Personal learning environments are one example of how we can harness technology for innovation in pedagogy. Hedberg (2007) writes about this:

We now need to choose pedagogical options that do not simply transfer traditional methods but transcend them. For pedagogy to match the potential of ICT for enhancing learning, the role of the learner needs to change from a passive participant to an active engaged constructor of their own experience. This will involve a rethinking of learning activities, an exploration of how interactions are managed and facilitated, and a choice of the right tool for each pedagogical task. (2007)

We can think of Personal Learning Environments as an innovative pedagogy to ‘rethink’ learning activities, that could offer new educational possibilities. Martindale and Dowdy (2016; 120) argue that PLE’s can be seen as emerging and disruptive technologies: “It is a new and evolving construct, not yet fully understood, and its unfulfilled potential means it can be disruptive.” By way of further explaining this statement they offer ways of understanding how PLE’s differ from Learning Management Systems (which are concerned with content and pre-set topics/subjects). They show this in the table here:

Leadership of innovating pedagogy is complex and some aspects of leadership can be identified  that will support these changes. 

Fullan’s work (2015), identifies some of the issues in leading change in New Zealand, and shares useful ways to think about leadership at all level of a school.

 Fullen’s concept of “Leadership from the Middle” is one useful idea. He writes:

Leadership from the Middle can be briefly defined as: a deliberate strategy that increases the capacity and internal coherence of the middle as it becomes a more effective partner upward to the state and downward to its schools and communities, in pursuit of greater system performance. The goal of LftM is to develop greater overall system coherence by strengthening the focus of the middle in relation to system goals and local needs. Thus, it is not a standalone, but rather a connected strategy (2015; 24).