According to Wikipedia, transformational leadership "enhances the motivation, morale, and job performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms. These include connecting the follower's sense of identity and self to the project and the collective identity of the organization; being a role model for followers that inspires them and makes them interested; challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of followers, so the leader can align followers with tasks that enhance their performance." All of this applies to being a transformative digital age leader as well.
The ISTE Standards for Administrators outline five areas of skills needed to "support digital age learning, implement technology, and transform the education landscape". As I read and rated myself on each skill in the five areas, I realized that although I have some strengths, I have not implemented many of the skills to a level that will affect change in my district. Also, there are many skills that our technology department has focused on, especially in the area of Digital Citizenship, that I need to involve myself in modeling to affect change. Although I rated myself a 3 on many of the skills because feel confident in the skill, I have not yet modeled or utilized the skill to a level that has transformed educational landscape in the district.
Although I feel light years ahead of where I was a year ago in becoming a digital age leader, I need to continue to model effective ways to integrate technology into my work on a daily basis, including professional development and planning, so teachers will be inspired to do the same in their classrooms with their students. Becoming a part of a larger conversation by accessing other leaders and resources through Twitter and blogging will also inspire and influence my journey. Being the change I want to see is the key to transforming the teaching and learning in the district.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Building A Bridge
This week I've been immersed in studying STAAR test data for grades 3 - Algebra I and creating an action plan for transitioning to new Math TEKS. As I was writing action steps, I was reflecting on all the things that must be considered as we move forward.
In our district when teachers plan a unit of instruction, they first study their SEs. Once they study the SEs "a la Kilgo", they are ready to look at the lesson to make adjustments for gaps and rigor. However, teachers must consider that the SE is the end point for the student, not the beginning point...so we look at the SE from the previous year, discuss what students were expected to master, and then we figure out how to build the bridge from where they are to where they have to go. We also have to consider where students are in the continuum of understanding because not all are at the same point, which makes building the bridge more complicated.
Many Math SEs are moving down to lower grade levels, which is going to cause anxiety for some teachers because they will have to learn new content. I will be helping teachers transition and make connections between old TEKS and new TEKS, current knowledge and new knowledge, and previous methods and new methods. I'll have to consider each teacher's current level of knowledge, differentiate, and support their learning....building a bridge.
While I had building bridges on the brain, I was also thinking about my upcoming vacation. While I am off, I am going to New Mexico and plan to see the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge ten miles west of Taos. It is the seventh highest bridge in the United States, took two years to build, is 1,280 feet in length, and was awarded the "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" in the "Long Span" category in 1966, by the American Institute of Steel Construction.
I am the architect of the bridge I am about to build and it may take me two years to complete, but I have a blueprint and I'm ready to begin!
In our district when teachers plan a unit of instruction, they first study their SEs. Once they study the SEs "a la Kilgo", they are ready to look at the lesson to make adjustments for gaps and rigor. However, teachers must consider that the SE is the end point for the student, not the beginning point...so we look at the SE from the previous year, discuss what students were expected to master, and then we figure out how to build the bridge from where they are to where they have to go. We also have to consider where students are in the continuum of understanding because not all are at the same point, which makes building the bridge more complicated.
Many Math SEs are moving down to lower grade levels, which is going to cause anxiety for some teachers because they will have to learn new content. I will be helping teachers transition and make connections between old TEKS and new TEKS, current knowledge and new knowledge, and previous methods and new methods. I'll have to consider each teacher's current level of knowledge, differentiate, and support their learning....building a bridge.
While I had building bridges on the brain, I was also thinking about my upcoming vacation. While I am off, I am going to New Mexico and plan to see the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge ten miles west of Taos. It is the seventh highest bridge in the United States, took two years to build, is 1,280 feet in length, and was awarded the "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" in the "Long Span" category in 1966, by the American Institute of Steel Construction.
I am the architect of the bridge I am about to build and it may take me two years to complete, but I have a blueprint and I'm ready to begin!
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