that, often times, educators and administrators focus solely on obtaining the funds for new technology purchases without fully thinking through staff training on how the technology should be implemented into the curriculum to enhance teaching and learning. The focus of Chapter Two in Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology is on the basic concepts of planning. Piccano (2011) refers to Sheathelm for the common elements in the planning process. Sheathelm identified four major elements of successful planning as the four Cs: comprehensiveness, collaboration, commitment, and continuity. The four Cs could serve as a great model or framework for educational technology planning.

Comprehensiveness
Picciano (2011) states, “Planning for technology requires concentrating on a total application. By choosing an application and asking what is needed to make it successful, educators will naturally have to consider questions regarding obvious components such as hardware and software as well as other less obvious components such as staff development, curricular integration, facilities, and ongoing maintenance” (p. 10). Picciano makes a significant point here about the importance of keeping the entire objective of integrating technology into the curriculum in mind. A “total view of a school and what it is supposed to accomplish for students and the community is an essential element” (p. 19). I love that Piccano includes the community in his statement. Involving the community in the planning process is a huge component of comprehensiveness. In order to formulate a comprehensive plan, administrators and technology leaders need first assess the needs of their students, faculty and school as whole. Then, goals and objectives can be created based on these needs. Lastly, a comprehensive plan is written as a blueprint to meet these objectives.

Collaboration 
When planning for technology in education, it is imperative to involve a wide variety of people in the process. A technology committee should be formed to guide the direction of the comprehensive written plan. This committee should include representation from the administration, faculty, on-site specialists, the student body, and parents. In addition to the exchange of knowledge, “collaboration also allows for greater appreciation of several perspectives of a goal, objective, or need” (p. 20).

Commitment
I feel that the most difficult of the four Cs is commitment. Time and time again educators hear about the importance of “buy-in” from students, parents, administrators and stake-holders. In order for technology goals and objectives to be met, all parties need to be committed to the process. If the collaboration portion of the planning process is strong, gaining commitment from those instrumental in carrying out the plan will be much more attainable. Furthermore, commitment is often viewed as bottom down. “Commitment from teachers, staff, or parents will only come if there is a sense on their part that the administrative leadership is committed to a plan” (p. 20).

Continuity 
The written comprehensive plan is far from being the end of the planning process. As society, people and technology change, so should plans in order to meet the needs of students. Piccano puts it best, “An organization is like a living organism that continually responds and adjusts to environmental stimuli. As the values of a society change, so must the way schools prepare students to live and function in that society. As new tools and technologies are developed, so should our methods of training students to use these tools and technologies” (p. 20). The written plan is only a guideline for everyday activities (p. 20) in an effort to achieve the goals and objectives set forth by the technology planning committee. In order for technology planning to be effective, plans must be tweaked, revised, reviewed and evaluated based on the changing needs of students, faculty and the community as a whole.

For schools trying to decide where to start their technology planning, Intel provides a blueprint model that includes elements of leadership, policy, funding, curriculum and assessment, infrastructure and professional development.

References

K-12 Blueprint: Resources for planning and implementing education technology. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVSFoJWsP_A

Piccano, A.G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology. (5^th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Plan. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plan

Planning. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planning