SchoolNet conducts professional development in the Eastern Cape on behalf of the Telkom Foundation

School Net SA conducts professional development workshops as part of an initiative for the Telkom Foundation. Telkom is making meaningful contributions to improving the quality of education in the Eastern Cape Schools. School Net SA is conducting training in the course, Change Leadership for Technology Integration with Senior Management Teams in 12 schools in the Queenstown area of the Eastern Cape. Facing Challenges is one of the modules covered in September. Effective school leaders are key to large-scale and sustainable education reform.

Leaders have a deeper and more lasting influence on their organizations and provide more comprehensive leadership if their focus extends over maintaining high standards.

Training was conducted by Mr M Rafu on 3rd of September 2015. Sozizwe Primary school was chosen as a training venue as it was central to the schools involved. The trainer reported that 41 participants attended the training. The purpose of the module was outlined and the outcomes of the modules were communicated with the participants. The trainer reported that at first the participants were reluctant to share ideas about the challenges they faced at their respective schools and this was part of the activity in module 4.

After the trainer has explained the importance of the activity, the participants understood why they had to do the activity so that they come up with solutions. They realised that collaboration and sharing were the best approaches to solving problems. They were able to see the difference between technical challenges and adaptive challenges.

The trainer reported that he emphasised the plan of action as a conclusive stage in solving problems.They did another activity on embracing resistance instead of avoiding it. The teachers did a role play activity to rehearse situations in preparation for a future performance and to improve their abilities within a role. The teachers realised that as a change leader, you can view resistance to change as a problem, as an obstacle, as a negative and something to overcome, crushed or disposed of. However there is a positive side to resistance to change and, those who would lead successful change efforts, are well served by tending to resistance. Resistance to change is evidence that people care about something and want to protect it. So it can actually improve a change effort’s chances of success.

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