Strategic Leadership Plan

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Dan Gibsonaka @hoosier_teacher

Friday, August 3, 12

VisionMy vision for school systems involves changing traditional practices. As a teacher, it was easy to teach directly from an uninspiring textbook-created to deliver predetermined content regardless of a learner’s needs. However, this is not the optimal method for fostering lifelong learning. Technology has the power to motivate learning (Wagner, 2008). It can also encourage deeper understanding rather than superficial recall of content. With blogging, for instance, students can take part in real-world reading, writing, evaluating, and collaborating with classmates. As I progress in my new position as Technology Integration Specialist, I will make sure students and teachers can engage in authentic learning experiences with the use of current technologies.

My vision as a trainer is to continuously develop teachers’ awareness of instructional technology tools for the classroom. Through ample professional development opportunities, I want to instill the importance of technology’s integration within each school day. I envision teachers integrating the use of technology, so much so, that its integration becomes invisible. Realizing the potential, teachers would then locate tools through personal learning networks, which will be developed through Twitter, Blogs, and other Social Media. Classroom walls will be knocked down and teachers, students, and stakeholders will connect on at least a local level but at times globally.


Challenges

Fearful, doubtful, and standoffish teachers

Routine-based teachers unwillingly to integrate tech

Inherent quality of isolation causes unwillingness to connect

Norms of reciprocity challenged

Stigma attached to technologies and student usage

Not enough time to train teachers to value tech integration


Principles, Ideals, & Values Most Important Important Least Important

InfluenceAuthenticityCritical ThinkingAdaptabilityIntegrityRecognitionPassion for CraftOptimismTransparent MessageCreation/InnovationOpen Communication

SuccessHappinessPeaceWisdomTruthTrust

FameFriendshipWealthStatusLoveFamilyJoyPower

Underlined words were added to original list.


Most ValuedRecognition-Leaders need to recognize the hard work of those around them. From this, others can witness inspirational work of those surrounding them. This helps spread great ideas from the ground level rather than through top-down directives. I will recognize teachers hard work on a regular basis.

Integrity-This quality will model the importance of professionalism and gain trust among others. Honesty promotes trust and acceptance with followers. For instance, if unsure of an answer, I will respond truthfully and get back to them in a timely manner when I have acquired the answer. I will also accept and admit mistakes when they are made. Overall, I will model professionalism.

Passion for your Craft-Passion is infectious and can influence others to also follow another persons message, plans, goals, or dreams. I am definitely passionate about technology in the classroom. From my experience as an elementary teacher integrating technologies for learning, I will share the practical applications for employing instructional technologies.


Interpersonal GoalGoal: To develop networks of trust and open communication with the teaching staff in order to construct tailor-made instructional strategies

Importance: In order to meet the instructional needs of the teachers, open lines of communication need to be developed. Using the instructional design process promotes instruction from the perspective of the learner (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp 2011). Without their input, I cannot meet teachers’ needs or evaluate the effectiveness of a training. At the same time, I will be meeting teachers’ instructional needs, which is an emergent form of leadership. Focusing on followers’ needs in order to help them become more autonomous, knowledgeable, and group minded is a characteristic of the Servant Leadership approach and the Democratic Leadership style (Northouse, 2009). Essentially, I would be serving the needs of my followers through the guidance and strategic planning based on instructional needs.

#1


Strategies and Action Steps

Action Steps: Meet with teachers on various occasions both in training sessions, within the classroom, and one-on-one.

Completion Date: On-going goal

Assessment Type: Survey my effectiveness as a trainer at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. Question how well the trainer developed an open democratic-type learning community.

Interpersonal Goal


Team/Organizational GoalGoal: To promote teacher collaboration, communication, and connectedness through the use of web-based technologies

Importance: As a teacher, time is precious and limited. Social, Communication, and Productivity technologies, when used in a professional manner, can save time through sharing responsibilities. Teachers will compile instructional resources and knowledge from local and global connections. From these connections, teachers will be able learn, share, and collaborate with professionals regardless of geographical location. In Tony Wagner’s (2006) the Global Achievement Gap, he stated that the teaching profession is too isolated and collaborative efforts need to be encouraged in order to improve the quality of instruction. This is one method for promoting a connected teaching profession.

#2


Strategies and Action Steps

Action Steps: Teachers will be engaged in the use of web-based tools such as: Wikis, Blogs, Twitter, and Social Bookmarking tools (Diigo and ScoopIt).

Completion Date: End of the 2012-2013 school year

Assessment Type: Survey and/or connect with their accounts online. For survey questions, ask if various accounts were created and if they value these forms of social media for learning.

Team/Organizational Goal


Community GoalGoal: To create life-long learners motivated to reflect on teaching and learning, and in the process make teaching and learning transparent within the school’s community through the use of blogs and wikis

Importance: Educational stakeholders need to witness the meaningful learning taking place within the classroom. With web-based technologies such as blogs and wikis, the classroom walls are essentially knocked down and an audience can view the learning in progress. True Blogging is a reflective process that engages writers in extended analysis reading and synthesis of writing, creating, and linking hyper-content together (Richardson, 2010). From this, teachers and students have more reason to complete their best work, which is displayed globally on the Internet.

#3


Strategies and Action StepsAction Steps: Through the use of student and teacher blogs and wikis, students and teachers will be introduced to a global audience for their learning, creating, reflecting, problem solving, thinking, leadership, and all around hard work. All of this will contribute to the global teaching community, but it will also indirectly connect the classroom to educational stakeholders. If not blocked, parents and community members could view student work online.

Completion Date: End of the 2012-2013 school year

Assessment Type: Survey teachers on student and personal usage of blogs and wikis. Ask about the frequency of use.

Community Goal


Professional Goal Goal: To facilitate an engaging learning environment that promotes cognition, reflection, and ultimately professional growth

Importance: I don’t want to lecture for hours. Instead, I want teachers to engage in interactive work, which cultivates professional growth. A more Democratic Style of leadership will be employed in order to guide my followers to grow professionally (Northouse, 2009). Rather than merely train teachers on how to use various forms of instructional technology, I will encourage reflective teaching practices to evaluate a tool’s educational value. Teachers should constantly consider an instructional tool’s potential and how it can be integrated within their instruction.

#4


Strategies and Action StepsAction Steps: First, analyze the instructional needs of my learners. Then, through the implementation of web-based training resources and hands-on training, familiarize teachers with the most effective tools for learning. Lastly, develop discourse on how integrate the tools within the classroom. This would encourage teachers to talk about how they can specifically utilize certain tools.

Completion Date: Middle & End of the 2012-2013 school year

Assessment Type: Survey my effectiveness as a trainer at the middle and end of the 2012-2013 school year. Question how well the trainer facilitated an engaging learning environment and challenged your thinking.

Professional Goal


Individual GoalGoal:To connect and remain current on effective educational technologies and research-based practices

Importance: A leader for teachers must be knowledgable and technically competent (Northouse, 2009). Therefore, it is imperative that a trainer hone his or her craft. As a teacher or trainer, there are always changes that need to be made to instruction. These changes are made to match students’ instructional needs. In order to design the develop the best instructional prescriptions, trainers should be able to research reliable instructional methods and strategies. Without becoming a lifelong learner, a teacher or trainer will be doomed to fail at perfecting his/her craft.

#5


Strategies and Action StepsAction Steps: Continue to develop my personal learning networks and online presence. Develop a norm of reciprocity among my colleagues. Send emails, blog posts, collaborative wikis, Tweets, social bookmarking pages, LiveBinders, and more.

Completion Date: On-going goal

Assessment Type: Survey my effectiveness as a trainer at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. Specifically, ask about trainer’s knowledge base.

Individual Goal


Networking

From attending the Indiana Computer Educators (ICE), Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators (HECC), and/or Illinois Computer Educators (ICE) this upcoming year, I plan on personally meeting and networking with various Indiana and Illinois educators interested in instructional technology. Lastly, I will continue to connect with other like-minded professionals online using various social media.


Connections and Professional Growth

For the upcoming school year’s Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators (HECC) conference, I was asked to co-present on Google Tools with my school district’s Technology Coordinator. From this, I hope to network and make professional connections at the conference. These connections could provide me with additional technology integration training opportunities for other school systems, which could allow me to spread my passion for instructional technologies across the state. Ultimately, I would like to continue to train teachers but also branch out to possibly offer freelance trainings for school corporations.


Mission StatementAs a Technology Integration Specialist, I will provide teachers with the necessary instructional tools for facilitating life-long learning well into the 21st Century. Technology has the potential to motivate and inspire students to interact with technology and engage in higher-order cognition. Teachers must be taught to integrate its use into multiple subjects throughout the instructional day and extend its use online, which would allow students to learn and work outside of school. In order to meet various standards and integrate technology, a Project-Based Learning approach with a focus on creating, reading, and evaluating web-based content will need to be employed. By training teachers, I would indirectly promote lifelong learning through blended (online/face-to-face) classrooms.


Resources

Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp (2011). Designing Effective Instruction 6th Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Northouse, P.G. (2009). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Company.

Wagner, T. (2008). The global achievement gap: Why even our best schools don’t teach the new survival skills our children need- and what we can do about it. New York, NY: Basic Books


Strategic Leadership Plan

Documents

Transcript of Strategic Leadership Plan