Module 2 Post

The most effective leader I have ever observed or worked with was one of my mentors while student teaching.  I have mentioned him before.  To be, he is what I would aspire to be.  The year I was student teaching, my PDS school was getting ready for new technology.  The entire school was receiving MAC computers and iPads for all the students.  Many teachers within the school didn't know a lot of the things that can be done on the iPad.  My mentor was one of the teachers who was charged with helping to teach his colleagues how to use the new technologies that would be placed within the school.  I also learned many things about these technologies from him that I had not known previously.  He showed me and the other teachers many new techniques when using iPads, Apple TVs, and other technology, as well as how they could be implemented in the classroom.

When taking the Skills Assessment Quiz, I received a score of 67.  I did not receive a perfect in score in any categories, but my highest were in Emotional Intelligence, Motivating People to Deliver a Vision, and Managing Performance Effectively.  To me, all these tell me that I am very good with connecting with people and driving them towards a goal.  I think these qualities are good for me, especially as a teacher, since this is a large part of my job description.  My lowest score was in Providing a Compelling Vision of the Future.  I do sometimes feel that I have trouble with long-term goals and a long-term vision of what I need to accomplish.  I'm much better figuring out what needs to be accomplish for the day or the week.  Short-term has always been more of my strength, and the long-term is what I need to work on most.

Chapter 3

1.  Connect Peers With Purpose:  Basically, this means that peers need to work together to bring about change.  It is only when the school community works together that change can successfully occur.  This includes not only teachers and learners, but also the administration overseeing the change taking place and supporting it.

2.  Transparency Rules:  This means to share information.  When collecting data, testing new theories or methods of teaching, and implementing new technologies, teachers and leaders should observe each other and share their findings.  By sharing information among each other, conclusions and improvements can be shared among the community, and make change more effective more quickly.

Chapter 4

I don't feel that I agree with a lot of what was said within this chapter in relation to social media.  I think that the use of a school-run Facebook page to transfer information to parents and the community could be very effective.  The key word is, of course, school-run, meaning that someone within the school is fully in charge of what is being published and can manage what may or may not be posted.  I am also okay with the many educational blogging sites that are present.  I have seen several used in the classroom.  These sites, however, are controlled, and not made available to the full public; only those who are included within the class can see what is posted.  Social media extends much farther than blogs and Facebook, though.  Many of the rules in regards to the internet and cell phone policies are in place because of issues that arise with social media.  Cell phones, as well as social media, can be useful tools, but because of many of the risks they can pose, control over what is posted, and who can see it, is necessary.