Module 1 - Defining Teacher Leadership

      To me, teacher leadership is a teacher who sets an example for others to follow; an individual who not only entices and motivates students and colleagues, but empowers them as well. They become the liaison between students, parents, community, faculty, and administration.  The notion of a leader itself, denotes that there is a collective, participating in a collaborative experience. Part of the responsibility of a leader is to ensure growth of both the collective, as well as the individual. 
 

     I’ve been fortunate in my academic career to have had a number of teacher leaders as mentors. They were often found not only going out of their way to help students, but colleagues, communities, and classrooms. One teacher stands out, a biology teacher from high school. It was the 90s, in rural West Virginia, so computers and technology beyond the floppy disk were relatively new to many of us. Yet she remained a strong advocator of her students incorporating technology into their course work. Once, when some students approached her about the fact that the school lacked any courses in anatomy, she arranged for a satellite course to be provided. She spent countless hours after school working with various groups and committees, would be first in line for a recommendation for a deserving student, and often worked as a spring board to get students in the right direction.

     For technology integration to be meaningful, I believe it requires a participative style of leadership; a constant dialogue between the leader and the collective. The definition of meaningful is it has a useful quality; without the exchange of feedback of some sort, how could it be deemed meaningful? 

     There are a multitude of benefits and challenges of teacher leadership for technology; there are probably quite a number of things that doesn’t even occur to me not having firsthand experience. However, I imagine one of the largest benefits lie within the outcome of successful integration which emerges in the form of student learning. I think one of the largest challenges is the issue of support. Integrating technology often requires monetary resources, but also the time it takes to stay on top of ever changing advancements. I also believe that it needs to be, as much as possible, across the board rather than in pockets of the school or classroom. That requires the majority of the school to be on board with it. That can be a challenge to a leader for various reasons. Another challenge is being able to remain fluid; technology means issues can arise that may temporarily make the technology unavailable and therefore, an unexpected change in plans. 

Chapter 1

 

“Digital learners prefer to access information quickly from multiple-media sources, but many educators prefer slow and controlled release of information from limited sources” (Sheninger, 2014, p. 15).

“Digital learners prefer learning that is relevant, active, instantly useful, and fun, but many educators feel compelled to teach memorization of the content in the curriculum guide”
(Sheninger, 2014, p. 15).

     It is easy for me to fall into the habit of thinking of digital learners as students in K-12 while reading the text; perhaps that is because often course discussions revolve around that age group. However, I too am a digital learner. I fall under the Generation Y category and I’m enrolled in a completely online program. The above quotes very much define part of who I am as a learner. Having information in my pocket or purse means that I can access answers to almost any question I have, from a multitude of sources.  It also means if I can’t find the information I want online, it can help me pinpoint where to find it offline.

     On the flip side of that, I sometimes get information overload and have difficulty navigating through it. There have been times when trying to research something, I come close to completely giving up. Not because I can’t find what I want, but I find too much – too much conflicting information or if I find one thing out, it leads to another, then another, and then. . . Well, you can probably relate. So I understand an educator wanting to rein things in, and dole out the information more systematically.

     I believe the second quote doesn't necessarily restrict itself to digital learners; I think most people desire learning to be applicable, interesting, and fun. I can memorize things fairly efficiently, but unless I can attach it to relevant or interesting, I'm going to lose whatever information I memorized for a test or assignment soon after. If the material is important enough to memorize, then shouldn't it be important enough to find a way to make it useful, interesting, and maybe even entertaining? 

Chapter 2

"The principal must support early adopters and risk takers"
(Sheninger, 2014, p. 43).

"The principal must be an active and public champion for all students, staff members, and the school of implementing a vision of fully integrating learning technology for the second decade of the twenty-first century" 
(Sheninger, 2014, p. 43).

     I chose to highlight these two guidelines because I feel they best illustrate not only getting the ball rolling in implementing technology, but also to keep it going. It is the early adopters and risk takers that are most likely going to have an edge when it comes to advancements in technology, volunteer their time and skills in the implementation of technology, and serve as advocates. 

     Obviously, the implementation of technology can't be done alone; it's important to have a supportive staff and community in order for it to be successful. Additionally, rapidly changing advancements mean that fully integrating learning technology is never a close ended situation; continual and active support is necessary. 

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Cowin.