7 Pillars Of Digital Leadership In Education. 7 Pillars Of Digital Leadership In Education by Eric Sheninger, Principal at New Milford High School in New Jersey As schools change leadership must as well. With society becoming more and more reliant on technology it is incumbent upon leaders to harness the power of digital technologies in order to create school cultures that are transparent, relevant, meaningful, engaging, and inspiring. In order to set the stage for increasing achievement and to establish a greater sense of community pride for the work being done in our schools, we must begin to change the way we lead.
Once the fears and misconceptions are placed on the table, leaders can begin to establish a vision for the effective use of technology to improve numerous facets of leadership. The end result will be sustainable change in programs, instruction, behaviors, and leadership practices with technology as a pivotal element. From my work I have identified what I call the Pillars of Digital Leadership. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Learning and Technology Policy Framework. Alberta Centre for Child, Family & Community Research. 3 TED Talks For Teachers In Need Of Inspiration. Sometimes it is important to take the time to examine how we work and how we can do better. Professional development is somewhat about that, but I’m talking more about personal development. We’re all human – we can get stuck in our routines before we know it, and pretty soon those habits are hard to break.
The TED talks below are three that we’ve selected because we think they’re important reminders to us as humans. They talk about inspiring, leading, believing, and feeling. They’re applicable to teaching but they’re not always about teaching specifically. Happy watching! Every Kid Needs A Champion The title of this one says it all – every kid does need a champion. Rita Pierson was a former teacher and administrator turned professional development seminar leader. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten was from a brilliant but flippant high school English teacher. How Great Leaders Inspire Action. Key competencies / The New Zealand Curriculum / Curriculum documents / Kia ora. Capabilities for living and lifelong learning The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five key competencies: People use these competencies to live, learn, work, and contribute as active members of their communities.
More complex than skills, the competencies draw also on knowledge, attitudes, and values in ways that lead to action. They are not separate or stand-alone. They are the key to learning in every learning area. The development of the competencies is both an end in itself (a goal) and the means by which other ends are achieved. Opportunities to develop the competencies occur in social contexts. The competencies continue to develop over time, shaped by interactions with people, places, ideas, and things.
Thinking Thinking is about using creative, critical, and metacognitive processes to make sense of information, experiences, and ideas. Students who are competent thinkers and problem-solvers actively seek, use, and create knowledge. Using language, symbols, and texts Managing self. These Are Not Optional | Opening Doors and Turning On Lights. Cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Enokson Maybe its the fact I have had the misfortune of contracting shingles during the busiest month of school, or maybe its the fact it has forced me to cancel a trip home to see my family or maybe its just because I am grumpy, but this post is almost writing itself.
I worry that because you are reading this, a blog, and you probably found the link from Twitter, that I am preaching to the converted so do me a favor and share this with someone NOT connected. I feel inspired to do a little venting about areas of our profession that I feel are simply no longer optional. Whether at the school, district or provincial/state level, I feel we are not doing enough to push that these are now a mandatory part of our jobs, not because an act, law or contract deems them to be, but because we are professionals that are supposed to do what’s right for our students. 1. 2. 3.
This one really gets to me. What excuse is there for not using this “resource”. 4. Our Mission and Vision. I wrote this for my school’s last newsletter of the year. It is a culmination of the hard work my leadership team put in to developing our school’s new mission. These eighteen words work well with each other. You might not realize that it was a two month process to create this mission. The resource Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year by Bill Ferriter (@plugusin) and Parry Graham has been instrumental in helping my staff move forward in collaborating at high levels of learning and engagement.
This year at Howe, one of the goals was to revisit our school vision. It is good practice for any organization to reflect on their purpose. The result: In addition to our vision statements, we also developed a mission. Our Mission: To foster a community of engaged learners, focused on academic and social growth, preparing for our changing future. These words were chosen very carefully. To foster a community of engaged learners, Like this: Like Loading... Related. 10 Ideas To Move Innovation Forward. Cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by -= Bruce Berrien =- Through a lot of conversations on social networks, face-to-face opportunities, and reflection, I have been thinking about some of the things that I have seen to create new and better (innovative) opportunities for learning. This is not only in the context of student learning, but as well as opportunities for staff and their own professional development.
Below, I would like to share some of my thoughts as well as some corresponding quotes from people both in and out of education. (I have written about this topic before, but I really wanted to focus on people specifically.) 1. Although the term “innovation” talks about continuously developing new ideas, I really believe that it is imperative that the notion of risk-taking and continuously developing better learning opportunities for students. 2.
It is really easy to go say, “do this”, but it is more important to say, “let’s do this together”. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. A simple analogy. 8. Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit. Practice and Pilot Tests. The Smarter Balanced Practice Test (updated in May 2014) and the Training Test (released in February 2014) provide students with an early look at sets of assessment questions aligned to the Common Core for grades 3-8 and 11 in both English language arts/literacy and mathematics. Both resources will help teachers and students prepare for the Smarter Balanced Assessments. Practice Tests The Smarter Balanced Practice Test allows teachers, students, parents, and other interested parties to experience a full grade-level assessment and gain insight into how Smarter Balanced will assess students’ mastery of the Common Core.
The Practice Tests mirror the year-end assessment. Training Tests The Training Tests are designed to provide students and teachers with opportunities to quickly familiarize themselves with the software and navigational tools that they will use on the upcoming Smarter Balanced Field Test and/or the spring 2015 Smarter Balanced Assessments. Photo.jpg 1,979×1,125 pixels. The Leader Provides the Time! | Jigsaw Learning. There is no question that time is a valuable commodity in schools. Not only do we as educators try to carve out any additional minute for learning with students, the time we spend with colleagues and collaborative teams is equally valuable and seemingly never enough. In a Collaborative Response Model, the Collaborative Team Meetings are a foundational component that we have suggested is one of the very first stepping stones to implementing a school-wide system of supports for students (see Essential Elements of a Collaborative Team Meeting).
The fourth essential element of the Collaborative Team Meeting is focused on time embedded in the school timetable and calendar. The School Timetable is Not in Stone In a school that is establishing or sustaining an effective Collaborative Response Model, one of the paramount tasks of the school leader is embedding time in the master schedule for Collaborative Team Meetings to occur. When is minimal supervision required? Like this: Like Loading... TED Talks Education. To Improve School Climate, Examine Recess. As we look at ways to create environments that allow teaching and learning to thrive, it's time to take a long, hard look at the critical role of recess in our schools.
Recess has the potential to transform schools, and groups are finally speaking out about the powerful role it has in the school day, including the American Academy of Pediatrics which, earlier this year, released a policy statement to this effect. Proven Benefits More and more research underscores the invaluable and positive impact recess can have on teaching and learning. In early 2009, researcher Romina Barros of Einstein College found that third grade students who had at least 15 minutes of recess every day behaved better in the classroom than their peers who did not get daily recess. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) underscores the benefits of learning these critical skills.
Five Steps to a Recess-Friendly Playground 1. 2. 3. When possible, teach students new games in small groups. SmartBlog on Education - What should new school leaders do first? - SmartBrief, Inc. SmartBlogs SmartBlogs. Most school districts do not hire a principal a few days before the school year begins. Principals are typically hired months before they can officially start in the district. After getting over the initial shock and excitement of being the person in charge, new school principals have to figure out what their next steps should be. Everyone is waiting to see what a leader will do first. The longer it takes a new principal to make their first move, the more at risk they are that someone will be critical of them for not doing anything at all. It sounds unfair, especially if the new leader is still teaching or leading another building in a neighboring district, but it happens.
What’s next? First and foremost, send thank you cards for the interview and then for the job. Personal experience Seven years ago, I was hired in early April to be a principal in a neighboring school district. The administrative team wanted me to be successful, so my predecessor and I created an entrance plan together. The Art of Reflection: What you need to do to improve your practice - Carmel, CA. 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals. Leadership | In Print 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals By Jennifer Demski06/07/12 Patrick Larkin, principal of Burlington High School in Burlington, MA, started a 1-to-1 iPad initiative in the fall of 2012. The conventional wisdom in education is that any school reform--be it curriculum, instruction, assessment, or teacher professionalism--is most likely to take hold in schools that have strong leadership. "The role of the principal is one of facilitation and modeling behavior," remarks Robert Farrace, senior director of communications and development with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
T.H.E. We then spoke with three highly effective technology leaders among the ranks of principals to see how these habits have led to the successful implementation of educational technology in their schools. 1. The Expert's Perspective: Robert Farrace: "Guiding the culture of the school is one of the most important things that a principal has to do. Formative Assessments Are Easier Than You Think!
When I was teaching science one of the best lessons I learned was about formative assessment. In my first year of teaching I taught the way I was told to teach. Deliver content to my students, assess at the end, remediate if necessary. With that cycle, I always had kids who were behind, who never seemed like they could catch up. I was talking with a teacher friend the summer after my first year and she suggested something simple. Put a large piece of paper next to the door. Give every student a pack of sticky notes. On the way out the door they could put their thoughts about what they didn't quite get or what they were still having trouble with.
What a difference that made. The following school years that board became an important place for myself and my students. Now, as 1:1 and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) are taking over our schools, its becoming even easier to formatively assess what our students know and for our students to leave feedback as to what they need. Teachers As "Persuaders": An Interview With Daniel Pink - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo.
Internet Catalogue. Five Free Web 2.0 Tools to Support Lesson Planning. "Teachers need to integrate technology seamlessly into the curriculum instead of viewing it as an add-on, an afterthought or an event. " -- Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Educational Consultant, Curriculum Designers, Inc. Web 2.0 tools are online software programs that allow users to do a number of different things. They can be used to teach curriculum content, store data, create or edit video, edit photos, collaborate and so much more. These programs are often free and are used by teachers, students and sometimes parents, both in and out of the classroom, on a pretty regular basis.
The question then becomes: are educators prepared to use these tools? Are educators, especially new ones, ready to incorporate Web 2.0 tools into their classroom? Embracing the use of Web 2.0 tools in lesson planning may still be new to many educators. As we talk about Web 2.0 tools, here's one point I want to stress. 1. If you've not heard of Pinterest, what rock have you been hiding under? 2. 3. 4. 5.
How To Engage Administrators with Technology. I find myself to be quite interesting. As a presenter I feel that I am funny, charming, and that I really connect with my audience. My stories are pithy, and most times when I have imparted my wisdom on to crowds large and small, I see a combination of bewilderment at the earth-shattering revelations that I have evoked in the participants along with rueful nods of attendees wishing that they too would have made the brilliant connections that I established during my thrilling presentation. I often feel I deserve standing ovations. If you missed the tongue in my cheek, then I will be a bit more blunt.
I am not quite delusional enough to think that I have the ability to engage people for more than 15 consecutive seconds. But I persist. When it comes to educators being engaged in their own learning, I think administrators (myself included) can be some of the most off-task, giggling, coffee-slurping, pull-each others finger people that you can find in the education field.
Lesson Plan: Introducing Admin to 21st C Skills using Google Docs. It is not uncommon for me to read comments on Twitter that characterize school administrators as a group who need to get more in touch with 21st century learning. Whether it is a comment about how senior administration is blocking specific online sites or resources, how school leaders need to provide leadership and role model the use of technology, or how school based administrators are out of touch with social media and its uses in education, there certainly is a tone indicating that administrators needing to 'get on board'. Although I have blogged in the past that I don't find comments that single out one group to be particularly useful ("No Us vs. Them--Just Us"), I agree that there needs to be more of us in administration that are in tune with 21st century skills. In our school district, we are continuing to learn more about 21st century, personalized learning.
The lesson: 2) went through the Learning Intentions, 6) and, examined the document that we collectively produced.