Action Steps on Futures Scenario

I took a leap, and sent the link to my future scenario project to my superintendent and associate superintendent.  They were very excited and supportive of my thoughts.  Here is a link that my associate superintendent sent to me about a TEDtalk regarding the need for people proficient in the language of coding and programming. 

And the wheels are in motion....On my way…

Future Proposed Scenario

Capri – Connecting and contributing to the world around us.

Context:

DLI - I am in the fortunate situation to be at a school that offers a Dual Language Immersion Program for grades K-6.  Students have the opportunity to become bilingual and biliterate in Spanish and English. 

Technology infrastructure - I also work in a district that has implemented 1:1 iPads for students in grades 3-6.  There has been significant and ongoing professional development in the use of iPads and technology as a way to design student centric learning opportunities and support student growth.

Project Based Learning and Service orientation – Also in place, are teachers who have received training in the design and implementation of project based learning.   In doing so, students are encouraged and empowered to choose topics of interest that drive their application of what they have learned.  A common thread that is evident is the service oriented nature of the projects students select.  Students are constantly searching out ways they can make positive contributions to the world around us.   

Proposal:

I would like to expand what we offer at Capri by introducing a third world language for our students to learn:  the language of coding.

Rationale:

Being able to code programming is the most in-demand skill today.  Coding is a universal language used around the globe.  I believe we need to prepare our students with the ability to not only be consumers of technology, but contributors.  We are in a digital age and our students need to be able to understand coding principals in order to be able to understand how they might improve and impact our current world. 

Capri is in a perfect situation to where our students are constantly looking for ways to connect and contribute to the world we live in.  They attend a school that celebrated diversity, values the ability to communicate with other cultures, and now will be prepared to impact the new digital age.

Capri – Connecting and contributing to the world around us. 

 

 

 

 

New to the Site – Reflecting on Leadership

I presented my SPSA to the school board last night.  I had never presented my plan to the board at my last district, and I will admit I was quite nervous.  I as pleased to say it went well.  I knew my data and felt well prepared with the knowledge of where we are currently and where we need to go.  I outlined specific steps on what we will be doing as a staff to ensure all students will be supported from weekly teacher collaboration, use of formative assessments, deep review of student performance data to inform instructional decisions, shared lesson planning, and timely and specific feedback. 

As a new principal to the site, it is always a balance of how much to push and how much to hold back.  As I am building relationships, it has been challenging to both connect with people and begin to make changes.  They say that the first year is to just build rapport and observe.  While I am doing that, I am also impatient and am gently guiding my staff towards reflection and improvement through my questions and suggestions.  It is a back and forth of pressing forward, and then letting off the gas. 

 

For me, I believe the key is to take the time myself to reflect on my own practice as a leader, evaluate my own connections made or not made, and be brutally honest with myself.  Do not be afraid to ask for help.  Solicit feedback and take it in – the good and the bad.  And then act.   And know the process of change is slow and it is ongoing.  It never really ends, and you are not ever really done.  You just need to know when to come up for air so you can start again. 

Just keep swimming...

 

CUE conference

I really enjoyed this conference.  I was proud to see so many people from my own district in attendance and some even were presenting.  I also appreciated how so many members of our district leadership members were there, learning alongside us.  I feel it really speaks to their true support of their vision of technology implementation and their desire to learn more about how they can improve it.  In doing so, they demonstrate through their actions an alignment with their vision.  I myself learned about many valuable tools and tweeted about them, too.  I plan on going again next year.   

Disrupting Class

Christensen describes disruption innovation theory as change set in an environment where it can fill a void.  He describes education as being that setting which is urgently in need of a new approach to teaching and learning.  He clearly distinguishes that the innovation does not lie in the sole use of technology and further specifies the need for a change in the traditional design of schooling.  Even though there has been an increase in the use of technology in school, examples are provided where computers have simply replaced typewriters and encyclopedias. 

Christensen outlines how technology has the potential to truly redefine our educational system.  He describes on line learning as a system where students will have many more options for courses to fit their interests, as well as it having the capacity to assess and adjust to the performance of the individual student.  This model shifts the teacher into becoming the facilitator of the learning and a support, but differentiation is addressed in a much more efficient manner.  It allows for the teacher to provide more focused individualized attention to students in need. 

It is an exciting time in education on the brink of a total revolution, but there will be a need for a huge paradigm shift.  Teacher preparation will need to completely change in order to implement this new model, and ongoing support and monitoring will be required to assure there is no reverting back to the status quo.  Understanding this is a new viable way to really meet the needs of all students is what will fuel the motors to continue the movement. 


 

 

Building Connectedness Across a District

I enter the stage at a time where a new superintendent is taking the helm at VUSD and is actively working at building relationships and trust. I met the leadership team, and spent some time with them during their retreat to observe some initial discussions around setting the course.  I saw a group of people hungry for a new beginning, open to learning new ideas, and ready to support a new way of doing things. 

Their superintendent is already being well received, focusing on research based approaches to better understand where the organization is currently in their levels of trust and connectedness and how to measure where they will be going. 

I am fortunate to have the opportunity to begin my work with Vista Unified.  My research interest is in district reform and how to implement systemic change across an organization.  I am specifically interested in the role of central office in the change process and how they are able to touch many groups across a district and support the learning required for any change efforts.

My work will be part of a larger project occurring with VUSD, where they will be examining the existing connections that exist across the district in an effort to nurture those ties and establish a culture of trust where learning and innovation are able to thrive.  

I am so excited to be a part of this project and feel fortunate to observe how a new leader works at establishing a vision across the organization and creating a climate of trust and innovation. 

Cognitive Surplus

Clay Shirky presents the idea in this TED talk of creating a culture of generosity and using digital media for the purpose of civic improvement.  He describes the example of the development of Ushahidi as an open source site to provide important information in the political context in Kenya.  He underscores the importance of encouraging and supporting acts from people that are intrinsically motivated to contribute to society and how this movement has incredible potential to change the world. 
In education, accessing digital sites where people can share ideas and strategies is another form of collaboration that will further promote student achievement.  While we continue to implement collaborative structures at our school sites and across our districts, using digital media is another opportunity that offers an abundance of resources.  Celebrating the pioneer teachers who learn about and engage in these new methods of accessing information will create a culture that may invite others to take part, further extending their own growth as educators. 

Information Bubbles - Pariser clip

This is a great TED talk clip discussing the shift happening on the Internet and our need to be aware of the information that is withheld to us and not readily supplied in our own searches.  Pariser makes a compelling argument in describing how the Internet at one point was viewed as a path to connecting us to the world, but how now many Internet news sources are working on personalization.  He describes how this might help in our efforts to address things that are pertinent to our own individual lives, but we also must not be insulated from those things that we need to know.  He makes the analogy in referring to our access to information on the Internet as both receiving information "vegetables" and "junk food" and how it is important for us to have balance. 
As a user of digital media, it is critical for people to have this awareness in order to be informed users and still be exposed to bigger global issues as members of society.  His appeal to Google and others is for them to write this social responsibility aspect into the code itself so that all will still have access to these bigger issues, but I still question who will decide what it important for all to see and what will still be filtered out.  I believe this approach, along with a strong awareness for users is critical as we continue to educate our youth on the responsibility associated with using digital media.       

Invictus

This movie was a means to demonstrate the leadership approach taken by
Nelson Mandela as he began his presidency in South Africa. It depicted him as
being consistent with his message of unifying the nation under a common goal.
His purpose was clear in tearing down the barriers, encouraging and modeling
forgiveness, and being relentless in working towards reestablishing their country
to be great. By appealing to the nationalism of all South African citizens, he was
clear in his explanation of the “why” and inspired everyone to follow in their work
of unification. I appreciated the quote where Mandela addresses the warnings of his
assistant in his actions to support the controversial Springboks, by saying that when
he is fearful to lead in a difficult situation, he should no longer be leading at all. This
sentiment speaks to the challenges leaders face and the courage needed to press
forward, even when many others may not support the direction taken.
The team captain also demonstrated leadership skills as he too gained a deeper
understanding of the “why” and imparted this on his own teammates. By doing so,
he led his own team on a journey of nationalism and pride that was demonstrated
to the world through their public recognition and support as they became the Rugby
World Cup champions.

Drive Questions

Pink, D. H. (2009).  Drive

Discuss a time when you’ve seen one of the seven deadly flaws of carrots and sticks in action. What lessons might you or others learn from the experience? Have you seen instances when carrots and sticks have been effective.

I have seen the use of rewards and punishments as producing short term outcomes.  As people feel they are in competition for the "carrots", often times, the work accomplished becomes the bare minimum and trust is sacrificed in an increasingly individualized race to acquire the prize.  With students, this often times looks like students working towards finishing first or being the best, bypassing collaboration or supportive relationships with peers. 

I believe it is important to maintain the real goal of learning for understanding, collaboration, communication and meaning in order to see long lasting sustainable growth with our students. 

As you think about your own best work, what aspect of autonomy has been most important to you? Autonomy over what you do (task), when you do it (time), how you do it (technique), or with whom you do it (team)?...

With autonomy comes ownership and a real investment in the work.  Knowing my district leadership trusted me in making the decision over what professional development I was going to provide my staff gave me the confidence to move forward.  When I had the autonomy to guide the work I did with my staff, I felt the most effective.  I was passionate about the training I was providing and committed to support the implementation.  I wanted to see success and I was doing everything I could to ensure it.  I felt personally invested in seeing the training I had provided come to life in classrooms and I did all I could to facilitate that occurrence. 

Learning in New Media Environments

In this awesome TED talk video, Wesch challenges the existing structure of education and the discord occurring between the delivery of content in an age of almost limitless connectivity.  He underscores how the very physical design of traditional classrooms sends a message of compliance and learning as work that should be done individually without interaction.  He further argues how digital media has opened doors and freed access to information. 
His example of co-constructing meaning was inspiring.  The way he shared the learning among his students demonstrated the power of having purpose and ownership of the knowledge being acquired.  Through his approach, students not only learned about the topic, but they were contributing to the existing knowledge base.  By using digital media, their work had a higher purpose as it reached a global audience.
In my district, we have launched a 1:1 ipad initiative that is extremely exciting.  This presentation exemplifies the potential for student engagement through the use of technology.  I believe this is our goal as a district and I cannot wait until I begin to see this occur at my school.  I also realize the amount of professional development and support it will take for our current teachers to be at a point of proficiency to reform our delivery of instruction to truly maximize the technology we have in our schools. 
It is an exciting time!   

Visitor or Resident?

I found Dr. White's description of Visitors and Residents to be a helpful explanation of the varying levels of engagement with digital space. Up until now, I have seen myself as only a visitor.  Through the years, I have learned about some of the different online tools and superficially understood their use and purpose, but I have never actually lived in the space for any length of time.

As I gain more knowledge around the different ways in which I can engage with the broad digital landscape that exists today, I am intrigued with the possibility of expanding my own access to information across the globe.  As I have recently joined a new district, my goal is to transition from visitor status to resident, as I nurture and grow my own digital persona and begin to socially engage people in my work.    As a principal, sharing my daily practice can help support others, keep my community informed, and promote open interactions with colleagues who could support my own professional development.

My own research interest lies in the idea of learning through social interactions and how we can maximize existing communities of practice to facilitate learning, and thus facilitate change.  Understanding the dynamics around how specific people within an organization (central office within a district) are able to touch several of these communities across a system is interesting to me and can help support change efforts within a district or organization.  Introducing the use of digital space as a way of sharing ideas, information, and resources adds to this potential for collaboration and learning exponentially.  More research in this area would be very interesting as we see more and more district and other organizational leaders use these digital tools as a way of enagaging and influencing change.