Well it's a Plan and first stab

Planned Leadership Activity

Introducing Diigo (Web 2.0 research tool) into the learning environment.

Context

The leadership project takes place in a college of further education within a restrictive environment. Students are on a 2 year full time course leading to Foundation degree.

Aim            

The aim of my leadership activity is to encourage the use of web based tools to support collaborative research and reduce the need for printed material. It involves a change in culture and a move away from paper based portfolios. This is a major change which in the longer term could involve, electronic marking, eportfolios and online web 2.0 tools.

This might be too radical for some at the school so it is my intention to introduce one innovation (Web 2.0 tool, Diigo). By encouraging practitioners to identify where it fits into their teaching practice and demonstrating its use with a group of learners it is hoped that it will stimulate further use and exploration of additional tools.

Leadership approach

A transactional approach will enable me to improve existing practices, it relies on collaborative leadership with colleagues in order to encourage a change in working practices of both staff and learners. My role will be to instruct and influence relying on my reputation of being knowledgeable and influential in this area.

Limitations

Tools used must work within the restrictions of the network and barriers to change will need to be overcome.

Some additioanl detail.

Stages of the activity

Stage 1: Introduction to fellow teachers

1. Questionnaire to ascertain current working practices

2. Introduction of the online research tool to staff.

3. Creation of accounts and workgroups.

4. Completion of an ‘individual’ piece of research on a given topic using the tool with fellow teachers.

5. Sharing the online research within the tool opening the activity up to collaboration.

6. Completing the research based activity.

7. Reflecting on the research and possible further uses of the tool from an educators perspective.

8. Together devise an activity that can be used in stage 2 to introduce the tool to learners.

Stage 2: Introduction to learners

9. Questionnaire to ascertain current working practices

10. Introduction of the online research tool to a selected group of students.

11. Creation of accounts and workgroups.

12. Completion of the activity designed in step 8. This should involve group research and collaboration.

13. Completing the research based activity.

14. Reflecting on the research and possible further uses of the tool from a learners perspective.

Stage 3: Evaluation

15. Completing a follow up questionnaire to ascertain the outcomes from the experience of the activity and if working practices are likely to change.

References
Diigo (2011), Web 2.0, bookmarking and annotation tool, [Online] Available from http://www.diigo.com (Accessed 3 January 2011).

Strategic Leadership, North Bedfordshire Federation

The following spray diagram attempts to simplify the North Bedfordshire Federation film, it aims to identify the key themes and points worthy of further discussion within the context of strategic leadership.

The changes taking place within the federation amount to an amalgamation of expertise and a sharing of good practice, whilst also ensuring the schools create a common curriculum.

It was clear throughout that the main aim was to promote student learning and improve performance, Clemence believed quite strongly that schools should not work in isolation. The strategy was to get all three schools that fed into Sharnbrook to work with the same curriculum thereby maintaining the standards of all middle schools within the trust.

A 'powerful guiding coalition' (Kotter 1996) in the shape of John Clemence and Hugh Carr-Archer, were the main drivers steering the change forward and the formation of a working group of head teachers was key to the strategic planning. According to Lavell this created a good working environment in which to share ideas and harmonise key issues. This can be placed quite clearly within the 'Strategy as design' lens, (Johnson et al, 2008) as the working group was utilised to create the logical process and provide strategic direction. However considering how the team based their strategies on the adaption and adjustment of their combined experience there is also evidence of strategies being made based on experience.

Ideally this should have been an evolutionary change bringing about an incremental process instead it was rather rapid seeming more like a revolution. This led to the top down approach because there was insufficient time, although this could be considered a 'time of crisis' necessitating a top down approach (Session 9, Course notes).

It could be said to have failed to ensure that staff were ready and willing to take part in the change (Step 1 Kotter 1996) but this is now in the hands of the respective heads, as one task is to address complaints that the leadership is too top down.

References

Fullan, M. (2007) The New Meaning of Educational Change, 4^th edn, New York, Teachers College Press.

Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy, 8^th edn, Harlow, Pearson Education.

Kotter, J. (1996) Leading Change, Boston, Harvard Business School Press.

The Open University (2008) E856 Educational leadership: context, strategy and collaboration, 'DVD 1: Introduction to the North Bedfordshire Federation', Milton Keynes, The Open University.

The Open University (2011) E856 Educational enquiry, Session 9.2, 'Bottom-up and top-down change' [online], The Open University, http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=617575&section=2 (Accessed 2 January 2012).