You are currently browsing the Ed. Leadership category.
A discussion with Patrick Duignan, Emeritus Professor of Education Leadership, Australian Catholic University, and business consultant.
Many years involvement in educational leadership prompted Duignan to research the concept of authenticity in leadership – and how ethical leadership can be attained. Working from the premise that education is a value based process, its purpose he says is not simply to teach maths and science and such, but to form the person and equip them to be better human beings. “The biggest challenge of all is to ensure schools and teachers and educators do that – basically they don’t end up with a group of young people who aren’t transformed in any way as human beings and who only go out able to regurgitate facts and knowledge”. The key to the transformation rests with the leader – ask any student about who was their best teacher and why, and the response reflects not technical ability, but the esoteric capacity for inspiration. “Students will always mention two areas – one is giving them self belief, and the other is the confidence to go out and engage with others in the world, the big bad world out there.”
Download the full discussion in PDF
Built on the foundation of four years of research and implementation of mobile learning projects (m-learning), this paper provides an overview of the potential of the integration of mobile Web 2.0 tools (based around smartphones) to facilitate social constructivist pedagogies and engage students in tertiary education. Pedagogical affordances of mobile Web 2.0 tools are evaluated, and student usage and feedback is outlined via an interactive multimedia timeline (using YouTube videos) illustrating how these mobile Web 2.0 pedagogical affordances have transformed pedagogy and facilitated student engagement in a variety of course contexts. A rubric for evaluating appropriate smartphone choices is provided, and a model for implementing mobile Web 2.0 pedagogical integration is presented.
Download Full Article – PDF
Abstract:
Authentic leadership is emerging as an alternative perspective on leadership in different organisational settings including education (Bhindi & Duignan, 1997). The authors will draw upon the existent research and commentary on authentic leadership and its relevance to leaders engaged in human service organisations, especially in the field of Education. Notions of authentic leadership are to be found in the disciplines of Nursing, Human Resources and Business and Organisational Development. However, missing/unacknowledged dimensions of the current leadership literature will also be identified with respect to authenticity. For example often the literature is about authentic leadership from the perspectives of leaders themselves, rather than from the perspectives of the ‘followers’. A rationale for this research project is presented outlining the need for empirical research from the viewpoints of practitioner-educators (teachers) as ‘followers’ of authentic leaders. The proposed research methodology is outlined which includes a blend of survey data and focus groups, which the researchers intend to map teacher (i.e. ‘follower’) perceptions of authentic leaders. Specifically, we want to determine the dynamics needed to promote authentic rather than ‘contrived collegiality’ (Hargreaves, 1994). It is contended that authentic leaders will empower communities of learners through the creation of vibrant, safe, fulfilling schools.
Full article : http://www.aare.edu.au/08pap/smi08816.pdf
Abstract:
I’m paid to be impatient. In a role like Teaching & Learning Technologies Coordinator, I’m impatient for staff to pick up new pedagogy and to utilise the teaching and learning opportunities that our school’s technology can provide. I’m impatient for change – for the school to become a better place, one that services students better, one that is more rewarding and meaningful for staff to work at and where students graduate with a base of skills, knowledge and dispositions to make their own way in our society and be well placed to take up whatever opportunities open up.
Source – Read more: http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2010/08/14/too-much-innovation-can-be-a-liability-to-the-system
Abstract:
Never before have Americans had greater access to information about school quality. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), all school districts are required to distribute annual report cards detailing student achievement levels at each of their schools. Local newspapers frequently cover the release of state test results, emphasizing the relative standing of their community’s schools. Meanwhile, new organizations like GreatSchools and SchoolMatters aggregate this information and make it readily available to parents online.
Source – read more: http://educationnext.org/grading-schools/
Stephen Dinham and Catherine Scott
Abstract
There is a vast body of research confirming the important influence of the classroom teacher on student achievement (see Hattie, 2002, 2003, 2007; Mulford, 2006; Rowe, 2003).
A key issue then, is that of how the quality of teaching and learning within individual classrooms can be influenced and improved.
Based upon findings from a range of research projects investigating aspects of quality teaching, we believe that two key, related influences on classroom achievement are educational leadership and teachers’ professional learning. This paper concentrates mainly on the former (see Dinham, 2007b for more on the latter).
Educational leadership, like teaching and life generally, is heavily dependent upon relationships. There are two fundamental dimensions to relationships: responsiveness and demandingness (Baumrind, 1991).
This paper considers the two dimensions in the contexts of parenting, where these were first proposed, and then teaching and educational leadership, where we believe the typology has equally valid and valuable application.
A postscript considers how responsiveness and demandingness may have shaped and can explain educational change since the early 1960s.
————————————–
Download full article here – http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/177858.doc
Last week at the ISER conference I listened to a keynote from an engaging young presenter who talked about generational change and how the arrival of Generation Y is causing such challenges for us in the education sector. Michael McQueen presents insightful and commonsense arguments as to how we can better look after beginning Gen Y teachers and more critically engage the Gen Y students that many teachers find difficult to engage and motivate.
Presently I am reading his book, The New Rules of Engagement (a review here) and will post a review here when finished. So far I find his arguments compelling and something that we all need to consider. I am cautious though at categorising people into generations. Generalisations can lead to problems when you meet individuals that don’t meet the mold. I read with interest yesterday this opinion by Roger Pryor regarding the eGeneration. Somewhere in all this lies the key to student engagement and the allusive key to retaining young teachers in a modern workforce. I hope to discover more about this topic over time and offer some opinion to the debate.
Until now the blogs and content management systems I maintain have always related to my interests outside of my work life. The reason for this is I’ve never seen much of a need for an extension of these activities into my life as a teacher. As someone who uses Web 2.o extensively in my teaching I’ve never considered the value of a personal blog related to my activities in education. I’ve maintained blogs for students to share ideas, work collaboratively and publish work, but haven’t seen the need to extend it beyond this.
This was until a presentation at the Illawarra and South East Region Principal’s Conference by Darcy Moore. Darcy demonstrated the extensive network of educational leaders that are networking and sharing ideas via their personal blogs and other mico-blogging technologies like twitter.
Needles to say this was enough motivation to register a new domain and set up this blog. I’m hoping something significant may come of it and people will find it useful.
Grant 
