PRESENTATION 1: Tuesday, July 7, 2009-07-07
Barry Litun – Superintendant of Lethbridge Public District 51

Mr. Litun is the Superintendant of the Lethbridge Public District 51, which encompasses 19 different schools in Lethbridge and surrounding area. Mr. Litun’s philosophy on the integration of Technology can be summarized in three pillars – or points – which inform his leadership processes as it relates to IT.

The three pillars he spoke of were:
· 21st Century Classroom
· Differentiated Learning
· Assessment for Learning

The salience of his approach to technology is based on improving student learning. At every step of the way, student learning was clearly paramount in decision-making. In a broader sense, the outcomes for IT which Mr. Litun emphasized included a focus on equitable access for all students, dependability of technology, and centralized vision. To pursue these outcomes, Mr. Litun spoke about the need to be able to provide safe and secure technology for parents and students, the ability to weather unforeseen technical issues and a consistent approach to IT at all levels of the organization. To this end, District 51, under his leadership, has engaged in “Forklift Evergreening”, which enables large purchases to be made on a three year basis, rather than updating smaller numbers of computers on a yearly basis. They have also developed tangible ways of supporting teachers through the change process.

No undertaking of this scale can occur without a planning process to ensure its success, and Mr. Litun revealed the steps the District used to this end. To begin, he emphasized the need to be able to maintain not just the technology, but also the people – technicians – who support the classroom use of technology. The importance of systemic collaborations with technology, to connect teachers and schools as they engage in the change process was also mentioned. Teachers at all levels were provided time to understand and synthesize the use of these new technologies and District-wide PD days were used to this end. Community relationships were also developed through “Town Hall Meetings”; further engaging the broader sense of the school. And tying this all together was a centralized vision for technology.

As a leader, Mr. Litun clearly demonstrates the type of leadership described by Fullan (Breakthrough), Carey (Some Reflections on Leadership, CIO Canada) and Collins (Good to Great). He is capable of making hard decisions based on data, but clearly values relationship building and collaboration. These have clearly become the backbone to the District’s success. As a speaker, his humbleness and willingness to display his own weaknesses demonstrate a strength of character which engages his listener, and clearly unified his District. On the whole, it is clear that his leadership, commitment and vision have been the driving force behind the culture of change which has transformed teaching in his schools.