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).

Analyzing MB School

Introduction

Having watched the case study it is clear that this was quite a complex case study before trying to address the group work question I created a spray diagram to try and highlight the main points.

The Organisational Context of Margaret Beaufort School
Margaret Beaufort School was a school that was being led by a very loose leadership that lacked direction and appeared not to be moving forward. It was failing students because it never had a suitable means of measuring the success or improvement of its students. Consequently a bad Ofsted report acted as a trigger point for improvement.

An External Factor
A significant factor in this case is the requirement to meet standards set down by Ofsted this combined with much better reports from other schools in the consortium led MB to realise they would be better off joining the consortium after all. It is questionable whether a better Ofsted report would have meant that MB would have remained antonymous, however as the case study unfolds the benefits of joining the consortium become more and more apparent.  

An Internal Factor
A number of internal factors that impact include the loose leadership and poor direction provided by the leadership team. It was also more apparent later on during the change of leadership that a number of staff were both set in their ways and opposed to any form of change. These staff may well have been a significant factor in the schools failings.  

Conclusion
Removing those resistant to change and bringing in a stronger more collaborative leadership team meant that new systems could be put in place. This combined with shared leadership and a renewed sense of ownership has given a clear direction for the school to move in which was seriously lacking. Although the school claimed to want to maintain the Ethos and  Sense of Community at MB they were doing so at the expense of academic achievement. 

First Look at MB School

An interesting mix of problems identified when viewing the course video for the first time I thought it would be interesting to capture the contents in a more visual way.Using Diigo to identify the main quotes from the transcript makes for a quick an efficient way of extracting some details.

First Look at The MB Scenario

A few important quotes.

• the previous Head had a very loose leadership style and it got to the stage where the school was no longer moving forward
• I guess deep down we want to be liked don’t we, you know, it’s a human need.
• And I suppose in a way it’s almost like having tuning dials. And you know there are some days where you have to perhaps have a bit more of an affiliative approach. Then on other days where democracy goes out the window and so on.
• To be an effective, a highly effective leader you’ve got to have systems and structures in place. And to be able to challenge standards, to look at data, to appreciate what it means.
• After the assault on data Mike, Charlotte and senior Federation staff began evaluating the quality of teaching across the school using strict Ofsted criteria.To some the ethos of the school was increasingly under threat.
• In the end the observations were generally positive. Although they uncovered a particular weakness across the school.Staff and pupils aspirations were generally too low.
• But despite the pressures staff are beginning to appreciate the sharper focus.
• Once you work in a school people and children get under your skin. And you have this sort of emotional attachment that you wouldn’t have from a distance.
• We were worried that the emphasis on testing would mean that children would become demoralised. That there wouldn’t be the progression we see now because children just wouldn’t find English as exciting and interesting as they had in the past. I haven’t found that that’s the case.
• The only difference has been that the way that we collect data has to be the same amongst the three schools.
• We’re losing sight of the child that doesn’t do very well at school. We’ve seriously gone back full circle. People don’t really care any more and I don’t think that’s just in our middle school, upper school structure.
• A central factor in Mike’s success has been leadership support and resources from the Federation.
• I don’t think we should be ashamed of the fact that some of the modelling of practice has been on the good practice at other schools.
• As soon as Margaret Beaufort joined the Federation the access to all those support networks was triggered.
• The key challenge is to keep the momentum going.
• You name it, we’ve changed it. And as a consequence, yeah, it’s a bit of a painful process.
• Short term pain for long term gain.
• Mr Lavelle is adamant you have to practice the SATS to do well in them. He is adamant the school needs to do well which is what Ofsted and the government want us to do.
• I and a number of other members of member of staff don’t think that that is so important as the rounded human being growing up. And I just don’t accept that that really is a good all round education. And many children suffer enormously for feeling inadequate, not having any self-esteem or confidence. Because they’re not the level they should be.
• Well it’s about growing up, being part of the community. That’s actually what education and life is all about.
• Mike Lavelle:Distributed leadership is absolutely fundamental. I mean, for example I can’t create the illusion that I’m in two or three schools at the same time.
• In the 18 months since Mike and his management team took over at Margaret Beaufort two thirds of the teaching staff have moved on.
• Fran Vellacott:There is no debate or good wholesome discussion about issues. There’s no discussion. It just happens
• But Mike believes there are opportunities for staff to participate. But only once they fully understand and buy into the management strategy of the schools.

Well I am all set for E856

Unable to make the first online tutorial but thanks to another a recorded elluminate session I was able to get the general idea of the course. One week into the course and as usual the national forum has already become to busy with far too many postings. It tends to set the fear of panic as some students seem way ahead already, I can't believe they are reading all this or they must have far too much time on their hands.

E856 Journal Of Learning Many of the links referred to below are restricted for my own use but nevertheless this should give an idea of how I am organised and setup for online study.

I am finally all organised and have read session 1 and given some thought to my Journal my Symbaloo page is set up I have decided to use an Online Google Document as my Journal to store key points from learning which combined with my Diigo references and blog Postings should form my journal of learning . The forum message feeds have been added to my Google Reader feed and this will make searching and staying informed a lot easier without having to find my way through all the forum messages. Piecing all this together is my MAODE ePortfolio which has grown to be invaluable over the past few years.

I have also added a few additional Google Docs to be used in preparation for the TMAs

TMA01,

TMA02
TMA03

And the Project notes
Guidance Sheet
Project Ideas

Well that's me organised, what ever you are studying this year, Good Luck.

Societal Culture

Activity 2.4

Think of one aspect of your national societal culture and one aspect of your local or community culture. Make notes on the values, rituals, artefacts and symbols that sustain each of them. What behaviours do they appear to support?
My first thoughts on this, it made more sense to splash my ideas on a diagram rather than try and write too much on this. The interesting thing here is I have gone off at a tangent. I may have to revisit this once the activity kicks off, forgive the pun.

Exploring Societal Culture

Onwards and upwards.

H800 draws to a close EMA has been submitted and its time to reflect on what has been a fast and furious course. There was an awful lot of reading and trying to fit it all into a busy life / work schedule has been difficult. I am note sure how well I have managed to cover all the detail in the EMA and part 4 for me became a hard slog but its done and should meet the minimum requirements.

There was certainly a lot of evidence I could use for the  Part A thanks to the superb collaboration within the conference this year. It has been fun sharing ideas with a group of students that have been prepared to share ideas and experiences so freely so a big thanks here. We wrap up with a pyjama party on Google + tuesday night (hopefully I can make this).

I now have a new friend, a reader that has just arrived through the post for my next course. E856 Educational Leadership, this looks a dry course compared to H800 and some of my previous courses but I am looking forward to the course. Interesting how the TMAs all involve group activity in the conference which is one difficulty some of my students have on T215 it certainly might help me get a student perspective. I think I deserve a rest couple of days off before I start getting stuck into the material. But being a technology savvy learner I have just converted the reader and the course material into 'Mobibook' so I can read it on my Blackberry, not as good as an IPad I know. One problem I have had with H800 is getting through the reading and I think having the material on my phone will give me a chance to study in the small gaps during the day. Whereas some of my colleagues choose to have a smoke break or even a game of cards I should be able to top up my reading.