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Digital Learners Need (and Deserve) Digital Leaders #DigiLead

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 12 Februari 2014 0 komentar

I recently read this Education Week post by Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers titled We Have 21st Century Learners Who Need 21st Century Leaders. I couldn't agree more. They go on the summarize the following:

"Essentially, the 21st century leader has to develop a renewed understanding of how children are learning now. It isn't about using technology because it exists. It is about how the technologies of the world have already influenced how children are learning. Bringing a technology agenda forward with the intention of improving student understanding and demonstrated success is essential. Leading the transition from 20th century to 21st century schools includes attention to the human toll it takes when such large changes are being required. Ongoing professional development, constant review and analysis of successful attempts at the changes in learning opportunities and the increasing use of technology offer momentum."

The world has changed and technology has had a big impact. As the world and our lives have become more connected and influenced by the evolving technology-rich landscape our learners in turn have become wired differently. Not only are they engaged more outside of school then in, but in many cases they are constructing new knowledge, communicating, collaborating, and attempting to make sense of an array of media messages. All of these examples are at the core of essential skill sets that most schools "want" students to possess, but many schools do a poor job of creating a culture that integrates them across the curriculum. Students deserve leaders willing who are willing to extend themselves beyond their comfort zones in order to create a culture that aligns with a new vision for learning. This involves a leader's desire to take calculated risks, adapt, learn, and ultimately evolve in ways to break free of the status quo in order to create digitally rich environments that meet the needs of today's digital learners.

Image credit: http://inspiringtheact.org.au/event/unconventional-gas/

The number one responsibility and challenge for digital leaders is to create a relevant, meaningful, and authentic learning culture that allows students to create learning artifacts to demonstrate conceptual mastery. It also requires an open mind, vision, and strategic plan to allow students access to real-world tools to do real-world work. A common misconception is that you have to be "tech savvy" in order to be a digital leader. Of course it helps, but it is not a necessity. What is needed is a thorough understanding of what constitutes effective leadership and determining how these characteristics, skills, and practices can be improved and/or enhanced with a new mindset that views technology as a tool to support learning as opposed to just a frivolous add on. Some of the most effective digital leaders, or just leaders for that matter, build capacity in others to move the change process further. If you are a leader looking to do so, begin to have conversations with your teachers, and more importantly your students, to collaboratively create a system that works for learners as opposed to one that just acts to control them.

Societal changes as a result of technology now demand leaders to also look at how they perform other essential responsibilities to improve and move schools forward in the digital age. The Pillars of Digital Leadership provide a practical framework for any leader, regardless of technological proficiency, to improve professional practice. The tenets of leadership still apply. It should also be noted that this isn't about giving us more to do in a time when it seems like more and more is being dumped on a leader's plate. The guiding question is how can we do what we do better to become more effective and efficient while becoming improved learners, collaborators, communicators, storytellers, and change agents. If we look at the digital age as an endless era of opportunity to engage students in deeper, more relevant learning then the next logical step is to act.

We can no longer stand by idly while everything changes except for schools and learning environments. View this post as a call to action. If you are a digital leader how will you help support, cultivate, and inspire others to follow a similar path? The Age of Information and Personal Learning Networks (PLN's) provides ample resources for any leader (classroom, building, district) to find success, not to mention my new book on Digital Leadership. The challenge is to get those who do not value the role of technology in learning today, are not connected, or who are blinded by fear, misconceptions, or lack of knowledge on board. Learners across the globe are counting on our success in this endeavor. Are you up for the challenge?

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Control or Ownership

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 02 Februari 2014 0 komentar

For over a century, the industrial model of education did a fantastic job of preparing students for careers. Those careers are no longer relevant in today's rapidly changing world. With obvious remnants of this system still in place, new changes are being pushed through under the guise of education reform. Instead of preparing students for an industrialized world the education system is now being tasked with preparing all learners to be college and career ready in order to compete globally with their peers.

Image credit: http://neatoday.org/2011/05/19/beware-pro-charter-parent-groups/

The education system is still not changing at all and is totally based on control and compliance. The failed legacy of NCLB should provide a stark reminder that pummeling students with standardized tests will not achieve the desired outcome. So again our education system is in a pickle consisting of an outdated model and the pressure to prepare students for an absurd amount of testing days throughout the school year. The world does not rest on standardized tests. Success now lies in one's ability to create solutions to problems, collaborate with peers to meet a goal, communicate effectively, and develop unique ideas that can change things for the better.

Unfortunately the powers that be are ultimately stripping the autonomy away from educators and schools, something that has defined our country for decades. Even with an outdated model, we have still found ways to provide innovative pathways to unleash a passion for learning among our students. Control, as bad as it is in our system, has been a challenge that some have chosen to overcome. In the face of adversity, educators have strived to overcome it to benefit our most precious resource - students. However, the current rhetoric and testing blitz that is upon us seeks to not only undermine what makes education special, but to control us to a point that will break the morale of many if it hasn't already. This control will be the demise of our education system.

Up to this point I have ranted about control at the federal and state level and the dramatic impact it has, and will continue to have, on education if we don't change course. There is another type of control that we need to acknowledge that is prevalent in virtually every school in the world. This is the control fostered by administration and teachers as to how learning should, and will, be structured. This hits home for me on many fronts, as I was guilty of this years ago. We are often our own worst enemies as we work hard to control what students can do in school or classrooms. This stems from the fact that we don't want to give up control. Compliancy has worked for so long, and quite frankly we don't trust students or even our own teachers. What we don't know and understand we fear. So we react by trying to control every facet of school structure, function, and learning. This was me for many years, but thankfully I changed and I think my school bas benefited.

Image credit: http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/10-questions-learners-shouldnt-ask/

The motivation from this post came from a recent presentation I did on digital learning. The whole premise behind this concept it to provide relevancy, meaning, and authenticity in the teaching and learning process. It hinges upon our ability to provide an environment and activities that unleash our students' passion for learning and allows them to create artifacts of learning with the tools of their choice to demonstrate conceptual mastery. Additionally, it relies on a bold vision to grant students and educators the autonomy to take risks, learn from failure, and then adapt as needed. This is where we have seen a significant shift from a control to ownership of learning. Students are now able to demonstrate learning transparently for an authentic audience, allowing them to have a choice as to the device and/or tool to demonstrate and apply what they have learned. Teachers are being empowered and embracing digital learning methodologies to improve professional practice. Meaningful change will only happen if we begin to give up control and establish a culture built on trust and respect.

In the end students have taken ownership of their learning. As we continue to see the positive impacts of the changes we have willingly made, I wonder if those who are not in schools will take a second and truly reflect upon what their reform decisions are doing to schools, educators, and kids. I also hope that those who block social media, ban students’ devices, and mandate Common Core scripts understand that these decisions are destroying a love for learning. Digital learning in its many forms could be one such catalyst to put education on a better path. If we truly want to prepare the next generation of thinkers, doers, inventors, and change agents we must give up control, trust students and educators, and work to develop a better system that will produce desired outcomes.

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Devices Need to Support Learning

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 26 Januari 2014 0 komentar

So yesterday as I was scanning the #NJED hash tag on TweetDeck I came across this intriguing image shared by Mike Marotta. It really puts into perspective why we make many of the decisions that we do at New Milford High School as to why we decided to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative and don't mandate the use of one specific tool to support learning.

His tweet contained this message, "Don't let the device drive instruction. Let it support learning." When it comes to educational technology I often get the feeling that the learning is often secondary. Using technology just for the sake of using it equates to a huge waste of instructional time that could be dedicated to deep, meaningful learning. It also equates into a huge wast of money. All to often I have seen schools put interactive whiteboards (IWB's) in every classroom or go 1:1 with very little focus on learning.

The key is to determine what we want our students to know and let them have a choice as to how they will demonstrate and/or apply their learning. At NMHS we place a great deal of emphasis on creating artifacts to demonstrate conceptual mastery. Technology can become a nice pedagogical fit when viewed this way. Our motto is pedagogy first, technology second if appropriate when integrating mobile learning devices. Another image created by my friend Bill Ferriter puts into perspective the importance of establishing learning outcomes when integrating technology as part of the teaching and learning process.

Image credit: Bill Ferriter

When it comes to technology we must always ask ourselves how will this tool support learning and allow students to demonstrate conceptual mastery. There must be more of a concerted focus on learning outcomes, construction of new knowledge leading to authentic application, and the development/enhancement of essential skills (creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, digital citizenship, entrepreneurship, media literacy, technological proficiency, communication, collaboration). The assessment and feedback pieces are also critical. Now let me attempt to tie this back to the first image contained in this post. Technology can be a powerful learning tool if we don't focus on the one marker, but instead what we want our students to be able to do with their choice of makers to support and demonstrate learning. I welcome your thoughts on this.

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Communicating in the Information Age

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 22 Januari 2014 1 komentar

In case you didn't know we had quite a bit of snow last night in the Northeast. As I was outside in the bone-chilling cold shoveling piles of snow I began to reflect upon how my professional practice has changed in a few short years when it comes to snow days. Typically in the past I would have received a phone call compliments of a meticulously developed phone chain. The only problem was that if one person missed their call then the chain was broken. This fact of life posed quite the problem for many years. In my early years I often misplaced the snow chain or my wife would throw it out accidentally. Talk about throwing a wrench into the system. Thankfully technology came to the rescue and I wised up by saving it on my computer. I had a bit of a paper addiction that had to be overcome.

Image credit: http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/

Fast forward to 2014 and my district, like many others, now uses an automated notification service. Talk about convenience. I now, like everyone else in the district, receive a pushed out call with a message that district leadership develops. This message is then delivered by a polite robotic voice basically telling me that I can sleep in if I wish or spend the day slaving over my snow shovel. Now don't get me wrong, this service is great, but like anything in life it is not full-proof or the preferred way to receive the information. There is also a cost associated with any service like this.

Now here is the part of my night yesterday after receiving the snow day call that I left out. Without hesitation I immediately went to my computer and sent out the news using the NMHS social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) as well as pushing the notice out using the official school app developed by Beeonics. To some this might seem a bit redundant, but in reality I am covering all of my bases to ensure that my stakeholders get the information. In my opinion the "Information Age" demands this now.

As a digital leader I can no longer assume that an automated telephone call will reach everyone. With all of the free social media tools we have at our fingertips today it is important that we leverage them in a variety of situations to get information out to our stakeholders. We now live in the "Information Age" where access is 24/7. People routinely consume information on a variety of devices in an array of places. Virtually every other profession has not only acknowledged this fact, but has seized on the opportunity to provide the information that potential consumers want using a multifaceted social media strategy. Education and schools have been notoriously slow when it comes to adjusting to changes in society. This no longer has or should be the case.

In my opinion schools need to embrace a new vision for school communications both externally and internally. We need to think about how we also provide information in real-time to our most important stakeholder group - students. In turn, think about how our students then communicate information related to learning and school culture with each other as well as members of the community. Here are a few tips and ideas that have worked well for NMHS over the years:

Create a school Twitter and Facebook page. Make sure information is updated consistently
Have a company develop a school app or have your students create one
Develop, use, and promote a school hash tag that can be used across multiple platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+). We use a school hash tag (#NMHS) as well as one that our Digital Journalism students created for their class (#NMHSdigijourn)
Use a Google Doc for student announcements that cab be accessed through a school website and pushed out using social media
Create QR codes and place around the building. Information is then just one click away for a variety of stakeholders
Move from a tradition school newspaper to a digital version
Begin using ZippSlip, a tool for going paperless

Give your stakeholders options when it comes to accessing and receiving information related to your school. Even though snail mail and even email still has its place in a school communications plan we must press forward with the use of digital technologies to increase authentic engagement with our stakeholders. So what did I miss? Please feel free to add other ways you have enhanced school communications to align with the Information age in the comments section below.

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Why Digital Leadership? #digilead

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 19 Januari 2014 0 komentar

If you haven’t noticed, I have been a tad bit excited over the past couple of weeks leading up to the release of my new book. This is something that I could have never dreamed of prior to social media as I felt that writing was definitely not my strong suit. Social media not only helped me find my voice, but it helped me find the voices of so many passionate and amazing educators from across the country and globe. Surrounding yourself with smart people willing to share could possibly be one of the best decisions you could make whether as a leader, educator, or learner. Almost every chapter of Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times opens up with a vignette that illustrates specific characteristics, behaviors, skills, and mindsets in action.

The Pillars of Digital Leadership

Here is a breakdown:

Forward – Some wisdom from the great Yong Zhao.
Preface – What is digital leadership?
A Day in the Life of a Digital Leader - Summary of what a typical day for me looks like at New Milford High School.
Chapter 1: The Evolving Educational Landscape
Chapter 2: Why Schools Must Change (Pam Moran)
Chapter 3: Keys to Leading Sustainable Change (Spike Cook)
Chapter 4: Leading With Technology (David Britten)
Chapter 5: Communication (Joe Mazza)
Chapter 6: Public Relations (John Carver)
Chapter 7: Branding (Trish Rubin)
Chapter 8: Professional Growth and Development (Lyn Hilt)
Chapter 9: Increasing Student Engagement and Enhancing Learning (George Couros, Patrick Larkin)
Chapter 10: Rethinking Learning Spaces and Environments (Dwight Carter)
Chapter 11: Discovering Opportunity (Robert Dillon)
Chapter 12: A Call to Arms (Peter DeWitt)
Appendix: A collection of reproducibles and resources

Their voices and stories, as well as the work of so many other practitioners mentioned throughout the book, will help guide any educator looking to initiate meaningful change in the digital age. This is not about bells and whistles or smoke and mirrors tactics to preserve the status quo, but rather a systematic approach to transform schools in a way that works for our students and inspire those with whom we work. It is about taking a hard look at the type of school culture leaders are currently sustaining and asking is this really preparing our students for success.

I have witnessed and been a part of a dramatic transformation process at NMHS that began in 2009 when I gave social media a try. The process continues today where a culture has been built that preserves important traditional elements while pursuing an innovative agenda for growth and improvement. We are actively engaging a variety of stakeholders, who in turn have embraced the renaissance taking place. It is my hope that the collective stories, strategies, and ideas in this book will help you become an agent of change.

Three Ways to Get Digital Leadership

Now that the dust has settled since the book officially became available on January 14 the electronic versions are now ready for download. Here are the specific links:

Hardcopy (Corwin Press)
Electronic eBook (eBooks) - PDF replica of the print version and can be viewed on almost any device except Kindle.
Kindle (Amazon)

#DigiLead

If you want to talk about digital leadership at anytime I have created a hash tag. My hope is that we can use this on Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Facebook to extend the conversation and our learning on this topic. Feel free to use it to ask me questions, acquire resources, or just to chat openly about how we can all become more effective leaders in a digital world.

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The People and Moments That Define Us

Posted by Unknown Selasa, 07 Januari 2014 0 komentar

I knew early on in my education career that I wanted to be an administrator. The predominant reason for this was that I wanted to at least attempt to be a fraction of the leader that my father was. My father was an elementary principal for 30 years and I always admired how he was able to inspire his staff to focus on student learning. To say that he was beloved by all would be a significant understatement. He also consistently did those little things (dressing up for Halloween, cooking breakfast for his staff) that on the surface don’t seem like a big deal, but meant so much to his staff and students. His calm and collective nature allowed him to effectively deal with adverse situations. To this day I still go to my father for advice. To sum it up, he was the total package as an administrator.

Image Credit: http://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2013/12/20/inspiring-volunteering-moments-of-2013/

My second reason for wanting to become an administrator early on in my career stemmed from the fact that I wanted to help as many students as possible. As a classroom teacher I felt that my impact was limited based on the number of students I had contact with on a daily basis. But through my position as a science teacher, a coach (football, ice hockey, lacrosse), and environmental club advisor I was able to impact and influence a large number of students. However, in a school of close to 2000 learners I felt that I could do more. Due to the influence of my father and a passion to help as many students as possible succeed, I ventured into the world of educational administration in 2004.

Obviously my journey continues. After having assumed the duties of both athletic director and vice principal at New Milford High School I became the principal in 2007. It was at this point that I saw one of my dreams fulfilled, as I was finally about to walk in the footsteps of my father. As a young principal I made many mistakes in my early years. Heck, I still make many mistakes. But I learned from a mentor early on that making mistakes is okay; just don't make the same mistake twice. It was at this point that I began to take more risks to create a better teaching and learning culture at NMHS.

Up until this point in my career I would say that I followed the traditional playbook for school leaders. If I was graded I would have probably received an A for running my school where strict rules had to be followed by students, mobile devices banned, and all social media blocked. I did a great job maintaining the status quo, which was a school culture that prepared students for a workforce that no longer existed. This is how both observers and myself measured my effectiveness. I thought, and was told, that I was doing a great job, but what did I know. Obviously, not much at the time.

It was then in 2009 that I possibly took the greatest risk of my young administrative career. After reading an article in the local Sunday paper on Twitter I decided to step outside my comfort zone, disregard the perception that I had, and began to use social media as a leadership tool. What began as just a way to communicate better with my stakeholders evolved into something that I never imagined. Once in the space that social media provided, I began to lurk and learn. It was at this point that I discovered the error and ignorance of my ways. What I lacked was education on how all aspects of technology could be used to enhance learning. Individuals who I had never met face to face not only challenged my thinking, but ultimately saved my professional career. If it were not for my Personal Learning Network (PLN) I might have never changed. Without this change I would still to this day be leading a school down a path of irrelevance. My greatest leadership asset was born from a space that I swore I would never venture into. Talk about a game changing moment!

We all have those people and moments that help define our careers. For me each has helped influence my learning while providing me with the insight, tools, support, and feedback needed to become a better leader. New Milford High School has become a better institution for learning and innovation. By giving up control, trusting my students and staff, and evolving into a lead learning we continue to transform our school in ways that will better prepare our students for success in today’s society. I hope that one day my career is defined by the shifts, changes, and ultimate transformation that continue to occur at my school.

I will be forever thankful to the many people that have supported me up to this point and have provided me priceless guidance over the years. It is a humbling time for me as I walk around the halls of NMHS and see how far we have come while anticipating the work that still needs to be done. Just as significant is my growth as a leader, which in many aspects is a testament to the educators from across the globe that I now lean on day in and day out. This has led to another significant moment of my career, which is the release of my first solo book (Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times). I look at it as sort of a a natural product of the ongoing changes in my professional career. It represents a culmination of OUR journey together. My hope is that this book will make a difference in the work of other leaders and those that aspire to lead. Regardless I will continue to learn from people and discover those moments that will be catalysts for further professional growth and improvement.

Who are the people and what moments have defined you as an educator and/or leader?

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series: Opportunity

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 29 Desember 2013 0 komentar

This post is the seventh and last in a series that outlines the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the past couple of weeks I have introduced what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professional practice. My book will focus on each of these elements as part of a change process. It will illustrate them in action through the work of practitioners and provide implementation strategies. To view the entire series click HERE.

Pillar #7 - Opportunity

The interconnectedness of the Pillars of Digital Leadership leads to continuous improvements in school culture and professional practice. As leaders begin to craft a strategy that incorporates social media and digital tools, the shifts and changes in behavior inherent in each of the six previously discussed pillars begin to take shape. Transparency through the use of social media breeds attention to programs, initiatives, and leadership style. Good news travels fast, and social media transmit the news to numerous stakeholders who are embedded in these spaces. This attention eventually leads to numerous opportunities in the form of strategic partnerships, authentic learning experiences for students, professional development, school and professional recognition, and educational technology.

Image credi: http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisperry/2012/05/09/how-to-cure-social-media-paralysis/

Chapter 11 will introduce readers to Robert Dillon and the work that he has done to forge strategic partnerships with an array of stakeholders to provide learning opportunities for his students. This chapter will also provide numerous examples of how I have leveraged social media to discover opportunities for the New Milford High School community as well as myself professionally. The possibilities are endless as digital leaders become more connected, engage in conversations about professional practice, and share the innovative work taking place in their buildings.

As leaders adopt and embrace the Pillars of Digital Leadership, numerous opportunities will arise in an array of areas that positively impact school culture and professional practice. By leveraging social media, leaders can share school and professional successes, build strategic partnerships, present work to a wide array of audiences, and discover authentic learning experiences for students and staff alike. All of this can be done in a relatively cost-effective fashion while improving all facets of education. These opportunities will build a greater sense of community pride in the innovative work being done in education. Once understood and embraced, the Pillars of Digital Leadership will continue to work in concert with each other to bring opportunities now and in the future.

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series: Rethinking Learning Spaces and Environments

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 22 Desember 2013 0 komentar

This post is the sixth in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professional practice. My book will focus on each of these elements as part of a change process. It will illustrate them in action through the work of practitioners and provide implementation strategies. To view the entire series click HERE.

Pillar #6 - Rethinking Learning Spaces and Environments

Digital leadership looks at societal trends as inspirational elements and potential catalysts for change in the structure of the schools themselves as well as the designs of programs. It is a call to action challenging leaders to critically reflect on the learning spaces and environments that embody a school. Do they meet the needs to learners today? Do they foster and inspire creativity, provide flexible opportunities to learn, and address unique and specific interests? Are they reminiscent of what students will expect in today’s world? I will be the first one to admit that the learning environments and spaces at New Milford High School looked nothing like this prior to 2009. Our goal now is to try our best to create a physical space and overall environment that offers flexibility, choice, and tools that our learners will experience upon graduation. With the pedagogical shifts outlined in the last post in this series our success will be determined by the transformation of learning spaces and environments that support these instructional changes.

Clark Hall at GAHANNA LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL (Columbus, OH)

Digital leadership drives school leaders to look past traditional constructs and incorporate trends embraced by Fortune 500 companies to transform learning spaces and environments. When energy and time are spent in this area, school will not only authentically engage students, but also better prepare them for success in today’s dynamic society. The end result will be opening the door to learning while creating global scholars. Chapter 10 of my book provides leaders with a look into how Principal Dwight CARTER spearheaded such change to create Clark Hall, a model for how schools should function and be structured in the Digital Age. Dwight provides invaluable insight on the journey and processes involved to create an environment that students and teachers alike want to be a part of. Schools today need to focus on creating environments and spaces that:

provide an open, bright, and flexible space for learning
provide student choice
integrate technology to engage students
are flexible with time to focus on learning
provide students with the opportunities to express their natural creativity
utilize teachers as facilitators
promote interdisciplinary and interconnected projects
make learning fun

Digital leaders develop a vision and strategic plan to create schools that engage and drive learning. Thanks to social media and the real-time Internet we all have access to design elements and ideas to transform schools into institutions where students use real-world tools to do real-world work. This is were the foundation was laid for the evolving Makerspace at NMHS. In addition to the successes that Dwight has had in this area the rest of the chapter will look at how schools can create their own Academies as well as create pathways to individualize and personalize learning for all students. How have you worked to redesign learning spaces and environments at in your respective district or school?

If you have any specific questions in regards to the Academies @ NMHS, IOCS, or our Makerspace (hyperlinks in the above paragraph) feel free to reach out to me.

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series: Student Engagement and Learning

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 15 Desember 2013 0 komentar

This post is the fifth in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professional practice. My book will focus on each of these elements as part of a change process. It will illustrate them in action through the work of practitioners and provide implementation strategies. To view the entire series click HERE.

Pillar #5: Student Engagement and Learning

Many of us firmly believe in technology’s potential to transform the teaching and learning cultures of schools. Whether it is used to enhance lessons, assess learning, engage students, or unleash creativity, technology has a defined role in a variety of school functions. Many schools and leaders still treat education as an effort to prepare students for a world that no longer exists, one in which technology is viewed as either a frill, distraction, or a non-factor in improving student achievement. For many students, school does not reflect real life. This results in various levels of disengagement during the teaching and learning process. The question then becomes, how do we move those schools that are the most irrelevant in terms of meeting the diverse learning needs of their students to begin the transformation process? This is pivotal if we are to truly begin to reform education in a way that is meaningful to our students. It all begins with leadership, whether at the district, building, or classroom level.

NMHS students using Chromebooks and Socrative

Our students want to be creative, collaborate, utilize technology for learning, connect with their peers in other countries, understand the messages that media convey, and solve real-world problems. Schools and systems of education that do not embrace digital learning and place a high emphasis on standardization will always fail to resonate with our students. It only makes sense to harness the power of technology as a catalyst for authentic engagement and application of concepts among our learners. If schools allow students to use the digital-age tools that they are using on a routine basis outside their walls, chances are they will find more relevancy and meaning in what they are learning.

Digital leadership is a mindset and a call to transform a school’s culture into one that unleashes the creativity of students so they can create artifacts of learning that demonstrate conceptual mastery. It is about providing learners with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in college, careers, and jobs that have not even been created yet. This is accomplished by allowing students to use real-world tools to apply what they have learned and construct new knowledge. By focusing on how specific technologies can be used to engage students, digital leaders are establishing a foundation for learning that will lead to eventual increases in student achievement. This becomes a reality when school cultures are transformed to meet and anticipate the needs of learners in the Digital Age. Chapter 9 showcases the work of Patrick Larkin and teachers at New Milford High School who have become change agents in this area. It provides leaders with the foundational elements to successfully implement digital learning across the curriculum.

It is crucial that sound pedagogical techniques and best practices are emphasized in order to effectively integrate technology to enhance teaching and learning. One of the most important questions a leader needs to answer is how the students are using technology to apply learning and demonstrate conceptual mastery. Students must always be at the center of this process. All too often technology is infused into the learning environment where the teacher is still employing a direct approach to instruction. Are you leading change in this area or abiding by the status quo?

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series: Professional Growth

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 08 Desember 2013 0 komentar

This post is the fourth in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professional practice. My book will focus on each of these elements as part of a change process. It will illustrate them in action through the work of practitioners and provide implementation strategies. To view the entire series click HERE.

Pillar #4: Professional Growth

Opportunities to grow professionally are pivotal to leaders in the digital age. However, the mounting pressure from ridiculous mandates as a result of the current education reform movement and massive budget cuts across the country, have made it a challenge to learn through traditional pathways. Without funding, many districts no longer allow leaders to travel to national/state conferences or even attend local workshops. It is a shame that the growth of leaders, and all educators for that matter, is a trivial concern to districts and so called reformers, unless it is solely related to the Common Core, PARCC, SGO’s (in NJ at least), or a teacher/principal evaluation tool. These are not the meaningful, rich, and relevant learning opportunities that leaders of today’s schools deserve or yearn for.

Image credit: http://www.edudemic.com/build-personal-learning-network/

The ever-increasing mandates at the state level impacting evaluation and curricular alignment to the Common Core have taken their toll as well. To put it bluntly, leaders feel that they either do not have, or cannot find, the time to attend professional learning opportunities due to this tsunami of work that comes at the sacrifice of meaningful growth and development. The pressure from education reform mandates is so intense that many leaders don’t even think twice about missing a day of school to learn as he/she is always thinking about the observations that could get done or the piles of paperwork that will be waiting upon their return. Leaders should never feel that their learning and growth comes at the expense of mandates and directives that are not in line with a vision for preparing students to succeed in a digital world.

Fortunately digital leaders are not at the mercy of budget cuts or taking professional days to learn and get better. They still can, but now have the ability to save time and money by harnessing the power of social media to learn anytime, anywhere, and from anyone they choose. They are able to follow their specific learning passions by connecting with like-minded individuals. A connected learning model is empowering and ultimately creates a human-generated search engine for the most practical ideas and strategies being implemented in schools today.

Using the work of Lyn Hilt as a model, Chapter 8 will provide leaders with the knowledge and tools to create their own Personal Learning Network (PLN). A PLN provides leaders with resources, knowledge, feedback, advice, support, friendships, and is a catalyst for self-directed learning. The ability and ease to now engage in conversations with like-minded practitioners and world-renowned experts provides a meaningful and differentiated model for growth to improve professional practice. For me, I love being able to ask a question on Twitter and then return hours later with an array of responses from all over the world. I also love being able to filter content based on my interests from a variety of information sources to one convenient location.

Digital leaders seize the opportunity to grow and learn like never before through a connected model of leadership. To begin this journey check out some of these wonderful blogs that I highly recommend every educator read and follow:

Another great way to start is to join the Leadership 3.0 community at edWeb for free. Now more than ever leaders need to take control of their learning. How have you gone about creating your own PLN? What advice would you give to those leaders who are looking to begin this process?

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series - Branding

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 01 Desember 2013 0 komentar

This post is the third in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professional practice. My book will focus on each of these elements as part of a change process. It will illustrate them in action through the work of practitioners and provide implementation strategies. To view the entire series click HERE.

For this post I decided to turn to Trish Rubin, my education branding expert whose work and insight I highlight in Chapter 7 of my book. Below are her thoughts on the importance of branding in education. She has coined the term BrandEd as a means to impart the importance of leaders to establish a positive brand presence. This specific chapter of the book will look at the role of social media in this process.

Pillar #3 - Branding

Today's school digital leaders get excited about bringing business tools into their school organization. What I call being a BrandED leader is one foundational way to enrich school management in a digital age. Branding is a tool that has been part of strategic business plans for years. Brand attracts attention and influences audiences. A school brand needs to be positive and crafted to convey purpose. Bringing the process of BrandED thinking into the school's plan transforms and energizes.

Image credit: http://blog.creatinemarketing.com/blog/bid/181385/Do-You-Need-a-Social-Media-Education-to-Execute-A-Social-Strategy

A school leader can create a more connected community by leading the charge to develop a school brand. Private school and college leaders have used brand thinking for years to message their faithful communities. They know the value of a clearly communicated school brand and have benefited from the support of a well-defined brand in political and economic ways. Bringing this thinking into your role as a leader isn't just about style, it's about substance. A strong Brand identity leads to better communication and influence, and in our digital world, influence can be gained at the stroke of a keyboard. Lead your stakeholders to purposefully create a deep identity for your school that uniquely defines the character of the institution.

It’s a do it yourself world, and you can do this without a Madison Avenue advertising firm. Building a school brand is a serious element of school business. In our noisy digital world, clearly communicated identity is the key to the positioning of your school’s consistent positive presence. A brand benefits a school's profile and even its purse! Lead your school to BrandED success by identifying the “ROO” (Return on Objective) that brand brings. Lay out a short plan involving all stakeholders to build the unique school identity. Start by defining your own personal brand as you lead the process. Be open about the shift to brand thinking. Explain why you are investing in educational brand.

Schools must clearly communicate a consistent brand message to their stakeholders to reach standards. This can be done using myriad communication channels, in real time and online. Your school brand may even come down to one word. Making a Brand facilitation plan is your first ROO target as a BrandED leader. Reputation management of any product or service is key to keeping faith with a loyal audience and brand is about trust and reputation. Build a BrandED identity, and then set the next ROO: share that identity in a busy information age. Successful BrandED schools are proactive, despite the pressure of the daily digital scrutiny of their audiences. A strong brand grounds communication in what matters most to the school. Positioning a school for success starts with a leader's confident steps toward a BrandEd plan.

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series: Public Relations

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 24 November 2013 0 komentar

This post is the second in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professional practice. My book will focus on each of these elements as part of a change process. It will illustrate them in action through the work of practitioners and provide implementation strategies. To view the entire series click HERE.

Pillar #2 - Public Relations

If you don’t tell your story someone else will. More often than not, when someone else tells your story, nine out of ten times, it is one that you don’t want told. This is the reality for virtually every school leader. In the past I feared and dreaded the roll of public relations as the typical situation played out time and time again. No matter how much progress we made, or success we experienced, it was always that one negative story that would dominate the media coverage and sway public opinion. I can vividly remember each news situation that completely blew things out of proportion and greatly distracted from the meaningful and significant work that was occurring on a daily basis.

Image credit: http://smp4u.wordpress.com/author/jessicafelicekamm/

There is a fundamental problem with the mainstream media when it comes to public relations. That problem is that they are a business. In order to generate business they must create and promote stories that capture the attentions of their intended audience. Make no mistake about it, the media wants and needs to make money. When it comes to education the most controversial and negative stories are the ones that attract viewers and in turn generate revenue. I don't know about you, but I grew quite resentful of the media in the past as they would be so quick to call my office to comment on a negative situation, but would not give me the time of day when I had a positive story for them to cover. Sound familiar?

Thankfully this all changed in late 2009 as I discovered the power and value of using social media as a public relations tool. I began to generate our own news related to New Milford High School and quickly learned of the many tools available that could be used at anytime from anywhere to tell our story. In essence, I became the storyteller-in-chief. As a result of the innovative work my students and teachers were engaged in, I discovered that there was an abundance of newsworthy content that my stakeholders craved. Instead of reaching out to the media to cover these stories, we in essence became the media using mainstream tools such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. As social media has evolved so too has our public relations strategy as we are now integrating Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr to tell our story.

The end result is that the media now comes to us and/or follows our social media channels to capture our story. Since taking control of our public relations at NMHS in 2009, the NYC, CBS, and NBC affiliates as well as USA Today, USA Weekend, Education Week, and Scholastic Administrator have all reported on positive news stories. I have literally lost count of additional media coverage, as it has become the norm. It has also led to the establishment of professional relationships with reporters who want to tell accurate and positive stories about innovative schools.

Chapter 6 in my book takes a detailed look at how digital leaders leverage available social media tools to enhance public relations. It places an emphasis on the work of John Carver and how he has become a public relations juggernaut for two different districts in Iowa. It also breaks down the strategies and tools that I use on behalf of my school to tell our story. Community and transparency are the bedrocks of public relations in the digital age. This fact makes social media a natural fit.

How are you using social media for public relations?

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series – Communication

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 17 November 2013 0 komentar

This post is the first in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professional practice. My book will focus on each of these elements as part of a change process. It will illustrate them in action through the work of practitioners and provide implementation strategies.

Pillar #1 - Communication

If you were to look at the many characteristics that great leaders share, effective communication would be at the top of the list. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. were great leaders who could transfer a message like no other. Each was able to achieve success in part due to his ability to effectively communicate. You would be hard pressed to identify an effective leader who was a poor communicator. Communication serves to provide information, convey our vision, lay out the elements of a strategic plan, promote values, motivate stakeholders, and quell perceptions that are not accurate. It is an art that combines inter and intra-personal skills with mediums to amplify an intended message. The art of communication has not changed, but the tools that we have at our disposal to deliver our message has.

Image credit: http://juntaedelane.com/category/articles/articles-articles/marketing-research/

As society has evolved, the way in which the world communicates and interacts has as well. Digital leaders understand that technology provides a variety of pathways to initiate two-way communication with stakeholders. Traditional means, such as newsletters and email, no longer suffice as cornerstones to a communications strategy. Digital leaders seize upon the opportunity presented by digital tools (i.e. social media, mobile apps, video conferencing) to meet stakeholders where they are in order to convey a message and elicit feedback on initiatives. In a world where access to and consummation of real-time information is the norm, digital leaders adapt their strategy to become more effective communicators.

This is not to say that traditional means are no longer important elements of an effective communications plan. They are, but digital leaders understand that the rise of mobile devices in particular has dramatically changed the way that stakeholders receive and access information. The most effective communicators in society today are those that continue to develop and refine traditional means while leveraging digital tools to have a more profound impact. Whether you are a principal, superintendent, or teacher improving how you communicate plays a role in your success as an educator.

Chapter 5 in my book takes a critical look at how digital leaders communicate. It places an emphasis on the work of Joe Mazza and how he has increased community engagement through a variety of communication strategies involving technology. After reading this chapter any educator regardless of his/her role will have a collection of tools, strategies, and ideas to take his/her communications to the next level. Digital leaders use technology to engage stakeholders in conversations. These conversations become the building blocks to create and support meaningful relationships based on the positive messages embedded in our communications. To put it simply, without effective communication, there’s not effective leadership.

How have you changed your communications strategy in the digital age?

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Leading in the Digital Age

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 10 November 2013 0 komentar

I am very excited about my upcoming book titled “Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times” which will be published by Corwin Press. The entire book looks at leadership through the lens of practitioners in the digital age. Effective leadership is extremely important in any system, but it is even more imperative in schools if we are to provide all learners with a world-class education. This education has to be relevant, meaningful, and applicable. At New Milford High School, we have been working for the past four years to transform our culture to one that is primed for student engagement, learning, and achievement. It is my hope that this book will provide a framework for other educators to begin the change process that will ultimately lead to transformation.

Image credit: https://research.usc.edu/usc-symposium-on-digital-media-research-education-and-innovation/

So how would one define digital leadership? I think it is important to first look at the concept of leadership in general. Wikipedia defines leadership as a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Kevin Kruse defines it as a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal. Both of these definitions highlight the importance of social influence. This leads me to ascertain that social media can be an invaluable tool that educators can harness to move schools, learning, and the profession forward.

Leadership is no different today than it was years ago. The only difference is that style and focus need to change with the times if we are to accomplish the lofty task of preparing students for a dynamic world that is more social and connected as a result of technology. Leading in a way that supports the status quo, standardization, outdated practices, and misconceptions related to technology, not only does a disservice to our students, but also renders our schools and profession as irrelevant.

Digital leadership takes into account recent changes such as ubiquitous connectivity, open-source technology, mobile devices, and personalization. It represents a dramatic shift from how schools have been run and structured for over a century, as what started out as a personal use of technology has become systemic to every facet of leadership. Digital leadership can thus be defined as establishing direction, influencing others, and initiating sustainable change through the access to information, and establishing relationships in order to anticipate changes pivotal to school success in the future. It requires a dynamic combination of mindset, behaviors, and skills that are employed to change and/or enhance school culture through the assistance of technology.

The basic tenets of leadership are still valuable and needed for our schools to succeed. However, the changing times as well as society’s reliance on technology demand an evolution of leadership practices to create schools that our learners deserve, and need, to succeed in today's world. It all begins with trust. Digital leaders must give up control and trust students and teachers to use real-world tools to unleash creativity and a passion for learning. The time is now, whether you are a building level or teacher leader, to boldly move schools forward in the digital age. What have you done and/or changed to become a digital leader? Where did you begin? How have things changed since this shift?

For those looking to begin this journey or take your work to the next level please check out my book that will be out this January. You can pre-order now and it will be available for Kindle about a week after it has been published. The forward was written by Yong Zhao and the book itself has been endorsed by some of today's most prominent thought-leaders.

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