Technology’s Role in Curriculum and Differentiation

The integration of technology throughout the curriculum is important to meet the needs of all learners of the 21^st century. Technology can assist teachers with the delivery of lessons and assessing students. It can also provide students with numerous ways to demonstrate their learning, increase engagement in the learning process, and help to meet the many learning needs of students within a classroom. Because technology changes so quickly, it is difficult to identify expectations of specific sites, hardware, or software that should be included in the written, taught, and tested curriculum, but I will provide examples of technology as it exists today.

Written: In my previous experience with curriculum writing, technology has been saved for the end of the writing cycle — if there is time. Technology should not only be considered, integrated, and included into the curriculum throughout the process; technology should also be used in the creation of the curriculum itself. Textbooks with CDs or online components are not enough! Some districts utilize curriculum mapping software, such as Rubicon Atlas, but even putting the curriculum into a course management software like Moodle can provide access to all and reinforce the idea that the curriculum is a living document with tweaks, additions, and refinements encouraged. The utilization of this kind of electronic form for a curriculum also allows for the inclusion of multimedia such as videos or suggested sites for use in the classroom and videos showing how to implement a strategy or to highlight best practice. Examples of multimedia or electronic projects can also be included.

Taught: Technology should also be present in the teaching of the curriculum. The written curriculum should encourage teachers to be co-learners or guides rather than the sole dispenser of knowledge with the students as the vessels to be filled. Even more traditional lessons can be enhanced with technology. The curriculum can indicate that the teacher use a document camera to project an article, book, or picture and offer suggestions on how to use the included software to take a photo or write on the image as the students discuss. This style of lesson presentation can reach different learning styles and add interactivity. Interactive whiteboards can improve student engagement and motivate students. They also allow students to engage with content in ways not always possible. The inclusion of a simulation where students can drag the continents into place like puzzle pieces to demonstrate the theory of Pangea. The use of multimedia in lessons provides an engaging, multisensory way for students to learn about a topic or demonstrate their learning. Videos can be teacher/student created using applications like iMovie or the website Animoto, or they can be professionally created like those found on Discovery Ed Streaming or BrainPOP. The activities for students should include opportunities for students to collaborate using tools like wikis, Google Apps for Education, or Etherpad. It should also allow students to interact with the ideas of others, either across the globe or within the same classroom. Blogs, VoiceThreads, chatrooms for backchanneling, and Skype can facilitate these connections. Technology can provide students with experiences they couldn’t otherwise have: Skyping with an expert on a topic and watching a live uStream of a talk/presentation are two examples.

Tested: The use of technology as an assessment tool is efficient for teachers and can be motivating for students; therefore it is an important component of curriculum. There are many handheld voting systems available from those that simply have multiple-choice input capability to those that can text numbers, words, and full sentences. Even cell phones can be used for voting devices. These voters and online “testing sites”, like Quia, can streamline assessment processes for teachers so they can quickly access data and use it to inform their instruction and meet the diverse needs of their students. Using technology like Google Forms to pretest students can provide teachers with data for grouping students for the coming unit. Providing students with different ways to demonstrate their learning through the use of project menus and tiered projects that include technology choices helps meet the multiple intelligences students possess. Finally, asking students to reflect on their learning in the form of blogs, online forums, or digital portfolios can provide a timeline of growth and feedback from teachers, parents, and peers.

Differentiation: Technology can be used to promote differentiation for all learners, yet one must be careful not to confuse computer applications of leveled skills practice with true differentiation. Here are some examples of how technology can facilitate differentiation with regard to content, process, and product.

Content

• The internet can provide teachers with numerous resources at different reading levels

• Students can interact with course materials in different ways not possible with print media alone. (i.e. hear a book read aloud, see a visual over and over, manipulate objects to see their reaction)

Process

• Teacher created content or online content can provide the opportunity for students to review of material as often as desired (i.e. podcasts, Quia, recorded lessons from an interactive whiteboard)

• Assistive technology may allow students access to or the ability to participate in activities not possible without the technology (i.e. text to speech, dictation software, Kurzweil software)

• Web 2.0 tools provide ways for students to collaborate and interact with classmates and people around the world. (i.e. blogs, wikis, VoiceThread, Google Docs, Etherpad, Skype)

Product

• Project menus or tiered projects that include technology allow students of the 21^st century to demonstrate their understanding in a mode that may be most comfortable for them (i.e. blogs, multimedia – iMovie, Animoto, VoiceThread, Comic Life, animation)

• Technology projects can allow students to develop and demonstrate their creativity and innovation skills (i.e. Scratch, animation)

Image credits: written: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27315689@N00/749315946/ taught: http://www.flickr.com/photos/19518517@N00/3278616743/  tested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/83955435@N00/7340103/

Curriculum Theory: Reflection 1

Help ALL students reach their full potential

My philosophy of education describes school as a place where children are a part of a community of learners and their individual academic and emotional needs are met so they may become independent learners. This is similar to what Leonard C. Burrello states on page 16 of Educating All Students Together: How School Leaders Create Unified Systems. Burrello says, “…we (need to) educate all students to levels of excellence that sustain both their personal growth and our social fabric.”

It is not what you teach, but how it is taught

Based upon my belief of this purpose of school, the curricula should be integrated, authentic, and teach children HOW to learn while encouraging creativity, innovation, collaboration, and problem solving. What is taught is not as important as the classroom environment and pedagogy. Therefore, a quality curriculum is only as strong as its implementation. At this point in education, schools must still answer to the accountability of state testing, but that does not mean that content cannot be taught in an integrated way. Students need hands-on experiences and the skills to communicate effectively. This includes the ability to communicate in writing, both digitally and on paper, and skills to navigate the complexity of communicating to a worldwide audience (aka digital citizenship).

What is best for students today may look different tomorrow

The curriculum should reflect the learners, values, and needs of the population it will serve. As stated in Peter F. Oliva’s Ten General Axioms of Curriculum Development, “Curriculum development is an ongoing process.” Oliva goes on to describe curriculum development as “a cooperative group activity”, “systematic”, and “(most) effective if it is a comprehensive process, rather than piecemeal”. This illustrates the point that “doing what we have always done” is not acceptable in schools today and educators must become active participants in making changes to their curriculum at the district and classroom level.

Meeting the needs of today’s learners

Throughout my work of training our district K-8 teachers how to integrate technology into the teaching and learning process, I model what I feel is best practice for teaching. I learn about the needs of my learners and work to differentiate the learning to meet their needs. I provide as much hands-on learning as possible and allow time for teachers to experiment, collaborate, and work on projects. I model “teacher as learner” by allowing my students, our district teachers, to demonstrate their learning and “show me something new”. I also readily admit when I do not know something and see if someone else does know the answer. My session participants are encouraged to share what they have done or plan on doing. I work to create a community of learners that will last beyond our time together by providing online forums, email follow up, or a common “share folder”. I help teachers find connections between software applications, online projects, district curriculum, and the needs of their students.

A work in progress

While there is much success to be celebrated within my district, we still have room to grow. Our learners change and we, as educators, learn more about the needs of our 21^st century learners. We realize that lifelong learning is not just something we want to foster in our students, but a skill to help us be the best educators we can be.

Clinical Observation Post Conference Reflection

What strengths and/or improvement areas did you notice about the environment and tone of the post-observation?

The environment and tone of the post observation conference was conducive to a nondirective supervisory approach. This is evident in the non-threatening environment of meeting in the teacher’s classroom. Throughout the conference the tone was warm, professional, yet friendly. Both teacher and observer were smiling and leaning forward during the conference and maintained eye contact. The observer often nodded in agreement as the teacher spoke, but it should be cautioned that this does not become trite or signal that the lack of nodding denotes disagreement with what is being said. The observer did not specifically ask questions, but instead open-ended prompts were used to guide the teacher in her self-reflection. Sometimes it is difficult to allow silence in a conversation; however, during the post-observation conference, the observer did a nice job of not trying to fill silences. This allowed the teacher to continue her reflection. The observer’s comments and prompts were well timed allowing appropriate wait time for the teacher to respond.

What strengths and/or improvement areas did you notice in the conference about strategies to improve instruction?

The observer chose to use a nondirective approach, which was well suited to the teacher’s self-reflective nature, she always trying to improve and learn. The observer did not use student names when discussing students and at times she needed the teacher to clarify exactly which student was which. This situation could be remedied with nametags at the student’s seats or to ask for a seating chart in advance of future observations. Throughout the conference, the observer consulted her notes to substantiate the teacher’s comments. Through the use of open-ended prompts, the observer was skilled at leading the teacher through a self-reflective journey. This resulted in the teacher determining her areas of growth.

In the conference, which behavior did you seem to predominantly use?  Do you think this was an appropriate approach given the developmental level of the teacher? Briefly explain

The predominant behavior exhibited by the observer was listening. This was an appropriate approach for this teacher. She is an eager, enthusiastic teacher who loves to learn. She is a reflective teacher who is always looking to improve. The teacher is also quite gregarious. As a result it is easy for her to verbalize her thoughts and concerns. Because of these qualities, the observer thought she might need to encourage the teacher; that she might be too critical of herself, however this was not the case. The decision on the part of the observer to lead a nondirective conference not only fit well with the personality of this teacher, but also fit with the district evaluation philosophy of teacher reflection.

Elementary Classroom Arrangements

Surveying the schools to look at the arrangement of the classrooms was an interesting experience. I walked around the 3 elementary buildings before school, at lunch time, and after school so as not to disturb students. As I popped into the classrooms, teachers enjoyed talking to me about how they set up their classroom and their thoughts behind the design. Some were trying new arrangements based on the district professional development this summer on the new literacy program. Other teachers talked about how they had set up their room a certain way “for the beginning of the year”, but would be changing things around as the year progressed and as certain activities would dictate.

Because of the small class sizes, 16-20 students, teachers can easily create room arrangements that allow for a natural traffic flow and easy movement for students and adults alike. All elementary classrooms have an instructional assistant for half of the day. As a result, there are two teacher desks in some classrooms to create personal work spaces for the teacher and the assistant. In some classrooms, the teacher has chosen not to utilize a desk and she works at a table instead. In a few classrooms, the adults share a desk.

All classrooms were warm, welcoming, cheerful and had areas for small group work, whole class instruction, less structured space, and locations for supplies and books. Bulletin boards were colorful and reflected classroom routines, special traditions, units of study, or student work. Teachers all utilized non-bulletin board display space by hanging clotheslines or displays on the wall of windows. Many teachers included ‘homey’ touches like lamps, curtains, additional rugs over the carpeting, and upholstered furniture.

As a result of the district’s new literacy model and the professional development on literacy this summer, room arrangements reflect this influence. Most every classroom had a half-moon shaped table which allows for a teacher and about six students to sit comfortably. This set up is especially beneficial for small group work like guided reading groups. A noticeable edition is the appearance of Literacy Living Rooms. As the name implies, couches, rugs, and pillows are arranged for students to gather to read, write, or discuss. The Literacy Living Room is usually large enough for the entire class to gather and is used frequently throughout the day. Some Literacy Living Rooms are nestled into a corner of the room while some are front and center. When asked about the placement of their “living rooms”, most teachers reported the placement was a matter of space. (see slideshow)

Interactive whiteboards were installed in the fifth grade classrooms over the summer. In some classrooms this shifted the instructional focus from the whiteboard in the front of the room to the interactive whiteboard installed in the back or on the side of the classroom. As a result, these teachers needed to rethink student desk placement. Some teachers were uncertain about how often they would use the interactive whiteboard, but as of this writing,  just shy of two months into the school year, teachers report that the interactive whiteboard is the primary focus for whole group instruction.

In most first through fifth grade classrooms the students each have their own desk. In a few classrooms, students work at tables with communal sets of supplies like markers, glue, and pencils within easy reach and textbooks, spirals, and workbooks stacked neatly on shelves at the side of the room. In classrooms where tables are used, teachers report that because the students are rarely sitting in one place for very long, desks aren’t necessary. All student seating arrangements had students seated in groupings. Some teachers chose to create a U-shaped desk arrangement, others had desks arranged as table groups. Even the few classrooms where desks were situated in more traditional rows, students were paired up.

Technology is readily available for teachers and students. All classrooms have at least five desktop or laptop computers. Regardless of the type of computer, they are most often found in a cluster in the back of the classroom. The desktop computers are situated in such a way that the screens can be seen by an adult at all times. Carts of laptops can be found charging in the hallways on each floor of the schools. Teachers can sign-up to utilize the entire cart or just a few of the computers. Students often borrow laptops from nearby classrooms if the mobile cart is unavailable. Students using laptops might be seen sitting at their desks, at a table, on the floor, or in the “living room”.

With regard to classroom arrangement and the supervision of staff, all classrooms provided numerous places for a supervisor to observe from a “good seat”. Depending upon what kind of lesson or activity was being observed, the best location for the supervisor to sit would change. Even if observing small group work, the sight lines for seeing the rest of the class would be good; no large dividers or bookcases would block students from view.

It was thought-provoking to note how classrooms around the district were arranged. It was interesting to notice, even within the same grade level, the variance of classroom arrangements. While some commonalities exist, this exercised proved there are many ways to effectively arrange a classroom based on space, content/curriculum, age of student, style of instruction, and personality/preference of the teacher.

Final Reflection ~ Effective Leadership

One of the ideas I found interesting is the complexity of leadership. Gone are the days of a principal sitting in his office and simply dealing with the naughty children. Today effective educational leaders are much more than disciplinarians and managers of the school budget. The very best are authentic, transformational, strategic planners who work with the students, faculty, parents and the community. Many leaders prefer to adopt a shared leadership model where the principal and staff both contribute to the decision-making and responsibility is shared. For this to be effective, a true collaborative community must be established where established relationships and trust among all exists. Much like DuFour and Eaker’s model of Professional Learning Communities, schools where leadership is shared is are created after much groundwork has been set for teacher (or team) leaders and a there is a commitment to the collaborative process. This model takes time to develop, but once established will reap benefits. Teachers feel empowered and have a voice in the important decisions affecting the school, their students, and the curriculum.

I particularly enjoyed the discussions on effective leadership and what makes a good leader. A concept mentioned by John Gardner listed the release of human potential as a moral aspect of leadership. Certainly teachers try to do this in their classrooms, but to think that it was also part of the role of the principal as the leader of the school was interesting to me. As I thought more about Gardner’s idea, I realized that some of the best administrators I have worked for have worked to release my human potential. One principal in particular nurtured and encouraged my interest in the use of technology in education. He made it possible for me to attend local and national education technology conventions and he encouraged and supported my decision to leave the classroom to become a technology integration specialist when others thought it was a big mistake for me to do so. As a result of his leadership and advice, I have the position of my dreams working with teachers and students to effectively utilize technology in the teaching and learning process.

To further my growth as an effective leader, I have begun to closely watch the administrators in my district to try and identify some of the qualities of effective leaders we have learned about throughout the course. I have also begun to mentally “put myself in their position” and think how I would have handled certain situations. At times I find myself in complete agreement with their actions. Other times, there are differences. My job puts me in a teacher leadership position on a daily basis. As a result of this course, I have tried to “think (and act) like a leader” more frequently. Through my consciousness of effective leadership qualities and the opportunity to observe and participate in many of the activities of an administrator throughout my internship, I know I will deepen my understanding of effective leadership.

School reform is a topic I found to be quite challenging. The concept of putting into effect such a large-scale change that may have numerous opposers is daunting. Meaningful change takes time to implement well. The school reform models examined in this course showed how costly and how much planning is needed to carry out the reform successfully. Before most school reform models can be introduced to the entire staff, careful planning and often much training needs to occur. During this preparation stage, administrators can begin to speak to staff about the reform and supply them with some information to begin to understand how the reform will affect them once implemented. Throughout the process it is certain there will be staff who will resist “yet another change”. As the school leader, a principal must bring along those who oppose the reform and work to channel their energy toward putting the model into practice. Fullan (2000), states that resistance to a new initiative can be highly instructive. Administrators should speak with these staff and learn about their concerns, issues, and thoughts. Sometimes, just having one’s ideas validated can make a huge difference. Or, perhaps there is a significant concern that will help the reform become more successful because teachers are prepared for the issue.

Our district teachers started the 2009-2010 school year faced with many new curricula: reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and Internet safety; not to mention our RtI initiative. Besides the desire to implement best practices in these areas, this extensive change to our literacy curriculum will bring cohesiveness to the practices of all our reading/language arts teachers, which was previously lacking. I witnessed how our superintendent handled this emotionally charged situation with grace. During his official welcome address to all faculty he said:

While we are undergoing a great many changes, please know they are not a result of teachers not doing things well.

The past practices have served our students very well and now we are ready to more forward and do things even better.

He went on to talk about how the teachers will be supported through the process and how much he appreciated that many teachers had participated in training over the summer to learn more about the new curricula. As staff were making their way back to their buildings I heard many remark about the superintendent’s comments. Teachers felt that their hard work was being acknowledged and that it was being recognized just how much was being expected of them. Teachers are still grumbling about the amount of change, but I believe that the superintendent’s comments helped create a sense of community and the feeling that the hard work of all will produce ultimate success for our students.

To further my knowledge of school reform, I am watching closely as my district implements new curricula and as we begin strategic planning and the visioning process. I will be looking to see what is being done, how it is working, and how the administration handles things if they do not seem to be working well. I also would like to investigate school reform successes within district that are demographically similar to my own. Many of the school reforms we looked at were successful for low-achieving, low socioeconomic situations, which do not mirror my district. All districts have areas of improvement, but how that improvement takes place may not be the answer for other districts.

Due to my current position within my district, technology education issues greatly impact my ability as an educational leader in my school and community. As a district technology integration specialist, I work with all staff members to assist them in their use of technology in the teaching and learning process. I am in my third year in this position and when I began, I was new to the district. So I have spent my first two years building trust with a new group of staff members. For those teachers who are more hesitant to use technology, I can represent stress and feelings of inadequacy. I am working hard to break that cycle by building positive relationships with teachers and talking with them as “one teacher to another”, rather than “techie to luddite”. I also am mindful of “just in time” training and resources. When I know a particular grade level is going to be starting a unit on a particular topic, that is when I send out websites and electronic resources that may be helpful, not two months after the unit has been completed with the expectation that the teachers will file the information away for next year. When possible, I partner with other staff, like the library media specialist. The librarians are known and comfortable resource people for most teachers, so if I can work with them or through them, some teachers are less reluctant to try something that seems “techy”. All in all, once a teacher has had a good experience working with me, I am sure to see them another time. I work to make technology integration as painless and as productive as possible for the teacher and worthwhile, engaging, and helpful for the students.

School Culture, Change, & Leadership

School culture either welcomes or shuns change. A positive school culture will nurture the idea that anything is possible. When school reform is presented where there is a shared commitment to helping students learn, staff will be more likely to embrace the reform and state, “We can do it and make it successful!”. If school culture is not compatible with the reform, it will be a more difficult sell. In such an instance, more groundwork will need to be done before the implementation of a reform model will be successful. A school culture where teachers are involved in shared decision-making process will be more successful with school reform; mandated changes are rarely successful.

Supportive administration is critical to a positive school culture and the success of a school reform model. Principals should consider the previous history of change within the district. Is there a history of reforms that have been dropped after a short time? Have there been negative experiences with change in the past? Administrators need to educate staff on best practices based on current research, setting up an understanding for the benefits of an upcoming reform. Connecting a reform model to how the change will benefit students will facilitate the change process as well. Administrators need to model positive and constructive attitudes about any change and encourage everyone to participate.

Recently, I saw a poster that sums up my thoughts on leadership since begining this program:

Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.

Being an effective leader is so much more than the management of staff and the physical plant. Administrators need to be good listeners and have an “open door policy”. They need to establish and nurture positive relationships with staff, students, and the community, and communicate clearly. They must understand the needs of children and keep current on research about teaching best practices. School administrators must understand that there are many leaders within the school and support the leadership of other staff members. They will look beyond the emotions of the teacher who is resisting the latest school reform and will get to the heart of why there is resistance. The effective leader will celebrate approximations of success from staff during times of change. Finally, an administrator, must be trustworthy, fair, and show integrity.

What makes an effective leader?

If I had been asked a month ago what qualities I thought would be important in an effective leader, I think I would have listed characteristics like organization and strong communication skills. While those characteristics are helpful in leadership positions, I realize that a leader in the 21st century is so much more than creating schedules and handling discipline problems. Leaders today are much more than managers. I recognize that there is not one way to be an effective leader. Leaders have different ways of leading their schools. What works for one person or in one school or district won’t necessarily work somewhere else.  I now believe that there are some leadership qualities that cannot be taught or learned; qualities like authenticity, integrity, and savvy. (Fullan p. 136, 143) I realize the importance of shared leadership, that ‘leadership is not found only at the top of an organization”. (Fullan p. 52) Effective leaders do not micro-manage people or details. They delegate carefully and trust that things will turn out fine. Administrators should be “public intellectuals” (Burello p. 182). They should model lifelong learning, risk-taking, and admit they don’t have all the answers. Today’s effective leaders understand the importance of building relationships with staff, parents, community members, and students and acknowledge that without positive relationships trust cannot be fostered and no meaningful work can truly be accomplished.

Some of the characteristics I believe a successful principal must possess are:

• Demonstrate flexibility. Be flexible in regard to problem-solving, dealing with people, and the ability to “switch gears” quickly.
• Be authentic. Be true to your genuine self. Show integrity.
• Communicate accurately and effectively. Develop proficient skills for speaking, writing, and listening effectively.
• Possess strong people skills. Work to understand human behavior and learn to work with all types of people.
• Be the “lead learner in charge”.  Show this publicly; model for students and staff what it means to a lifelong learner

image credit: www.lumaxart.com

Dr. Peter Senge Presentation

Below is a presentation on Dr. Peter M. Senge’s concept of the learning organization and the the fifth discipline. It includes information on the theory’s implications for school administrators and it’s impact on the use of technology in the teaching and learning process. Finally, some criticisms of the theory are discussed.

Transformational Leadership

The term transformational leadership may sound like a person coming in with edicts and ideas to radically change or transform a broken organization. This is not the case; in fact almost the opposite is true. Transformational leaders are those who shun the “top down/linear” approach to management and embrace a more collaborative approach. The administrator takes on the role of facilitator, rather than “the boss with all the answers”. In a transformational leader model, stakeholders take ownership of and support the vision they had a hand in creating. A transformational leader looks at their organization as one that is strongest when all members work together toward a shared vision.

Transformational leadership concepts impact the way an administrator leads a school. Relationships with all stakeholders are key to the success of this model. The vision should be created with input from all and written so as to be attainable and without expectation of perfection. Keeping students as the focus when creating goals and a vision will contribute to the establishment of positive relationships between administration, parents, teachers, and students. An overall culture of interdependency, collaboration, and lifelong learning should be established. The creation of class schedules should allow time for collaboration among teachers during the regular school day. Activities need to be planned to scaffold progress toward the vision for teachers. Transformational leaders will understand that meaningful change takes time. Any progress toward a shared vision should be recognized. The administrator acts as the lead facilitator and advocate for continual improvement as well as the head cheerleader for communicating progress to the community. It is also important for the administrator to seek out the silent dissenters, listen to their concerns and ideas, and help to bring them along with the vision.

Transformational leadership tenets can be useful for administrators when integrating technology with instruction is the goal. “We taught all these years without using technology and we’ve been doing fine.”  “My students are using the Internet to research and type their reports. What more do I need to do?” These are familiar statements made by teachers when the subject of technology integration is discussed. Veteran teachers often feel threatened by the notion that they need to change what they have been doing for years, not to mention that the thought of increasing their use of technology can make them feel vulnerable and embarrassed by their level of expertise. Transformational leadership can be of benefit in these situations. Devising attainable goals with ample time for training, collaboration, and mentoring are benchmarks toward a successful technology integration model. It is difficult for teachers to embrace a vision that states: All classrooms will be 21st century classrooms or something similar. What exactly does this mean? How will we know when it has been achieved? A technology integration goal teachers are more likely to embrace might be: Students will use technology to improve their writing by using collaborative tools and publishing for a worldwide audience. This statement gives specific ideas focused on one area, writing, and is student-focused. It may also help to point out how the use of Web 2.0 tools can increase student engagement, increase teacher productivity, etc. The means to accomplish this may be unclear to some teachers, but through collaboration with colleagues, job-embedded professional development, opportunities to observe the practice of others and time to reflect on their progress, all teachers will make progress toward the achievement of this goal. In a transformative leader model, the idea of teacher as learner is important. Teachers should be striving to learn and grow in their pedagogy; it is just part of the culture. Knowing that perfection is not expected, teachers can grow and learn at their own pace toward achieving the school vision or a technology integration goal.

image credit: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/puzzle1.html

Intial Reflections on JHU Core Beliefs

These are my initial reflections on the Johns Hopkins University Department of Teacher Development and Leadership, Administrative, and Supervisory Programs Core Beliefs:

1. Effective school administrators use technology to manage and promote student learning.

As the instructional leaders of the school, administrators should model the use of technology and champion its use as an essential part of the teaching and learning process. Administrators must be able to guide teachers in the use of technology to promote student achievement. Technology can break down barriers for students with disabilities or learning styles that may not be easily engaged in a more traditional classroom. Technology provides students and teachers with the opportunity for collaboration outside of the classroom walls. It increases student engagement and can offer students a safe environment to take risks. Using technology to collect, manage and understand data is an effective way to plan for differentitation. District leaders should support and encourage innovative uses of technology.

2. Effective school administrators evaluate and appreciate diversity.

Diversity is apparent in all schools among both the staff and the student population. Administrators need to ensure that all members of the school community feel valued and understood. They must be accountable for addressing any kinds of sterotyping or insensitivity to diversity in a timely fashion and problem-solve how to move the organization in a more positive direction. This may necessitate the need for the presentation of information or require program changes.

3. Effective school administrators use assessment data to inform practice.

Assessment data provides quantitative information about students that can be very useful to teachers to inform instruction. Adminstrators need to assist teachers in understanding and interpreting this data. Teachers will also benefit from information about data collection methods, like action research, that can be conducted within the classroom. Additionally, administrators must understand that data scores do not provide a complete picture of what a child knows and is able to do. It is the role of the administrator to help teachers look at their students holistically, and not just as a set of scores. This mindset will best serve each student’s individual needs.

4. Effective school administrators consult research to guide their practice.

Maintaining an awareness of educational research findings is a critical practice for school administrators. Educational research is a benchmark of what is, and is not, best practice in schools today. Research should be reviewed prior to any reform, change, or significant revision to curricula. An effective adminstrator will encourage teachers to explore action research projects within their classrooms to explore strategies and programs that may be of benefit to their students.

5. Effective administrators use varied strategies and models to lead educational institutions.

Much like the concept of differentiation for students, administrators who use varied strategies and models to lead will best meets the needs of all the district stakeholders: parents, community members, students, teachers, and staff. There is no single strategy or model that will fit for all situations. Effective administrators should have a repertoire of successful strategies and models and a sound understanding of which will best fit a given circumstance. Additonally, an effective administrator will recognize when a strategy or model is not working successfully and have the wisdom and resources to make adjustments to move his educational institution forward.

6. Effective school administrators articulate policy and have broad knowledge of systems which impact education.

As an instructional leader for a school or a district, administrators are the leaders with respect to school law, board of education policy, and other systems which may impact education. It is the responsibility of the administration to carry out these policies and laws and to see that teachers and staff are in adherence as well. They must see to it that teachers and staff are informed of and understand policies and laws for which they will be held accountable. Adminstrators must know when action should be taken or when further information is needed. It is not an expectation that adminstrators have all policies committed to memory, but a broad knowledge is crucial.