The library has historically been the repository of knowledge, a place where you go when you WANT to learn something, a place with answers and resources. that is still true today, but today's libraries are in the crosshairs of change due to technology. Many have seen the trends and have made adaptations and additions, but is that enough?
I have known this for a while, in the back of my mind. As I look at the libraries in my district, I see many great moves that meet the needs of today's students and society. I have seen many changes at the local public library also. But are adaptations and additions enough?
This recently hit home to me when I took two of my sons to the public library. My kids were stoked, so excited all day, and bragging to their friends when I picked them up. My second grader even wanted to do his homework there. Did you hear that? WANTED! We arrived and while the second grader did his work, my 3 year old and I explored the board books and other activities they had for children. We had a blast and couldn't borrow enough books to read that night. Then my second grader finished and it was his turn to look around. He found many books to borrow that were of interest to him. But...
Then it hit. He wanted to find out about griffins. We searched on their catalogue, and found no resources. The excellent librarian was next. He asked her and she couldn't find anything specific except the subject of mythology, so we went over to the books and looked at the mythology books, checking indexes of those books for annotations of griffins. Great library and life skills and resources for a second grader to learn! After a couple minutes of that he found a book with a page about griffins. A win! He grabbed it quickly and off we went.
While this process played out over 10-15 minutes though, I was thinking that we could just go over to the computer search station and check out the databases. Or... I could just pull out my smartphone and search it right there and immediate resources pull up. That is the society expectation of knowledge, not the process of exploration but immediate finding and move on to doing something with the knowledge or on to the next topic. Not the ceremony appropriated to knowledge achievements.
Libraries are the halls of self-intended knowledge, and churches to those seeking public resources of knowledge. But as non-fiction books are printed, they are almost automatically non-comprehensive and nearing obsoletion, through no fault of their own. Society just has different needs and expectations.
So what will or should libraries be? If someone were to think up the concept of libraries right now, start from scratch, what would they look like?
At a recent technology meeting, a neighboring district explained how they are reshaping their library experience. Like all great changes in history, it is accompanied with a name change. Library? Nah... Learning Commons! Not a passive repository, but a place of action where folks come to, as the name Commons implies. Technology resources abound, but not necessarily supplied by the district. While there are district resources for technology use available, some were removed to make room for more flexible space accommodations. Comfy chairs, additional power outlets, movable furniture for group work; elements of paradigm change for new experiences and organizations.
So how should libraries look? What is the focus of their services both now and for the generation to come? What then is the role of the librarian?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Teacher Evaluation
Discuss how teacher evaluation is "a golden opportunity" to improve teacher and student performance?
Teacher evaluation is a "golden opportunity" to improve teacher and student performance because it provides a forum to discuss best practices in teaching and learning. Continuous learning and growth should be the purposes of evaluative procedures, not just for remediation purposes, but for extending practices. Evaluation allows for the meta-cognition of teaching to help formulate the "why we do" behind the "what we do.". Through this exploration is the opportunity to address deficiencies and to celebrate achievements, and establish a process for growth.
As Anthony Alvarado said, teacher learning is the key to improving student achievement. Students learn from teachers, so the more teachers know then the more students can achieve from their interactions with their teacher.
According to Danielson and McGreal, traditional evaluation models are flawed. What then are the “best practices” for supervision and evaluation to improve student learning?
Traditional evaluation models are flawed because of the evaluative judgments inherent in the process. The judgments can be inaccurate, inconsistent and not based on evidence, and may differ depending upon who is evaluating. These traditional forms of evaluation also do not differentiate for varying levels of experience and expertise. Danielson and McGreal recommend a differentiated approach to evaluations: new teachers are evaluated using criteria specific to their needs for growth; experienced teachers using criteria to professional growth initiatives; and teachers in need of improvement using criteria that establishes core knowledge and skills required for effective teaching.
Teacher evaluation is a "golden opportunity" to improve teacher and student performance because it provides a forum to discuss best practices in teaching and learning. Continuous learning and growth should be the purposes of evaluative procedures, not just for remediation purposes, but for extending practices. Evaluation allows for the meta-cognition of teaching to help formulate the "why we do" behind the "what we do.". Through this exploration is the opportunity to address deficiencies and to celebrate achievements, and establish a process for growth.
As Anthony Alvarado said, teacher learning is the key to improving student achievement. Students learn from teachers, so the more teachers know then the more students can achieve from their interactions with their teacher.
According to Danielson and McGreal, traditional evaluation models are flawed. What then are the “best practices” for supervision and evaluation to improve student learning?
Traditional evaluation models are flawed because of the evaluative judgments inherent in the process. The judgments can be inaccurate, inconsistent and not based on evidence, and may differ depending upon who is evaluating. These traditional forms of evaluation also do not differentiate for varying levels of experience and expertise. Danielson and McGreal recommend a differentiated approach to evaluations: new teachers are evaluated using criteria specific to their needs for growth; experienced teachers using criteria to professional growth initiatives; and teachers in need of improvement using criteria that establishes core knowledge and skills required for effective teaching.
Effective Instruction
What does the literature describe as the components/domains of effective instruction?
Effective Instruction takes on many shapes and forms, but essentially it is practices inclusive of challenging curriculum that both respect and engage learners. According to Danielson, the domains of effective instruction include planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. Planning and preparation encompass the foundational knowledge of curriculum, instructional practices and resources required for the lesson. The classroom environment domain encompasses the classroom management systems the develop a culture of learning. The instructional domain includes the active practices of communicating, engaging, assessing, and responding. The professional responsibilities domain includes the efforts towards continuous improvement and development of the class, the families, the school, and the profession through reflection, communication, and self-learning.
How do you know effective teaching when you see it?
To see effective teaching, first one must be knowledgeable of the curriculum, resources and relationships within the environment. from there, the evaluator can assess the instructional practices being employed and the reflective engagement of the learners within the context of the lesson. The four domains provide a framework for engaging learners in lessons where the taught-curriculum best aligns with the learned-curriculum, that translates into achievement based on the assessed curriculum. Through observing the process and building the relationships with the instructional staff, the evaluator can know effective learning because they can have appropriate knowledge of what is taught, see how it is taught, and reflect on the process based upon the results of formative and summative assessment to determine the learning.
In what way might the presence of teacher leaders require a differentiated approach to supervision?
As the authority of leaders moves along the continuum from bureaucratic, to personal, to professional, then to moral authority, the amount of differentiated supervision needed increases. At the bureaucratic level, all teachers are held to the same requirements, and evaluated accordingly in a directive supervision approach. At the personal level, there is an understanding and empathic approach that sees others more individually, thus taking into context the needs and strengths of the teacher in a directive informational approach. Further, at the professional level, not only are teachers viewed for their strengths and needs, but their ability to self-address those strengths and needs increases, requiring the evaluator to become more facilitator and collaborator within the professional collegial relationship. Lastly, approaching the moral level, the school community takes a flattened approach to the hierarchy of evaluation and supervision and looks not just to the classroom, but to the greater, non-directive, mission driven approach to the vocation.
Effective Instruction takes on many shapes and forms, but essentially it is practices inclusive of challenging curriculum that both respect and engage learners. According to Danielson, the domains of effective instruction include planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. Planning and preparation encompass the foundational knowledge of curriculum, instructional practices and resources required for the lesson. The classroom environment domain encompasses the classroom management systems the develop a culture of learning. The instructional domain includes the active practices of communicating, engaging, assessing, and responding. The professional responsibilities domain includes the efforts towards continuous improvement and development of the class, the families, the school, and the profession through reflection, communication, and self-learning.
How do you know effective teaching when you see it?
To see effective teaching, first one must be knowledgeable of the curriculum, resources and relationships within the environment. from there, the evaluator can assess the instructional practices being employed and the reflective engagement of the learners within the context of the lesson. The four domains provide a framework for engaging learners in lessons where the taught-curriculum best aligns with the learned-curriculum, that translates into achievement based on the assessed curriculum. Through observing the process and building the relationships with the instructional staff, the evaluator can know effective learning because they can have appropriate knowledge of what is taught, see how it is taught, and reflect on the process based upon the results of formative and summative assessment to determine the learning.
In what way might the presence of teacher leaders require a differentiated approach to supervision?
As the authority of leaders moves along the continuum from bureaucratic, to personal, to professional, then to moral authority, the amount of differentiated supervision needed increases. At the bureaucratic level, all teachers are held to the same requirements, and evaluated accordingly in a directive supervision approach. At the personal level, there is an understanding and empathic approach that sees others more individually, thus taking into context the needs and strengths of the teacher in a directive informational approach. Further, at the professional level, not only are teachers viewed for their strengths and needs, but their ability to self-address those strengths and needs increases, requiring the evaluator to become more facilitator and collaborator within the professional collegial relationship. Lastly, approaching the moral level, the school community takes a flattened approach to the hierarchy of evaluation and supervision and looks not just to the classroom, but to the greater, non-directive, mission driven approach to the vocation.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Ethical Issues of Moral Supervision
What are the ethical issues of moral supervision?
Supervisors, due to their position within the school, are in a position to exert great influence over the development of the learning community. They are in a position to determine the structures of learning and processes of the school. They have the responsibility to act with integrity demonstrating respect for the rights of others, act fairly with impartiality and sensitivity, and act ethically by making and explaining decisions based on ethical or legal foundations.
Supervisors, due to their position within the school, are in a position to exert great influence over the development of the learning community. They are in a position to determine the structures of learning and processes of the school. They have the responsibility to act with integrity demonstrating respect for the rights of others, act fairly with impartiality and sensitivity, and act ethically by making and explaining decisions based on ethical or legal foundations.
Nature and Obligations of Supervisory Leadership
What are the moral nature and obligations of supervisory leadership?
The moral nature of leadership is that of relationships with teachers and relationships with students. The relationship with the teacher needs to be respectful and based on trust, where both the supervisor and teacher can feel open for honest interchange. The relationship with the student needs to be based on the moral activity of learning, and the development of a community conducive to learning.
The supervisor has the moral obligations to promote a moral community, ideals and virtues of teaching, and the character of learning and teaching. In promoting a moral community, the supervisor ensures that institutional procedures do not become more important than the people being served. In promoting the ideals and virtues of teaching, the supervisor commits to practice in an exemplary way, practice toward valued social ends, develop not only one's practice but to the practice itself, and a commitment to the ethic of caring. In the character of learning and teaching, the supervisor promotes the relationality of learning, a dialogue between learner and the reality under study.
The moral nature of leadership is that of relationships with teachers and relationships with students. The relationship with the teacher needs to be respectful and based on trust, where both the supervisor and teacher can feel open for honest interchange. The relationship with the student needs to be based on the moral activity of learning, and the development of a community conducive to learning.
The supervisor has the moral obligations to promote a moral community, ideals and virtues of teaching, and the character of learning and teaching. In promoting a moral community, the supervisor ensures that institutional procedures do not become more important than the people being served. In promoting the ideals and virtues of teaching, the supervisor commits to practice in an exemplary way, practice toward valued social ends, develop not only one's practice but to the practice itself, and a commitment to the ethic of caring. In the character of learning and teaching, the supervisor promotes the relationality of learning, a dialogue between learner and the reality under study.
Sources of Authority for Supervisory Leadership
What are the sources of authority for supervisory leadership?
Bureaucratic Authority relies on roles, rules and regulations to support the authority of the leader. Supervisors provide descriptions of expectations and then manage others toward those ends, following the policy of "expect and inspect."
Personal Authority relies on the motivational skills of the leader, where others want to accomplish the vision of the school for the leader. This form of authority is usually associated with the large leaders and follows the policy of "what gets rewarded gets done."
Professional Authority relies on the expertise and skill of the leader to provide authority for decisions. Professional authority is based on the expertise of teaching and the respect that fellow educators have for the values and skills of the leader to guide the school.
Moral Authority relies on the shared values of the school as a community, where all of the staff feel responsible to the achievement of the vision.
Bureaucratic Authority relies on roles, rules and regulations to support the authority of the leader. Supervisors provide descriptions of expectations and then manage others toward those ends, following the policy of "expect and inspect."
Personal Authority relies on the motivational skills of the leader, where others want to accomplish the vision of the school for the leader. This form of authority is usually associated with the large leaders and follows the policy of "what gets rewarded gets done."
Professional Authority relies on the expertise and skill of the leader to provide authority for decisions. Professional authority is based on the expertise of teaching and the respect that fellow educators have for the values and skills of the leader to guide the school.
Moral Authority relies on the shared values of the school as a community, where all of the staff feel responsible to the achievement of the vision.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Supervision and Evaluation
Similarities and differences between supervision and evaluation
Some may feel that supervision and evaluation go hand in hand, where supervisors perform evaluations and that evaluations are performed by supervisors. In actuality, the purpose of supervision is to coordinate efforts that contribute to student achievement. Evaluations are just one component of the efforts used to develop a culture of student achievement.
Evaluations are the activities that observe practice and stimulate change and development. Monitor and adjust. Observations and evaluations are not the sole responsibility of supervisors. To be most effective, evaluations should be from various roles, such as peers and coaches, and incorporate a varied breadth of environments.
Knowledge, skills, attitudes and values do effective supervisors possess
Effective supervisors possess knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that contribute to the effectiveness of the organization and it's ability to teach and prepare students. The supervisor develops a shared vision with the school. This vision is then promoted and reinforced, encouraging a culture where knowledge and expectations of the organization are known and lived by all. The culture includes elements of instructional development for effective learning tied to professional development for continuous learning. The leader manages the organizations resources, and collaborates with community for further resource development. Finally, the leader establishes credibility within the educational environment by leading with integrity and incorporating the larger vision of education.
Roles supervision and evaluation play in the foundation of a learning community.
Both supervision and evaluation are means to achieve an ends that encourage the vision and culture of the school. Supervision coordinates the efforts and activities that increase student achievement, and evaluations determine accountability to the culture towards that end.
When I served as assistant principal, I supervised many elements of the school, from recesses, cafeteria, discipline and assessments to staff. The supervision part of the role was like a quarterback on a football team, distributing resources and making sure people were in the right position. But evaluation was a large part of the position as well, evaluating instructional practices in the classroom, evaluating PBS data for school discipline issues, evaluating lunch and recess procedures for efficiencies. Supervision is responsibility and evaluation is accountability.
Some may feel that supervision and evaluation go hand in hand, where supervisors perform evaluations and that evaluations are performed by supervisors. In actuality, the purpose of supervision is to coordinate efforts that contribute to student achievement. Evaluations are just one component of the efforts used to develop a culture of student achievement.
Evaluations are the activities that observe practice and stimulate change and development. Monitor and adjust. Observations and evaluations are not the sole responsibility of supervisors. To be most effective, evaluations should be from various roles, such as peers and coaches, and incorporate a varied breadth of environments.
Knowledge, skills, attitudes and values do effective supervisors possess
Effective supervisors possess knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that contribute to the effectiveness of the organization and it's ability to teach and prepare students. The supervisor develops a shared vision with the school. This vision is then promoted and reinforced, encouraging a culture where knowledge and expectations of the organization are known and lived by all. The culture includes elements of instructional development for effective learning tied to professional development for continuous learning. The leader manages the organizations resources, and collaborates with community for further resource development. Finally, the leader establishes credibility within the educational environment by leading with integrity and incorporating the larger vision of education.
Roles supervision and evaluation play in the foundation of a learning community.
Both supervision and evaluation are means to achieve an ends that encourage the vision and culture of the school. Supervision coordinates the efforts and activities that increase student achievement, and evaluations determine accountability to the culture towards that end.
When I served as assistant principal, I supervised many elements of the school, from recesses, cafeteria, discipline and assessments to staff. The supervision part of the role was like a quarterback on a football team, distributing resources and making sure people were in the right position. But evaluation was a large part of the position as well, evaluating instructional practices in the classroom, evaluating PBS data for school discipline issues, evaluating lunch and recess procedures for efficiencies. Supervision is responsibility and evaluation is accountability.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Evidence Based Research
With the advent of No Child Left Behind, and the increased emphasis on Scientifically Based Research as a measuring stick for effective programs and practices, the field of education leadership research has tended more towards quantitative research as opposed to qualitative research because of the underpinning scientific foundation of cause and effect within quantitative research. The aspect of quantitative research that deals with causal relationships by exploring independent and dependent variables along a hypothesis is what associates quantitative research with the "evidence based" term.
This type of search is preferred to qualitative research because qualitative research have tendencies towards bias, and has a focus on attitudes that do not provide an accurate cause/effect relationship when faced with replicating the study or implementing the practice/program. Quantitative studies seek the relational evidence that can be easier replicated and implemented because specific variables are studied and experimented for proving relationships.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Factors that Effect Variances in Student Academic Achievement
The Coleman Report explores many factors that impact student achievement, and the effects of variances within those factors. Through my review of those factors, I classified the factors into two categories: Input factors and Output factors.
The input factors would be factors related to differences that students have as they enter into educational situations. These differences vary from sociology-economic situations, friends, and history of quality teachers. While reading many of these factors, the one that stuck out would be the differences in student experiences over the summer, where students who have experiences that enhance their educational growth tend to experience greater growth during their school experience, while those who lack the experiences tend to have less growth. I contribute this to the enhancement of contextual experiences upon which to apply educational instruction. for example, a student who is unfamiliar with the Taiga biome is at a disadvantage from the student who just vacationed to that part of the world and is already familiar with the flora and fauna of the biome. Good, bad or indifferent, it is a difference that expresses itself and can impact student growth. I feel that this factor can be impacted by educational organizations through the integration of summer learning experiences, similar and including summer school. One school in the St. Louis area (where I have previously worked) provides organized trips to national parks for learning experiences tailored to upcoming student curricular topics that the tea hers can use to build upon the context of the summer learning experience. But to a more mainstream extent, this factor provides evidence to support summer enrichment and experiences for students.
Output factors would be those factors that educational organizations are expected to produce from the students. NCLB provides normative targets that districts are expected to meet, and ties the achievement of meeting those targets to funding, therefore forcing schools to modify their learning experiences to accommodate the testing that provides the indicators. (Sometimes excessively so, take the recent Atlanta situation). However, there are opportunities and trends that account for student input differences, and explore value added models of assessing achievement. This model shows more respect for student, teacher and organization, and focuses on growth of students of various and dynamic input differences.
The input factors would be factors related to differences that students have as they enter into educational situations. These differences vary from sociology-economic situations, friends, and history of quality teachers. While reading many of these factors, the one that stuck out would be the differences in student experiences over the summer, where students who have experiences that enhance their educational growth tend to experience greater growth during their school experience, while those who lack the experiences tend to have less growth. I contribute this to the enhancement of contextual experiences upon which to apply educational instruction. for example, a student who is unfamiliar with the Taiga biome is at a disadvantage from the student who just vacationed to that part of the world and is already familiar with the flora and fauna of the biome. Good, bad or indifferent, it is a difference that expresses itself and can impact student growth. I feel that this factor can be impacted by educational organizations through the integration of summer learning experiences, similar and including summer school. One school in the St. Louis area (where I have previously worked) provides organized trips to national parks for learning experiences tailored to upcoming student curricular topics that the tea hers can use to build upon the context of the summer learning experience. But to a more mainstream extent, this factor provides evidence to support summer enrichment and experiences for students.
Output factors would be those factors that educational organizations are expected to produce from the students. NCLB provides normative targets that districts are expected to meet, and ties the achievement of meeting those targets to funding, therefore forcing schools to modify their learning experiences to accommodate the testing that provides the indicators. (Sometimes excessively so, take the recent Atlanta situation). However, there are opportunities and trends that account for student input differences, and explore value added models of assessing achievement. This model shows more respect for student, teacher and organization, and focuses on growth of students of various and dynamic input differences.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Science of Education
Many people feel that education needs to become more "scientific" in their approach to student achievement. Science and education have both similarities and differences in their approaches. Education and science differs because science often focus on the results of an experiment, while education tends to concern some question about schools and looks at data from other studies to address the concern. However, the two fields are similar in that they both use research as a means to make better decisions about practical problems.
The fields of education and medicine, specifically, are similar in that they deal with professional approaches to achieving better results to concerns. As a professional it means that there is a large body of knowledge in the field as a foundation for action, there is mastery of that knowledge, and they practice their profession.
In the medical field, doctors ask question, take baseline samples and assess the situation, and then apply their knowledge to determine a course of action to address the situation. Education should be similar, using assessment to determine a course for learning. While I disagree with the term "cure"', educators need to differentiate instruction to meet the particular needs of each student based on assessment of student needs coordinated with learning targets. Instruction can then be prescribed to move the student towards the target.
To move the field of education towards more science and medicine approach, it is important to include in the field of knowledge that is the foundation of the profession research that is based in science and experimentation. With the inclusion of "scientifically based research", educators are able to choose from rigorous programs known to be effective rather than recreate research to achieve improvement. While not a guarantee that implementing these programs will achieve great improvement, the confidence in past performance can provide guidance towards desired results through the implementation of the program.
The fields of education and medicine, specifically, are similar in that they deal with professional approaches to achieving better results to concerns. As a professional it means that there is a large body of knowledge in the field as a foundation for action, there is mastery of that knowledge, and they practice their profession.
In the medical field, doctors ask question, take baseline samples and assess the situation, and then apply their knowledge to determine a course of action to address the situation. Education should be similar, using assessment to determine a course for learning. While I disagree with the term "cure"', educators need to differentiate instruction to meet the particular needs of each student based on assessment of student needs coordinated with learning targets. Instruction can then be prescribed to move the student towards the target.
To move the field of education towards more science and medicine approach, it is important to include in the field of knowledge that is the foundation of the profession research that is based in science and experimentation. With the inclusion of "scientifically based research", educators are able to choose from rigorous programs known to be effective rather than recreate research to achieve improvement. While not a guarantee that implementing these programs will achieve great improvement, the confidence in past performance can provide guidance towards desired results through the implementation of the program.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Elements of Diversity
Disabilities
Among the most populous of diverse students are those with physical or learning disabilities. These students may require adaptations in the process or product, but vigilance needs to be made not to simplify or change the curriculum, as these students both need and want to work with their peers. One of the philosophies that address the social needs of students with disabilities is inclusion; teaching students in the mainstream classroom as much as possible as opposed to pulling the student out for specialized instruction. This not only meets the students' education needs, but also the social and interpersonal aspects of their education experience.
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-32-fall-2007/does-child-have-friend
http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/dec2001/Including-Students-with-Disabilities-in-General-Education-Classrooms.aspx
Religious
Public education mandates a separation of church and state in the education of students, but this disregards a major passion that exists for many students. Litigation also dissuaded schools from addressing religious differences and education in schools. However, religious diversity should be seen as an opportunity to develop tolerance and understanding between members of varying religious backgrounds. To include students with diverse religious backgrounds, it is important to remember that in public education that you can teach religion, not preach religion, and this knowledge will build understanding.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct02/vol60/num02/Teaching-About-Religion.aspx
Ethnicity
Students with ethnic diversity are possibly the most observable form of diversity, yet possibly the least likely indicator of academic risk. Students of ethnic diversity are susceptible to stereotypical bias and bigotry, but background experiences may be heterogeneous with other members of the community. Ethnic differences may include cultural elements, skin and speech habits, and social interactions. Students with ethnic diversity tend to gravitate towards other members of their ethnic community, and self-isolate at times.
Sociology-Economic Status
Sociology-economic diversity is a major factor for schools, as this diversity impacts contextual experiences that students bring with them to school. The larger the diversity of status, the greater the differences in experiences and relations that these groups may have in common, which makes personalizing an educational experience for all students difficult for the teacher to provide. These students may also feel self-conscious about their monetary state, and compensate with actions that might provide disruption to the community.
Sexual Orientation
Students with diverse sexual orientations are often the targets of isolation and bullying activities from their peers. The stresses these students experience can have an adverse impact upon their education experience. These students seek community and associations with others to both express their diversity and to seek refuge from the stresses of their situations.
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-31-spring-2007/why-we-need-gsa
National Origin
Immigrant students and students with English language proficiency issues are a growing segment within the diversity element that schools must address. these are students who may also have diversity of religion and ethnicity, but due to the limitations with the English language, they have difficulty acclimating to schools, let alone perform proficiently of educational issues.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer07/vol64/num10/Five-Trends-for-Schools.aspx
Gender
Gender is an element of diversity in schools where bias or limitations are imposed upon the group due to perception of abilities. An example of this diversity would be the membership of girls into STEM classes and fields. Generally girls are underrepresented in those areas because of the perceived limitations in those fields.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/09/08/engaging-girls-in-stem.aspx
Obesity
The issue of obesity in education is a recent element in which schools need to have awareness. Many issues have been associated with the trending group, from inactivity to food choices, but students with diverse body images are often isolated, bullied, or can suffer from adverse health effects from their size.
http://nursingassistantguides.com/2010/25-infographics-research-studies-to-learn-about-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic/
Among the most populous of diverse students are those with physical or learning disabilities. These students may require adaptations in the process or product, but vigilance needs to be made not to simplify or change the curriculum, as these students both need and want to work with their peers. One of the philosophies that address the social needs of students with disabilities is inclusion; teaching students in the mainstream classroom as much as possible as opposed to pulling the student out for specialized instruction. This not only meets the students' education needs, but also the social and interpersonal aspects of their education experience.
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-32-fall-2007/does-child-have-friend
http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/dec2001/Including-Students-with-Disabilities-in-General-Education-Classrooms.aspx
Religious
Public education mandates a separation of church and state in the education of students, but this disregards a major passion that exists for many students. Litigation also dissuaded schools from addressing religious differences and education in schools. However, religious diversity should be seen as an opportunity to develop tolerance and understanding between members of varying religious backgrounds. To include students with diverse religious backgrounds, it is important to remember that in public education that you can teach religion, not preach religion, and this knowledge will build understanding.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct02/vol60/num02/Teaching-About-Religion.aspx
Ethnicity
Students with ethnic diversity are possibly the most observable form of diversity, yet possibly the least likely indicator of academic risk. Students of ethnic diversity are susceptible to stereotypical bias and bigotry, but background experiences may be heterogeneous with other members of the community. Ethnic differences may include cultural elements, skin and speech habits, and social interactions. Students with ethnic diversity tend to gravitate towards other members of their ethnic community, and self-isolate at times.
Sociology-Economic Status
Sociology-economic diversity is a major factor for schools, as this diversity impacts contextual experiences that students bring with them to school. The larger the diversity of status, the greater the differences in experiences and relations that these groups may have in common, which makes personalizing an educational experience for all students difficult for the teacher to provide. These students may also feel self-conscious about their monetary state, and compensate with actions that might provide disruption to the community.
Sexual Orientation
Students with diverse sexual orientations are often the targets of isolation and bullying activities from their peers. The stresses these students experience can have an adverse impact upon their education experience. These students seek community and associations with others to both express their diversity and to seek refuge from the stresses of their situations.
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-31-spring-2007/why-we-need-gsa
National Origin
Immigrant students and students with English language proficiency issues are a growing segment within the diversity element that schools must address. these are students who may also have diversity of religion and ethnicity, but due to the limitations with the English language, they have difficulty acclimating to schools, let alone perform proficiently of educational issues.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer07/vol64/num10/Five-Trends-for-Schools.aspx
Gender
Gender is an element of diversity in schools where bias or limitations are imposed upon the group due to perception of abilities. An example of this diversity would be the membership of girls into STEM classes and fields. Generally girls are underrepresented in those areas because of the perceived limitations in those fields.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/09/08/engaging-girls-in-stem.aspx
Obesity
The issue of obesity in education is a recent element in which schools need to have awareness. Many issues have been associated with the trending group, from inactivity to food choices, but students with diverse body images are often isolated, bullied, or can suffer from adverse health effects from their size.
http://nursingassistantguides.com/2010/25-infographics-research-studies-to-learn-about-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic/
Thoughts on Diversity
My district is very much like many other districts in that we have elements of diversity, and those areas seem to always expand. As those learners from diverse backgrounds expand, assessment seems to cause the focus to narrow on those sub-groups. Schools, like mine, have become reactive to measures of accountability on assessments rather than accountability on student achievement in society. Instructional programs need more than half-measures reactive to policy, they need professional development programs that explores the underlying differences and that differentiates to provide contextual learning experiences for our students.
My district incorporates several programs, experiences, and personnel that address diversity in our school. We use the home-visit program, where staff visit the homes of at-risk students to make connections with the families and see the lives and backgrounds of their students. This program provides context for the teachers, and aids in their understanding that all students are different, have different backgrounds and situations, and require different actions for success.
Our school also allows for field trip experiences and technology resources that provide context for students. Since students come from many backgrounds, many do not have similar background experiences. By taking students on field trips, the school provides a similar experience for all students that the teacher can build upon. Similarly, technology resources in the classroom provide an opportunity to build context outside of the walls of the school. Some students take vacations or have family experiences that they can draw upon in school. Providing those resources to all students allows the students to personalize that learning.
My district also employs specific personnel to provide additional resources for students. Some of the teaching assistants roles provide reading and math supplement to students who display needs. These experiences are for all students, but a majority of the students are students with diverse needs. My district also have personnel for students with disabilities, and students with English Language Learner needs. These teachers have a strong desire to help all students, and specifically students they feel they have skills to assist.
The district leader has a responsibility to provide an educational environment and experience for the success of all students. By dedicating resources to meeting the needs of all students, the leader ensures that students have opportunities to achieve success. Leaders also must provide professional development opportunities for all teachers so that they can explore topics of diversity and the impact upon their instruction, and continue to grow in their performance and perceptions.
My district incorporates several programs, experiences, and personnel that address diversity in our school. We use the home-visit program, where staff visit the homes of at-risk students to make connections with the families and see the lives and backgrounds of their students. This program provides context for the teachers, and aids in their understanding that all students are different, have different backgrounds and situations, and require different actions for success.
Our school also allows for field trip experiences and technology resources that provide context for students. Since students come from many backgrounds, many do not have similar background experiences. By taking students on field trips, the school provides a similar experience for all students that the teacher can build upon. Similarly, technology resources in the classroom provide an opportunity to build context outside of the walls of the school. Some students take vacations or have family experiences that they can draw upon in school. Providing those resources to all students allows the students to personalize that learning.
My district also employs specific personnel to provide additional resources for students. Some of the teaching assistants roles provide reading and math supplement to students who display needs. These experiences are for all students, but a majority of the students are students with diverse needs. My district also have personnel for students with disabilities, and students with English Language Learner needs. These teachers have a strong desire to help all students, and specifically students they feel they have skills to assist.
The district leader has a responsibility to provide an educational environment and experience for the success of all students. By dedicating resources to meeting the needs of all students, the leader ensures that students have opportunities to achieve success. Leaders also must provide professional development opportunities for all teachers so that they can explore topics of diversity and the impact upon their instruction, and continue to grow in their performance and perceptions.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Diversity in Education
The United States has historically been a melting pot of cultures, and public education is an accurate representation of that diversity. Public education is defined by the aspect that education is a right for all people. Along with the right of public education for all comes the responsibility to educate all in public education. This element of diversity can either be accommodated as a public policy issue or celebrated as a representation of humanity. Either way, it is the responsibility of the educational leader to create a culture that promotes social justice and educational context development for all students.
It is not enough to be color blind in education; educators need to see the differences in each other, determine the needs of each student, differentiate instruction to educate each student, and provide opportunities to develop appreciation for diversity amongst the school and community. Gary Howard, in his article As Diversity Grows, So Must We, describes five phases that schools go through to embrace diversity in education: building trust, engaging personal culture, confronting issues of social dominance and social justice, transforming instructional practices, engaging the entire school community.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/As-Diversity-Grows,-So-Must-We.aspx
Friday, June 10, 2011
Moral Leadership Chapter 7 Collegiality as a Professional Virtue
- There is widespread agreement that collegiality among teachers is an important ingredient of promoting better working conditions, improving teaching practice, and getting better results.
- Understood as a form of professional virtue, collegiality is another powerful substitute for leadership.
- Barriers to achieving collegiality in schools are both structural and attitudinal.
- Contrived collegiality, by forcing people together, can take a toll on a teachers' time and compromise their professional autonomy.
The Dimensions of Virtue
- There are two dimensions of collegiality as professional virtue. The first involves the fulfillment of obligations that stem from memberships - in the case of the school, membership in the teaching profession and in the school as a community.
- The second dimension of collegiality has to do with why one behaves collegially.
- What makes two people colleagues is common cause, shared professional values, and a shared professional heritage
Collegiality and the Control Paradox
- Every organized human activity ... gives rise to two fundamental and opposing requirements: the division of labor into various tasks to be performed and the coordination of these tasks to accomplish the activity.
- One way to solve the control paradox is through collegiality as a substitute for leadership.
- The six strategies are
2. Standardizing the work of teaching
3. Standardizing the outcomes of teaching
4. Emphasizing professional socialization
5. Emphasizing purposing
6. Structuring for collegiality and natural interdependence
- If the strategy does not fit the level of complexity, the level of complexity will change to match the strategy
- If form does not follow function, function will be shaped to fit the form.
Direct Supervision
The simplest way to control the work of people who have different responsibilities is to have one of those people take responsibility for the work of others.
Standardized Work Processes
Standardized work processes represent a form of coordination achieved on the drawing board before work is actually undertaken.
Standardized Outputs
Standardized outputs as a form of control are achieved when everyone is required to produce similar products or reach the same level of performance
Professional Socialization
In relying on professional socialization, one need not standardize either work processes or outputs to solve the control paradox. The term professional socialization means the upgrading of the knowledge base forteaching and an emphasis on teachers' professional obligations
Purposing and Shared Values
As a form of control, purposing and shared values can provide the substance of symbol management, furnishing the "glue" that binds people in a loosely connected world.
Collegiality and Natural Interdependence
When collegiality and natural interdependence are used, the control paradox can be solved through informal communication and the need for people to cooperate in order to be successful.
- As work gets more complex, the emphasis must shift, from direct supervision to standardized work, standardized outputs, and emphasis on professional socialization, purposing, collegiality, and natural interdependence
- Complex structures result in simple behaviors, and simple structures result in complex behaviors.
Collegiality can be another substitute for leadership, as the organization works for one another because of attachments that are made working towards the same goals. Collegiality can be strategists in six steps: direct and close supervision, standardization of work, standardization of outcomes, emphasizing professional socialization, emphasizing purposing, and structuring for collegiality and natural independence. These strategies work toward developing a set of behaviors that range from simple to complex, and can be modified to meet the complexity level of the organization.
This chapter attempts to describe collegiality and the effects that it has as a substitute for leadership. Collegiality is the professional socialization of the organization towards a goal. As the organization develops goals and visions, it will migrate across a continuum of complexity. The issue is that there are multiple communities within the organization that mint be at various levels of complexity and collegiality, and some leaders or members of the organization cross-section those communities, so their collegiality level may be different through their various interactions. I specifically think of staff that may work part time in a middle school and part time in the high school; the organizations may have differing approaches to collegiality and followership which may add emotional stresses.
Works Cited
Sergiovanni, T. (1992). Moral Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Moral Leadership Chapter 3 The Sources of Authority for Leadership
- When we base our leadership practice on bureaucratic authority, teachers respond appropriately or face the consequences.
- Psychological authority is expressed in the form of motivational technology and human relations skills. When we base our leadership practice on psychological authority, teachers are supposed to respond to our personality, and to the pleasant environment that we provide, by behaving appropriately and collecting the rewards we make available.
- Principals' being instructional leaders and basing their practice on teaching-effectiveness research or school-effectiveness research: in other words, rely on technical-rational authority. Technical-rational authority exists in the form of evidence derived from logic and scientific research.
- Expect teachers to respond in light of what is considered to be true.
- The true leader is one who builds in substitutes for "follow me" leadership, which enable people to respond from within.
- "Follow me" leadership, in other words, is management-intensive.
- It tends to induce a state of subordination among teachers
- Professional authority, in the form of seasoned craft knowledge and personal expertise
- Teachers can be expected to respond to common socialization, accepted tenets of practice, and internalized expertise
- Moral authority- duties derived from widely shared values, ideas and ideals
- Teachers can be expected to respond to shared commitments and felt interdependence
- What to follow: the shared values and beliefs that define us as a community
- Why: because it is morally right to do so
- Whom should we follow: Ourselves as members and as morally conscious, committed people
- expect and inspect
- Most school administrators tend to see knowledge and skill about how to motivate, apply the correct leadership style, boost morale, and engineer the right interpersonal climate as representing the heart of what school administration is- the "core technology" of the educational administration profession
- Psychological leadership cannot tap the full range and depth of human capacity and will
- There are better motives for teachers', students', and parents' involvement than the leader's personality or psychological rewards
- Being a successful administrator depends not on the adequacy of one's view, not on the educational policies that one adopts and how reasonable they are, and not on how successful one is in communicating these reasons to others.
- Like other professionals, teachers cannot become effective by following scripts. Instead, they need to create knowledge in use as they practice - becoming skilled surfers who ride the wave of the pattern of teaching
- Professional authority as a basis for leadership assumes that the expertise of teachers is what counts most
- When there is conflict, knowledge yields
- Professional authority is a very powerful force for governing what teachers do. For it to take hold, however, we need to increase our investment in teacher preparation, professional development, and other efforts to upgrade teaching
- We can do much to advance leadership by moving moral authority - the authority of felt obligations and duties derived from widely shared professional and community values, ideas and ideals - to center stage.
- We must direct our efforts to creating learning communities in each school.
This chapter focuses on the sources of authority that leaders have to influence the school: bureaucratic, psychological, technical-rational, professional and moral. These 5 sources of authority elicit different outcomes based on the level of followership. The main purpose of exercising authority is to provide development and increase instructional practice.
I feel that these stages are relatively appropriate through professional authority. Once entering into the phase of moral authority, the emphasis on leadership shifts from the leader in the professional phase, where the leader becomes facilitator to the organization. Moral authority to me seems to be tricky because control is left to the shared values of the organization. where this can be a drawback is if the organizational values shift over time and are out of perspective with the goals of the organization. In this case, the leader must employ various other sources of authority to steer the organization, which might cause some alignment issues.
Once an organization is at the professional and moral authority stages, there seems to be a connectedness between the leader and organization, so much so that any change in leadership might disturb the organizations maturity. A new leader entering an organization at an advanced phase needs to observe and flow for a while while gauging where the organization is at, and then contributing to the organization. In this sense, it is extremely important for the organization to hire for that leadership position based on the qualifications of the leader and the direction of leadership and goals for program improvement, but also for the followers in the organization to have input. Once an organization reaches the professional/moral levels, the leader is both authority and follower, and must have comfort and skill (and experience) in leading from this position.
Works Cited
Sergiovanni, T. (1992). Moral Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Practice of Purposing
In his book Moral Leadership, Thomas Sergiovanni describes the stages in the process of purposing: say it, model it, organize for it, support it, enforce it, and express outrage. This process is beneficial when planning for a change within the school. This practice associates with the bureaucratic authority model, because it is management intensive and directed by the leader. However, when implementing a change, this might be the developmental level of the school for accepting a change; thus it seems that it could be the appropriate practice to achieve meaningful change.
The process the leader would use to direct the change would be to make the purpose known by implicitly stating the purpose for the change. Then the leader would model the change by walking the talk. By organizing for the change, the leader insures that resources such as human, monetary, and time resources are available. Once the resources are organized, they are provided as a support for those whom the change would effect. As activities are underway, monitoring of progress needs to be made to insure that the staff are incorporating the change and the leader enforces the process of change. Finally, the leader needs to express outrage at any non-compliance with the change to reinforce the magnitude and necessity of the change, and the importance that it makes to the leader and the organization.
Through the implementation of the practice of purposing, though management intensive, the process can achieve change results that shift the focus of the organization towards a path that can lead towards an intended outcome.
"Leadership for meaning, leadership for problem solving, collegial leadership, leadership as shared responsibility, leadership that serves school purposes, leadership that is tough enough to demand a great deal from everyone, and leadership that is tender enough to encourage the heart -- these are the images of leadership we need for schools as communities." (Sergiovanni, 1996/1997)
Works Cited
The process the leader would use to direct the change would be to make the purpose known by implicitly stating the purpose for the change. Then the leader would model the change by walking the talk. By organizing for the change, the leader insures that resources such as human, monetary, and time resources are available. Once the resources are organized, they are provided as a support for those whom the change would effect. As activities are underway, monitoring of progress needs to be made to insure that the staff are incorporating the change and the leader enforces the process of change. Finally, the leader needs to express outrage at any non-compliance with the change to reinforce the magnitude and necessity of the change, and the importance that it makes to the leader and the organization.
Through the implementation of the practice of purposing, though management intensive, the process can achieve change results that shift the focus of the organization towards a path that can lead towards an intended outcome.
"Leadership for meaning, leadership for problem solving, collegial leadership, leadership as shared responsibility, leadership that serves school purposes, leadership that is tough enough to demand a great deal from everyone, and leadership that is tender enough to encourage the heart -- these are the images of leadership we need for schools as communities." (Sergiovanni, 1996/1997)
Works Cited
Moral Purpose, Community Must Guide School Reform, Says Sergiovanni. (1996/1997, Dec/Jan). The Developer.
Sergiovanni, T. (1992). Moral Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Sergiovanni, T. (1992). Moral Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Servant Leadership
In John Barbute's article Becoming a Servant Leader: Do You Have What it Takes, he details characteristics of servant leadership developed by Robert Greenleaf and Larry Spears. These are characteristics that are observable in most leaders who demonstrate servant leadership. These characteristics are: Calling, Listening, Empathy, Healing, Awareness, Persuasion, Conceptualization, Foresight, Stewardship, Growth, and Building Community.
Servant leaders have many of these characteristics inherent, and can develop some of the characteristics, but their ultimate goal as servant leader is to develop those traits in others within the organization, becoming both a leader of leaders as well as servant of servants. When exploring this list of 11 characteristics, I feel that five of these characteristics may play a particularly important role in educational organizations: calling, empathy, stewardship, growth, and building a community.
Calling
A calling is an internal pull towards something, a drive or desirous feeling that moves one to seek an answer. When someone is called to education, their calling is to teach, or serve, their students and to develop a greatness in others. A calling is not something that a leader can cultivate in others, you either have a calling to education or you don't. What the leader can do however is to develop the awareness in whether one is called to serve others in education or not. A calling is a passion, and one cannot be a great teacher without being passionate. By helping others to hear their calling, the leader can ensure that passionate teachers are in their schools.
Empathy
Empathy is an important trait in educators because of the realization that all students are at different places and have different backgrounds. All of their stories are different, so there is not one "right" way to teach something. Through demonstrating empathy, teachers can get to know their students and understand their thoughts, and then adjust their instruction. Empathy is another trait that is difficult for a leader to cultivate, the leader can maintain point of view and perception of various ideas as they plan with their organization. Through modeling empathy in their interactions, the leader can encourage and motivate others.
Stewardship
Stewardship is what the leader displays to demonstrate that they are willing to aid in the development of the organization, and not it self-interest. Stewardship is the understanding that the organization is the focus of efforts, and that others will step in afterwards to continue to movement. Through realization that one is not indispensable within the organization, then one can commit their efforts to maintaining and continuing the efforts being made. The leader can help develop stewardship in the staff through the use of grade move-ups, where the teacher moves grades with the class, or providing opportunities for staff to switch grade levels. These situations allow teachers to see continuity in curriculum amongst grades, but also to realize that they are not just grade level teacher, but a teacher within the school, of and for all students.
Growth
Schools are in the business of teaching and learning, and learning is growth. Growth is something that should be stressed and analyzed. Focusing on learning within instruction will lead to the need for proof of learning. Proof of learning illustrates growth. Leaders can use this in two ways to cultivate in the school. Leaders can use growth data to analyze school and grades successes and needs. Leaders can also encourage self-growth and development in teachers, to perfect practice and increase knowledge.
Building community
The ultimate goal of any servant leader is to create a community, a team of professionals working together, for one another, to achieve a vision. The leader can cultivate community in the school by providing opportunities for staff to work together, to identify goals, to identify solutions, and to work together to achieve those solutions. If one person pushes a rock, when the person stops pushing the rock stops rolling. But when a leader can get everyone to push the rock, people can become interchangeable, come and go, yet to rock will continue to roll. When the rock is rolling, more are likely to join in and lend a push. The community pushes the rock, the leader makes sure the rock is rolling in the right direction
Through the development of these characteristics in the organization, the leader can transform the school into a learning and growing organization that serves one another and the students.
Servant leaders have many of these characteristics inherent, and can develop some of the characteristics, but their ultimate goal as servant leader is to develop those traits in others within the organization, becoming both a leader of leaders as well as servant of servants. When exploring this list of 11 characteristics, I feel that five of these characteristics may play a particularly important role in educational organizations: calling, empathy, stewardship, growth, and building a community.
Calling
A calling is an internal pull towards something, a drive or desirous feeling that moves one to seek an answer. When someone is called to education, their calling is to teach, or serve, their students and to develop a greatness in others. A calling is not something that a leader can cultivate in others, you either have a calling to education or you don't. What the leader can do however is to develop the awareness in whether one is called to serve others in education or not. A calling is a passion, and one cannot be a great teacher without being passionate. By helping others to hear their calling, the leader can ensure that passionate teachers are in their schools.
Empathy
Empathy is an important trait in educators because of the realization that all students are at different places and have different backgrounds. All of their stories are different, so there is not one "right" way to teach something. Through demonstrating empathy, teachers can get to know their students and understand their thoughts, and then adjust their instruction. Empathy is another trait that is difficult for a leader to cultivate, the leader can maintain point of view and perception of various ideas as they plan with their organization. Through modeling empathy in their interactions, the leader can encourage and motivate others.
Stewardship
Stewardship is what the leader displays to demonstrate that they are willing to aid in the development of the organization, and not it self-interest. Stewardship is the understanding that the organization is the focus of efforts, and that others will step in afterwards to continue to movement. Through realization that one is not indispensable within the organization, then one can commit their efforts to maintaining and continuing the efforts being made. The leader can help develop stewardship in the staff through the use of grade move-ups, where the teacher moves grades with the class, or providing opportunities for staff to switch grade levels. These situations allow teachers to see continuity in curriculum amongst grades, but also to realize that they are not just grade level teacher, but a teacher within the school, of and for all students.
Growth
Schools are in the business of teaching and learning, and learning is growth. Growth is something that should be stressed and analyzed. Focusing on learning within instruction will lead to the need for proof of learning. Proof of learning illustrates growth. Leaders can use this in two ways to cultivate in the school. Leaders can use growth data to analyze school and grades successes and needs. Leaders can also encourage self-growth and development in teachers, to perfect practice and increase knowledge.
Building community
The ultimate goal of any servant leader is to create a community, a team of professionals working together, for one another, to achieve a vision. The leader can cultivate community in the school by providing opportunities for staff to work together, to identify goals, to identify solutions, and to work together to achieve those solutions. If one person pushes a rock, when the person stops pushing the rock stops rolling. But when a leader can get everyone to push the rock, people can become interchangeable, come and go, yet to rock will continue to roll. When the rock is rolling, more are likely to join in and lend a push. The community pushes the rock, the leader makes sure the rock is rolling in the right direction
Through the development of these characteristics in the organization, the leader can transform the school into a learning and growing organization that serves one another and the students.
Sources of Authority
Thomas Sergiovanni defines the sources of authority in his book Moral Leadership as Bureaucratic, Psychological, Technical-rational, Professional, and Moral. Each of these sources has purpose, depending on where the organization is on a developmental level. If one were to look at these sources as a continuum, then selecting the correct source of authority might depend on where on the continuum the organization lies, with the note that selecting the incorrect level might have adverse effects on organizational effectiveness. Selecting a bureaucratic source when the organization is at a professional or moral level might make the staff feel micro-managed, while selecting a professional source when the organization is at a bureaucratic level might make the organization feel that the leader is aloof and not connected. To achieve the most effectiveness, it is important to use influence at the level of the organization to achieve the most impact.
Bureaucratic
When exercising influence at the bureaucratic level of authority, the leader manages the organization and provides direction for the organization. To improve instruction, curriculum and assessment at this level, the leader would be working with teachers, providing guidance and monitoring for followership. Attendance at workshops and development opportunities will be directed by the leader based on where the leader feels the organization and teacher needs to go. The leader has expectations and the organization must know their roles to achieve those expectations.
Psychological
When leaders employ the psychological source of authority, they are working to make the organization a positive place to work, using their interpersonal skills to motivate the organization. When the organization wants to work for the leader and towards the leaders goals, they will follow the suggestions of the leader to improve teaching and learning.
Technical-rational
When employing the technical-rational source of authority, the principal is the instructional leader, having more knowledge and skill, and expecting the organization to follow their authority because they have more training. This style can achieve increased teaching and learning if the leader actually does have more skills and knowledge of curriculum and assessment, they are willing to share that knowledge, and the staff are willing to learn.
Professional
As the organization demonstrates professional authority, the leader has experience and the staff have developed expectations. A word I use for this type of organization is a mature organization, on that has been together and developed together. the leader in this organization is a member of the organization on a flatter level, rather than hierarchical authority. To improve teaching and learning using professional authority, the leader has knowledge and expectations of the organization, but the organization has knowledge and expectations of the leader, forming a team approach to further their collective development.
Moral
The moral source of authority is a continuation of the professional source, but matured further, to the point of seeing the truth behind the work. The organization not only seeks to do the work correctly for teaching and learning, but seeks to do the right work for students and their development. The leader can increase teaching and learning using this form of authority by fostering discussions that delve deeper into the meaning of education, seek to expand what the organization can do for the students, and encourage teachers to take an active role in seeking solutions. The leader is among leaders, and their authority is derived from the knowledge that they are supportive and willing.
Bureaucratic
When exercising influence at the bureaucratic level of authority, the leader manages the organization and provides direction for the organization. To improve instruction, curriculum and assessment at this level, the leader would be working with teachers, providing guidance and monitoring for followership. Attendance at workshops and development opportunities will be directed by the leader based on where the leader feels the organization and teacher needs to go. The leader has expectations and the organization must know their roles to achieve those expectations.
Psychological
When leaders employ the psychological source of authority, they are working to make the organization a positive place to work, using their interpersonal skills to motivate the organization. When the organization wants to work for the leader and towards the leaders goals, they will follow the suggestions of the leader to improve teaching and learning.
Technical-rational
When employing the technical-rational source of authority, the principal is the instructional leader, having more knowledge and skill, and expecting the organization to follow their authority because they have more training. This style can achieve increased teaching and learning if the leader actually does have more skills and knowledge of curriculum and assessment, they are willing to share that knowledge, and the staff are willing to learn.
Professional
As the organization demonstrates professional authority, the leader has experience and the staff have developed expectations. A word I use for this type of organization is a mature organization, on that has been together and developed together. the leader in this organization is a member of the organization on a flatter level, rather than hierarchical authority. To improve teaching and learning using professional authority, the leader has knowledge and expectations of the organization, but the organization has knowledge and expectations of the leader, forming a team approach to further their collective development.
Moral
The moral source of authority is a continuation of the professional source, but matured further, to the point of seeing the truth behind the work. The organization not only seeks to do the work correctly for teaching and learning, but seeks to do the right work for students and their development. The leader can increase teaching and learning using this form of authority by fostering discussions that delve deeper into the meaning of education, seek to expand what the organization can do for the students, and encourage teachers to take an active role in seeking solutions. The leader is among leaders, and their authority is derived from the knowledge that they are supportive and willing.
Moral Leadership Epilogue
- Strong medicine is good medicine only when used properly
- When administrators "minister" to the needs of the school, what appears superficially to be managerial and routine communicates meaning in context.
With great power comes great responsibility. It is the responsibility of the leader to ensure that people are not a means to an end, and that the organization serves the moral purpose for student success.
Works Cited
Sergiovanni, T. (1992). Moral Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Classroom Instruction That Works
In the book Classroom Instruction that Works, Robert Marzano details nine instructional strategies that correlate to increased student learning. By examining instructional practices and integrating elements of these strategies, teachers will increase the rate of student learning.
To introduce these strategies to a staff as a plan to increase student learning, it would be best to begin by examining current results and practices to determine areas of strength and weakness. Many times, the disaggregated data from state tests provide scores broken down by the various strategies being assessed, and through that analysis the staff can determine areas where improvements can be made. Next, using the research from Marzano's book and the correlated percentile increases associated with the strategies, the staff can determine which focus strategies would provide the best return on investment. Once the strategies are selected, it is important for the school leader to provide resources that the teachers can use to develop their increased use of the strategies. Resources could be protected time for PLC, learning resources, mentoring opportunities with high flyers, or physical resources to aid in the implantation such as technology tools.
Here is an analysis of the strategies and curricular areas where these strategies can address.
Similarities and Differences
This strategy includes classifying information, organizing informational into representations that make meaning, and summarizing the qualities of each as they relate to one another. This is a great strategy to use in language arts for character comparisons from literature studies or for use in science to classify traits and behaviors of mammals.
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
This strategy includes developing ways to provide opportunities for student work to be displayed or published, thus increasing their intrinsic motivation towards quality work and effort. This trait transcends many curricular areas, but examples could include posting artwork from fine arts classes in art shows around the region or displaying as exemplar thesis paper through use of document camera for analysis of positive elements within the paper.Questions
The use of questioning allows for the cueing and recognition of prior knowledge, and also includes graphic organizers to chunk the information for recall. Curricular areas where this can have an impact would be in social studies when discussing causes of the Civil War or through the use of Socratic questioning to lead the class towards enlightenment about a topic related to the causes of the war.
Homework
Homework is used to reinforce material learned to increase retention and transfer, and also as a means to introduce a topic that will be developed upon later. A curricular element would be in literature class when requiring reading prior to class so that the class can extend past the required reading. Math classes are also a great example, as teachers often require homework to reinforce the topics discussed during class and aid in the retention and recall of those processes.
Hypothesis
Hypotheses involve the application of inductive and deductive reasoning. Science classes focus on hypotheses as they work with experiments in physics courses to determine outcomes and make associations. Hypotheses are also used in algebra courses to test the formulas.
Nonlinguistic Representation
Nonlinguistic Representations provide a framework for organizing or interpreting information in diverse ways, either from physical representations such as models or multimedia resources such as video clips or clip art. This strategy can also be integrated into multiple curricular areas, such as journalism class where students create graphics to associate with their presentations, or in science class when multimedia clips are presented to provide contextual understanding prior to developing a topic such as adaptations of animals in the Taiga biome.
Setting Objectives
Objectives are possibly the most fundamental strategy, as it provides the foundational understanding for the entire lesson. This sets the goals for the lesson and focuses the feedback towards specific direction. Objectives should be used in every lesson so that students know the target for learning, and the feedback can direct the students and keep them on target. Objectives should be specific enough to focus the learning, but also allow for differentiation of product or process based upon student readiness.
Summarizing
Summarizing is a skill where students take the information presented and chunk it into meaningful portions that can be detailed back to the teacher or class. Summarizing is an important skill in language arts classes when taking a selection of reading and condensing it for main ideas. Summarizing is also evident in Social studies classes when students present in class on topics related to the culture of ancient Egypt.
Cooperative Learning
This strategy employs the use of grouping to provide multiple influences and interpretations on a topic through the type of grouping, whether formal, informal, or base grouping. Groups are important in language arts/reading classes, as students of similar abilities can read in a group and synthesize the material on a similar reading level. those same students can also be grouped in multiple-ability groups so that students can experience and extend their understandings of the selections from a different point of view and interpretation.
Several of these strategies can be implemented within instructional practice to increase student learning. Professional development opportunities that seek to increase the utilization of these strategies should focus on professional learning communities, where teachers can use Marzano's book with a book study and share best practices with these strategies to provide resource to one another as they work to implement these strategies into their professional practice.
I have personally also developed professional learning opportunities associated to the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Howard Pitler. This book follows Marzano's nine strategies and describe how to use 21st century tools within those strategies. I provide the training as a summer course, where teachers can self-select the course, which already tells me that the teacher is both motivated to incorporate technology into instruction and willing to evaluate and improve their instructional practice through focusing on high impact strategies for student learning. The strategies are described individually with resources that compliment those strategies being detailed. Teachers also offer their own practices to share with the group. At the conclusion of the course, teachers will know about the strategies, understand how to integrate technology tools for addressing those strategies, and contribute a successful integration during the following school year.
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