I must say that the superintendent I interviewed for this assignment has been a co-worker of mine for several years and I probably could have predicted most of the answers due to our work relationship. To my surprise there were several responses that turned out to be both informing and applicable to my own learning process.
Overall, the interview was efficient, timely, direct, and relevant to superintendent certification training. Here are a few highlights.
#1 He highlighted in his answer to question number 2 that one of the positive aspects to being Superintendent was setting your own agenda and seeing things come to completion. He talked about the exact moment he identified the need for the district to move to a 1:1 laptop initiative. I personally can relate heavily to both these points. I love to be self paced and motivated, and I love to see the fruits of my labor. Looks like being the Super, may allow both of these things to become reality.
#2 In question 3, he talked about never being able to be good enough at all aspects of the superintendent position. In other words, he was saying that there is so much to cover as Super, that there is no way to be the expert in all aspects of the job. This hit me hard. I love to be the expert. I am a believer in Systemic Leadership. I love the idea that not only I can be an expert, but my admin team can also be experts in as many areas of school business as possible. I guess it is true that a Super cannot be the expert of all, due to the vastness of the job, but I would like to put a system in place for collaboration that ensured a high level of knowledge in all areas.
#3 In question 5, he talked about ethics in leadership. His answer was good and one that I will take to heart. I have always heard that the closer you are to yourself in leadership, the more genuine you will come across to your staff. The superintendent I interviewed noted his commitment to being himself at all times and functioning within his core values inside and outside the job. That meant a lot to me. I know that in order for me to lead I must be genuine to myself and my values. I believe if I do that, my co-workers will see that integrity shine through in all aspects of the job.
#4 In question 7, he talked about communication as a weakness, and that for him, this is a delegated activity. I can relate to that as well. I am not a party planner, or an extrovert, or one to really boast about myself or others. I am a pretty to myself kind of person. I do however, recognize the need for high communication throughout all aspects of school business. This will be a huge part of my internship plan. I will address this weakness and help the district communicate on higher level.
#5 In question 11, he talked about how evaluation tools always seem to lack the desired outcome of a proper evaluation. This discrepancy has never occurred to me. I always figured evaluation of staff was a given in administration. I thought the tool was good and effective. For me, my eyes have been opened. I have been thinking about this for a while and the only proper way to evaluate staff is with a solid system. One system that impressed me is from a book called, "Instructional Rounds in education," by City, Elmore, Fiarman, and Teitel. Based on the procedure doctors follow for medical rounds, the process is intimate, student based, frictionless, and proven effective. It is however time consuming, and can involve several districts. I think as I continue my journey in educational leadership, I will modify this model to fit the district's needs, and then evaluate it's effectiveness. I am sure there is not one proven method for evaluation, otherwise we would all be using it.
The overall major take away from this interview was that the Superintendent job is big, and delegating with high level collaboration is key to the success of the position. It was a pleasure to sit down and talk with an expert on the Superintendent position.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Technology Cost...Worth It?
I was just reading here about the cost of technology. I can tell you I am a technology advocate in education. I believe our students, especially the young ones, are functioning in a world where touch screens and the internet are not just tools, but a way of life. These points are not what caught my eye in the post from Dave Bircher. What caught my eye was the emphasis on the proper use of these tools in the classroom. His questions about following best practice and planning time really sparked my interest.
I work in a rural Texas school district, very poor, with a 1:1 laptop program in grades 6-12. The district is also wireless everywhere, hosts around 10 servers and has several COWS at our elementary school. We are doing well in technology, but the question remains about using best practices and planning for technology in the classroom. I would love to go back and plan for infrastructure, hardware, and software with the knowledge gained in the past four years of the 1:1 program. The present perspective on how quickly the world of technology changes, would be highly valuable in the planning process. Four years ago it was very difficult to see the ever increasing world of technology along with the costs that go with these changes. Every time we look into a new device, I cannot help but think, "We could wait a month or two and there will be something better to replace this thing we are considering for our classrooms now." Another thought that roles through my head repeatedly, is the availability of free resources that can do most of what is being sold to us. Obviously not hardware, but resources used on the hardware we already own.
How do we plan in the ever changing world of technology? How do we ensure that what we do have in our school districts is being used in a guaranteed viable best practice? Huge challenges? If addressed, these issues could be the key to sustaining any technology initiative.
I work in a rural Texas school district, very poor, with a 1:1 laptop program in grades 6-12. The district is also wireless everywhere, hosts around 10 servers and has several COWS at our elementary school. We are doing well in technology, but the question remains about using best practices and planning for technology in the classroom. I would love to go back and plan for infrastructure, hardware, and software with the knowledge gained in the past four years of the 1:1 program. The present perspective on how quickly the world of technology changes, would be highly valuable in the planning process. Four years ago it was very difficult to see the ever increasing world of technology along with the costs that go with these changes. Every time we look into a new device, I cannot help but think, "We could wait a month or two and there will be something better to replace this thing we are considering for our classrooms now." Another thought that roles through my head repeatedly, is the availability of free resources that can do most of what is being sold to us. Obviously not hardware, but resources used on the hardware we already own.
How do we plan in the ever changing world of technology? How do we ensure that what we do have in our school districts is being used in a guaranteed viable best practice? Huge challenges? If addressed, these issues could be the key to sustaining any technology initiative.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Transfer Theory
The transfer theory of learning comes from Dr. Madeline Hunter’s theory of lesson design. She states that transfer is the heart and soul of all learning. Transfer is standard rarely taught to educators, but may be one of the most vital skills in the classroom. Transfer theory is the transferring of knowledge and skills from one situation to another often without conscience thought.
An example of this could come from a student’s knowledge of forces in nature. In the classroom they discuss the laws of motion and inertia. Specifically they talk about equal and opposite reactions. The teacher uses the famous model of five swinging steel balls that will continue to hit off each other for hours due to the transfer of energy from one side to the other. The knowledge from that lesson is later applied by student’s real life examples of the conservation of energy, where energy is conserved or transferred. A student in class shows transfer when she takes her newly learned understanding of energy and transfers her knowledge to a diver on a springboard loading and then jumping into the water. The student realizes that the stored energy in the springboard is equal to the height the diver will be propelled into the air once leaving the board. She has taken the acquired knowledge and transferred it into a new situation in her life.
In this program it is vital to have prior knowledge to transfer new knowledge. Without the one-year of experience, lessons in this course are just theory and lack relevant job based application. There would be no transfer, there would only be recall. It is clear to see that the application to current job practice is powerful and non negotiable in this process for superintendent certification.
An example of this could come from a student’s knowledge of forces in nature. In the classroom they discuss the laws of motion and inertia. Specifically they talk about equal and opposite reactions. The teacher uses the famous model of five swinging steel balls that will continue to hit off each other for hours due to the transfer of energy from one side to the other. The knowledge from that lesson is later applied by student’s real life examples of the conservation of energy, where energy is conserved or transferred. A student in class shows transfer when she takes her newly learned understanding of energy and transfers her knowledge to a diver on a springboard loading and then jumping into the water. The student realizes that the stored energy in the springboard is equal to the height the diver will be propelled into the air once leaving the board. She has taken the acquired knowledge and transferred it into a new situation in her life.
In this program it is vital to have prior knowledge to transfer new knowledge. Without the one-year of experience, lessons in this course are just theory and lack relevant job based application. There would be no transfer, there would only be recall. It is clear to see that the application to current job practice is powerful and non negotiable in this process for superintendent certification.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Uses for Blogs in Education
Blogging combined with RSS feeds and a commitment to posting would allow individuals to share anything with the world at anytime. In education we are consistently in pursuit of knowledge. Blogging could be the vehicle to deliver information freely with relevance to an audience in search of answers. I use other peoples' blogs to gather information in mass quantities. I see benefits in this beyond any other tool for gathering information.
This is what I do... I have complied a blog list in "Google Reader." As I come across a blog that is relevant to me, either personally or professionally, I subscribe to that blog via a RSS feed. That feed will deliver any new post to my Google Reader account instantly. This allows me to review and possibly read from hundreds of blogs in one place at one time. I call it my own personal electronic newspaper, delivered daily, with only the information I want. The reader allows me to save relevant posts and discard the less relevant.
In our Superintendent course we are required to create a blog. Well, if we would all place the RSS feed gadget on our blogs, we could go through the steps above and receive any new post without having to navigate through around 11 blogs.
This is one tool I love. It makes my life easier. It allows me to access the huge bank of information on the internet without the burden of searching. It is delivered to me. So as I look to uses for blogs in education, I can see the benefit for sharing, but the larger benefit is compiling that information from multiple sources. It changed my life.
This is what I do... I have complied a blog list in "Google Reader." As I come across a blog that is relevant to me, either personally or professionally, I subscribe to that blog via a RSS feed. That feed will deliver any new post to my Google Reader account instantly. This allows me to review and possibly read from hundreds of blogs in one place at one time. I call it my own personal electronic newspaper, delivered daily, with only the information I want. The reader allows me to save relevant posts and discard the less relevant.
In our Superintendent course we are required to create a blog. Well, if we would all place the RSS feed gadget on our blogs, we could go through the steps above and receive any new post without having to navigate through around 11 blogs.
This is one tool I love. It makes my life easier. It allows me to access the huge bank of information on the internet without the burden of searching. It is delivered to me. So as I look to uses for blogs in education, I can see the benefit for sharing, but the larger benefit is compiling that information from multiple sources. It changed my life.
Action Research
Action research is defined as "Action" in a process of reflective problem solving through collaboration among stakeholders to make data driven decisions. Now that definition is wordy and somewhat confusing, so in simpler terms, action research is collaborative problem solving based on research.
What a concept! Making decisions based on data rather than perception. There is no denying the benefits of looking into the world of information we have at our finger tips and weeding through it to find what is relevant to us. Then applying it to provide what is best for students in education can truly be positively impacting.
A smaller use of action research, but no less relevant, is the PLC model. If done with student data as the driver of all conversations, they will turn quickly toward student improvement and identification of needs and strengths through quantitative data in a collaborative setting. The impact could be astounding.
The action research cycle of identifying problems, planning, action, and reflection is the model required for all Federal Grant programs. Any LEA accepting money from a Federal Grant is required to plan, implement, and reflect on their programs annually. I think it is no surprise that these grant programs, encompassing large piles of money, require a process that will ultimately yield direct benefits to the educational setting. I hear throughout the state that this process is being done, but not with the level of detail needed.
I have never read about "Action Research," or seen a definition, but now that the wool has been removed from my eyes, I can see how LEAs are currently using it. I can also see how an emphasis in PLCs with the action research model could dramatically impact student performance.
I am sure there are many ways this process can be implemented in LEA, and I cannot wait to investigate more.
What a concept! Making decisions based on data rather than perception. There is no denying the benefits of looking into the world of information we have at our finger tips and weeding through it to find what is relevant to us. Then applying it to provide what is best for students in education can truly be positively impacting.
A smaller use of action research, but no less relevant, is the PLC model. If done with student data as the driver of all conversations, they will turn quickly toward student improvement and identification of needs and strengths through quantitative data in a collaborative setting. The impact could be astounding.
The action research cycle of identifying problems, planning, action, and reflection is the model required for all Federal Grant programs. Any LEA accepting money from a Federal Grant is required to plan, implement, and reflect on their programs annually. I think it is no surprise that these grant programs, encompassing large piles of money, require a process that will ultimately yield direct benefits to the educational setting. I hear throughout the state that this process is being done, but not with the level of detail needed.
I have never read about "Action Research," or seen a definition, but now that the wool has been removed from my eyes, I can see how LEAs are currently using it. I can also see how an emphasis in PLCs with the action research model could dramatically impact student performance.
I am sure there are many ways this process can be implemented in LEA, and I cannot wait to investigate more.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
It is nice to get started
I have just taken a few hours to get started with my Superintendent Certification courses. I have watched videos and listened to many interesting and thought provoking ideas in educational leadership. Some are idealistic, while others are truly brilliant and relevant. I look forward to diving in as the week progresses. Thanks to Wendy and Jo at Lamar for getting my course started after a few bumps along the way.
Check out my other blog at joeandmarijon.blogspot.com
Until next time!
Joe
Check out my other blog at joeandmarijon.blogspot.com
Until next time!
Joe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)