The Phase of Change by Michael Fullan Essay Example

Michael Fullan discusses change based on three significant phases; i.e., initiation, implementation, and institutionalization. He opines the initiation phase based on the decision made on embarking on innovative approaches and developing the most needed commitment for the attainment of the process. Some of the key activities in this phase are based on the introduction of decision-making mechanisms and the review of the general status of the school district as regards the specific change. The implementation phase is primarily concerned with the development and sustainment of the required commitments, the oversight of action plans and the supervision of progress. The institutionalization phase is when innovation and change have stopped being regarded as something new and has ceased being a part of the transformation of a pilot project. The paper, therefore, regards the synthesis and the application of the course materials within my school district while describing the change initiative and the phase that was most applicable at the time of change.

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My school district not being able to produce learners with skills which are not dependent on white collar jobs or other formal employment is what has initiated the idea of change. The world today is undergoing social transformation and radical economic development hence calling on everyone to rethink the purpose of school. My school district is amongst the many districts that produce learners who hustle for formal employment for a longer duration with no success and finally become unemployed. The change initiative in my school district is, therefore, to integrate current trends and dynamics in education with the aim of producing individuals who can fit into different environments. They must not necessarily depend on the white collar jobs which are limited considering the high level of competition but can also take on blue-collar jobs and even fit into the business world.

It is true that change is not an event but a process because while reflecting at Fullan's three phases of change, my school district stood at the initiation phase. A phase of decision making and rethinking the purpose of learning, the mission, and the vision of the district. It is a stage of deciding on how to embark on integrating innovative ideas and approaches to teaching and equally coming up with a commitment towards the process. The effective aspects of the phase are based on the integration of the innovative ideas being tied to a local agenda which is tied to improving the lives of individuals graduating from the school district and being able to fit any society.

Conclusion

On the same breath, the ineffective aspect of the phase is on the manner in which it is structured. The structuring requires new instructors who can offer skills based on the current trends and dynamics, something which is non-existent. The instructors in the school district are the same ones hence dimming the end of the tunnel. Acquiring light at the end of the tunnel, therefore, lies with the district educational administrative organ conducting a general restructuring to the entire school management while also considering the hiring of new instructors. The instructors must be equipped with skills which are not only limited to the acquisition of formal employment but also those that can help a learner navigate every environment. It is only through the recommendation that the school will be able to successfully integrate the remaining two phases of change and effectively attain its renewed missions and visions.