Module One: Teacher Leadership (VClay)

What is your general definition of teacher leadership? I believe that a leader must not only take action, but also must invoke action from others. I like the Michael Fullan quote from the article “The Many Faces of Leadership” by C. Danielson that states “The litmus test of all leadership is whether it mobilizes people's commitment to putting their energy into actions designed to improve things. It is individual commitment, but above all it is collective mobilization.” (Danielson, 2007) I struggle with this personally, because sometimes I just do my individual action to create change within my classroom but don’t do enough to motivate others to create a positive change within their classrooms. I am hoping this class helps give me ideas and examples to do this.
When I think of leaders I know, I think about the type of person I work well with, which is someone who leads me by inspiring and encouraging me to do and think differently and better. This quote from “The Many Faces of Leadership” from Ms. Danielson best expresses my beliefs:
“Effective teacher leaders are open-minded and respectful of others' views. They display optimism and enthusiasm, confidence and decisiveness. They persevere and do not permit setbacks to derail an important initiative they are pursuing. On the other hand, they are flexible and willing to try a different approach if the first effort runs into roadblocks.” (Danielson, 2007)

What examples of teacher leadership have you observed or experienced?
In September I started working with a group of adult basic educators in the RESA 1 & 4 areas of West Virginia and I see teacher leadership within that group. I have a formal mentor that trained me, but I have several informal mentors who have made sure that I get the nuances of the position. One teacher in particular has taken a leadership role as it relates to technology. We offer a computer literacy certificate in our program, which is very difficult for our students to pass, and this teacher has taken the lead in finding and sharing resources to teach the material. I find this is also the case with the career-awareness component of our program, in which another instructor took the lead in creating a curriculum for the rest of us to follow and/or adapt to our own uses.

Previously to my current position, I worked as an Americorps volunteer and underwent formal community leadership training. There was a difference between community leadership and teacher leadership, but the training they provided in meeting facilitation I have found very useful in my position.

How is leadership for meaningful technology integration different from other kinds of leadership?
I think meaningful technology integration is different because technology is constantly changing.  A key component of leadership in this field is keeping up with the change, evaluating new technologies and innovations for the best fit for education. It is also critical to read and disseminate new research in technology integration.

From your perspective, what are the benefits and the challenges of teacher leadership for technology (for teachers, for students, for schools, for the profession)? The benefits of teacher leadership for technology is that it brings teachers and administrators together so everyone can be on the same page in terms of technology integration in individual schools. A challenge is coming to a consensus about technology integration, and trying to get to a place where technology is used as an everyday learning tool, as opposed to a “special project.” I also think sometimes there is resistance to using technology as a way of learning, and it is hard to convince other teacher, administrators, parents and community members that technology has as big a place in learning as reading and writing. “What a new literacies curriculum says to kids is that it's OK to work in non-print-based media, that their in-school communication can be as limitless as their out-of-school communication.” (Kist 2004) I think the benefit of this approach is partly that it will engage students in their learning. I hope that these types of classrooms are the ones that I find in my community.

Citations:

Kist, W. (2004). the new literacies movement reading and writing in the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/The-New-Literacies-Movement.aspx

Danielson, C. (2007). The many faces of leadership. Educational Leadership, 65(1), 14-19.