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jessvanorman

infed.org | Peter Senge and the learning organization - 0 views

  • The basic rationale for such organizations is that in situations of rapid change only those that are flexible, adaptive and productive will excel. For this to happen, it is argued, organizations need to ‘discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels’ (ibid.: 4).While all people have the capacity to learn, the structures in which they have to function are often not conducive to reflection and engagement. Furthermore, people may lack the tools and guiding ideas to make sense of the situations they face. Organizations that are continually expanding their capacity to create their future require a fundamental shift of mind among their members.
  • Personal mastery. ‘Organizations learn only through individuals who learn. Individual learning does not guarantee organizational learning. But without it no organizational learning occurs’ (Senge 1990: 139). Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively’ (ibid.: 7). It goes beyond competence and skills, although it involves them. It goes beyond spiritual opening, although it involves spiritual growth (ibid.: 141). Mastery is seen as a special kind of proficiency. It is not about dominance, but rather about calling. Vision is vocation rather than simply just a good idea.
  • But personal mastery is not something you possess. It is a process. It is a lifelong discipline. People with a high level of personal mastery are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence, their growth areas. And they are deeply self-confident. Paradoxical? Only for those who do not see the ‘journey is the reward’. (Senge 1990: 142)
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  • If organizations are to develop a capacity to work with mental models then it will be necessary for people to learn new skills and develop new orientations, and for their to be institutional changes that foster such change. ‘Entrenched mental models… thwart changes that could come from systems thinking’ (ibid.: 203). Moving the organization in the right direction entails working to transcend the sorts of internal politics and game playing that dominate traditional organizations. In other words it means fostering openness (Senge 1990: 273-286). It also involves seeking to distribute business responsibly far more widely while retaining coordination and control. Learning organizations are localized organizations (ibid.: 287-301).
  • it’s the capacity to hold a share picture of the future we seek to create’ (1990: 9). Such a vision has the power to be uplifting – and to encourage experimentation and innovation. Crucially, it is argued, it can also foster a sense of the long-term, something that is fundamental to the ‘fifth discipline’.
  • When there is a genuine vision (as opposed to the all-to-familiar ‘vision statement’), people excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to. But many leaders have personal visions that never get translated into shared visions that galvanize an organization… What has been lacking is a discipline for translating vision into shared vision – not a ‘cookbook’ but a set of principles and guiding practices. The practice of shared vision involves the skills of unearthing shared ‘pictures of the future’ that foster genuine commitment and enrolment rather than compliance. In mastering this discipline, leaders learn the counter-productiveness of trying to dictate a vision, no matter how heartfelt. (Senge 1990: 9)
  • People need to be able to act together. When teams learn together, Peter Senge suggests, not only can there be good results for the organization, members will grow more rapidly than could have occurred otherwise.
  • In a learning organization, leaders are designers, stewards and teachers. They are responsible for building organizations were people continually expand their capabilities to understand complexity, clarify vision, and improve shared mental models – that is they are responsible for learning…. Learning organizations will remain a ‘good idea’… until people take a stand for building such organizations. Taking this stand is the first leadership act, the start of inspiring (literally ‘to breathe life into’) the vision of the learning organization. (Senge 1990: 340)
  • In essence, ‘the leaders’ task is designing the learning processes whereby people throughout the organization can deal productively with the critical issues they face, and develop their mastery in the learning disciplines’ (ibid.: 345).
  • One of the important things to grasp here is that stewardship involves a commitment to, and responsibility for the vision, but it does not mean that the leader owns it. It is not their possession. Leaders are stewards of the vision, their task is to manage it for the benefit of others (hence the subtitle of Block’s book – ‘Choosing service over self-interest’). Leaders learn to see their vision as part of something larger. Purpose stories evolve as they are being told, ‘in fact, they are as a result of being told’ (Senge 1990: 351). Leaders have to learn to listen to other people’s vision and to change their own where necessary. Telling the story in this way allows others to be involved and to help develop a vision that is both individual and shared.
  • By attending to purpose, leaders can cultivate an understanding of what the organization (and its members) are seeking to become. One of the issues here is that leaders often have strengths in one or two of the areas but are unable, for example, to develop systemic understanding. A key to success is being able to conceptualize insights so that they become public knowledge, ‘open to challenge and further improvement’ (ibid.: 356).
  • It is about fostering learning, for everyone. Such leaders help people throughout the organization develop systemic understandings. Accepting this responsibility is the antidote to one of the most common downfalls of otherwise gifted teachers – losing their commitment to the truth. (Senge 1990: 356)
Edith Fogarty

BESchool Technology Integration: Organizing Shared Files in Google Drive - 0 views

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    My Professional Development Project showing teachers who to create folders to facilitate sharing documents in Google Drive.
sfauver

6 tips on implementing new technologies in your organization - 0 views

  • Ask questions and don’t be afraid of the answers. What are competitors, customers, and business partners doing?
    • sfauver
       
      Other barns are using this software
  • Who is being hurt? Identify employees (and groups) this is a problem for and tailor your solution to their unique needs
    • sfauver
       
      This may be harder for less "tech-y" participants to implement
  • How big is the problem? How much money, efficiency, productivity, etc. is in play here? Does it make sense for your organization to implement new technology, or is there a better alternative? What’s the timeframe? Are you under a deadline to get something done, or do you have enough time to adequately test and prepare the right solution?
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  • Here’s a quick checklist to follow:
  • From there, publicize a target timeframe for the tech rollout, and be transparent about it. If there are setbacks, explain what happened and why. Keep employees engaged and up-to-date on what’s happening. Ultimately, this engagement will help you get to the finish line with your goals for this new technology solution. Because if people aren’t positively motivated, even the best new tools won’t be helpful.
  • Finally, it’s important to understand how long an implementation cycle can take. Because of the nature of today’s consumer-led technologies, this is often a process that can take more than a year or longer.
  • For example, you can have the right technology implemented poorly.
  • Or the wrong technology implemented correctly.
  • From your perspective, you’re bringing improvement—saving employees time, allowing them to be more flexible, improving productivity, improving sales and profits, etc. But from employees’ and departments’ point of view, you’re rocking the boat, telling them to change how they’ve always been doing things, give up precious tools, learn and carry around new devices and the like.
sfauver

Convincing Skeptical Employees to Adopt New Technology - 0 views

  • Functionality is critical, but so is user-friendliness. “If your goal is a high adoption rate within the organization, make sure you’re choosing the most approachable, most intuitive system possible,”
  • “economic and rational benefits for the organization and the individual,”
  • familiarity with and interest in digital technology varies widely” among employees, your training efforts should reflect those differences, says Bonnet. Some employees might prefer an online training session; others might need a bit more handholding and support in the form of a personal coach
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  • As soon as reasonably possible, try to “institutionalize” the new technology and “show employees that you are transitioning from the old way of working to the new one,”
  • part of the routine of the way the place works,”
  • “Rewarding the behavior you want to see is much more effective than penalizing the behavior you don’t want to see,” says Mankins. You’ll need to know “which employees are adopting the technology and which kind of rewards means the most to them.”
  • Win hearts and minds by emphasizing how the new technology benefits the organization and makes employees’ lives easier Encourage adoption by rewarding employees in ways that are most meaningful to them Build the new technology into the routines and rhythms of the workday as soon as possibl
  • Pick a technology that’s more complicated than it needs to be; for a swift adoption, select a system that’s approachable and intuitive Overlook the importance of getting your most influential employees on board early in the process; they will help you bring around others Leap to punish employees who don’t use the technology; penalties should be a last resort if incentives and rewards aren’t working
elleneoneil

Using E-Portfolios in the Classroom | Edutopia - 0 views

  • Is student work easily organized by date, course or some other category?
    • elleneoneil
       
      Organization is key because if they can't find what they've put up it's pointless
  • Can students view and comment on each other's work?
    • elleneoneil
       
      Peer review. Maybe in the upper grades and later on in implementation
  • it can be time-consuming and often frustrating to transfer student work to another platform.
    • elleneoneil
       
      Why it's important to try and get everyone streamlined onto the same format.
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  • Potential users must be at least 13 to sign up
    • elleneoneil
       
      Potential Roadblock
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    Using e-portfolios in the classroom, addressing possible needs and possible applications.
Jeffrey Badillo

UDL Guidelines Graphic Organizer | National Center On Universal Design for Learning - 2 views

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    This graphic is also available in PDF format. This graphic organizer of the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines depicts the three main principles of UDL in three color-coded columns with numbered explanations and bulleted examples beneath each principle heading. Principle I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation is shown on the left in dark pink and includes the following: 1.
Eric Telfer

Cushing Academy's Fisher-Watkins Library - 0 views

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    This is the main idea I have about using educational technology in a powerful way within my "organization".
Jill Dawson

The surprising secret of happier, more productive organizations: conflict - Quartz - 0 views

  • Ironically, when you let conflict happen and sometimes encourage it, people get angry and fight with each other—and that makes them happier, because in the end they did difficult, important work that made a difference.
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    This article is not specific to educational leadership, but the focus on conflict in increasing organizational change intrigues me and leaves me wondering about this paradox.
Michael Oquendo

Google Drive and Docs: All About Google Drive and Docs - 0 views

  • Google Docs is a free, web-based application that lets you create, share, and manage documents,
  • Documents: For composing letters, flyers, essays, and other text-based files (similar to Microsoft Word documents) Spreadsheets: For storing and organizing information (similar to Microsoft Excel worksheets) Presentations: For creating and presenting slides (similar to Microsoft PowerPoint slideshows) Forms: For collecting and organizing data Drawings: For creating simple vector graphics or diagrams
  • You can access it anywhere, and it's easy to share and collaborate on docs.
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  • Keep a doc private Share it with a few people Make it public on the Web
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    Page 3.
Jill Dawson

How to Use Schoology Discussions - 0 views

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    This video explains how teachers can organize discussions in Schoology and how to add video content and discussions to a folder.
leahammond

Harvard Education Publishing Group - Home - 0 views

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    "From Math Helper to Community Organizer New longitudinal studies identify key factors in leadership development"
Cally Flickinger

Invention Convention | Every possibility exists in a child's mind. - 0 views

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    This is a national organization that provides a great deal of information and training for educators, families and students for the importance of creativity and imagination and also how to logistically set up Invention Convention in your area. 
pjspurlock

The Hottest Chat App for Teens Is Google Docs - The Atlantic - 0 views

  • As more and more laptops find their way into middle and high schools, educators are using Google Docs to do collaborative exercises and help students follow along with the lesson plan. The students, however, are using it to organize running conversations behind teachers’ backs.
    • pjspurlock
       
      Interesting point! Maybe something we could address in the curriculum and also inform teachers?
  • As more and more laptops find their way into middle and high schools, educators are using Google Docs to do collaborative exercises and help students follow along with the lesson plan. The students, however, are using it to organize running conversations behind teachers’ backs.
jessvanorman

What's Involved in Technology Planning? | ECLKC - 1 views

  • Technology planning is a process. TechSoup has broken it down into seven phases.Establish leadership and support. Assess your resources. Define your needs. Explore solutions. Write the plan. Get funding. Implement the plan.
  • Your organization's technology vision (together with a brief section about the current state of technology in your organization) can take the form of an executive summary. How will technology further your organization's mission? What is your long-range vision for technology use? While this isn't necessarily an essential part of the plan, this section can give an overview of your technology goals as they relate to your organization's mission.
    • pjspurlock
       
      What is the tech vision for GMUHS? How can this apply to us?
  • Taking your hardware and software inventory may be the most well-defined part of technology planning. As a result, you have more options for how to get it done. If someone on staff has even a minimal knowledge of hardware and software vocabulary, you may well be able to do it in-house. Is there someone who knows how to find out the processor speed of a computer?
    • pjspurlock
       
      Is there a better way for us to take inventory of what we have?
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    • jessvanorman
       
      In digging into my district tech plans I found we have not updated ours since 2012! This was shocking to me. This clear timeline of how to write and implement a plan will be very helpful in our writing of a new plan.
  • Whether or not you seek outside help, however, educating your own technology team is crucial to a successful plan. In order to understand the options a consultant presents to you, you need vocabulary and basic concepts. The content areas of TechSoup are a good place to start.
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    This is from the US. Dept of Health and Human Services but talks about, "Technology planning is a process that takes time and resources in order to understand what is appropriate for staff and the organization. Program directors and their management staff may use this resource to further their understanding of what is involved in technology planning." While HeadStart is under this government branch and the terms don't completely line up with education lingo, it makes some great points that ISTE also mention.
cwjohnstone

8 Characteristics of the Innovative Leader - The Principal of Change - 3 views

shared by cwjohnstone on 09 Mar 19 - No Cached
  • As we continue to look at teachers, students, and learning becoming more “innovative”, it is important that leadership changes.  As administrators often set the tone for their district or their building, if they are saying the same, it is not likely that things are going to change in the classroom.  Leadership needs to not only “think” different, but they need to “act” different.
    • jessvanorman
       
      Innovation requires change from the leadership... this seems basic, but it's something I see lacking in a lot of areas of education. The leadership needs to inspire innovation in their building, they need to set the tone!
  •  Innovative leaders help people continuously grow with small steps that build both confidence and competence, so they are more willing to become more innovative themselves.
    • Emily Wood
       
      Scripting the critical moves
    • cwjohnstone
       
      Right on! Nice connection. #Switch
  • “If I was a teacher in this school, what would I expect of my principal?”  That trickled down to trying to empathize with being a student in the school, and a parent in the community.
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  • If leaders want people to try new things, they have to openly show, that they are willing to do the same.
  • we have access to so much information, not only from schools, but from outside organizations.
    • Emily Wood
       
      Ideas are EVERYWHERE! Look beyond just school examples.
  • The least innovative organizations often seem to surround themselves with like-minded people.
    • Emily Wood
       
      Need diversity of people and ideas.
  • Spending time with people and building solid relationships with them often leads to them going miles beyond what is expected and move away from “what has always been done”.  When people know they are valued and safe in trying new things, they are more likely to do something better.  This is at the core of an innovative school.
  • should try to create new ideas, but it is more important that they create a culture of innovation
    • Emily Wood
       
      culture more important than ideas.
anonymous

Dig Cit - AHS Technology Integration - 0 views

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    Example of a district resource page for teachers and parents. would want to organize this better...
nickyforest

Conducting Research-based Projects in Elementary Grades with Safety in Mind -- THE Journal - 1 views

  • elementary school students choose to conduct research for school projects.
    • nickyforest
       
      How elementary school students choose to conduct research is a big question mark.
    • nickyforest
       
      A great article on elementary school student research.
  • Fortunately, there are best practices for teachers to adopt and safe websites for learners to visit, which she shares here with THE Journal.
  • Did the students have a list of safe sites to use for their research, appropriate for their grade level
    • nickyforest
       
      Students did not have a list of approved websites that were appropriate for their use.
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  • She and her mom were proud that she had done her own research. When she said that she got her information from Wikipedia, I suggested that she might wish to include her source on the project, but she did not want to. She did not know if she would be presenting the project to her classmates.
    • nickyforest
       
      Research from a 3rd grader was done using only Wikipedia and that was not cited on her research project.
  • My concern was not just about the credibility of using Wikipedia for academic purposes. The reading level was too advanced for a typical third-grader. Researchers (Anderson, 2012) have found the overall readability of numerous Wikipedia articles too difficult for many readers.
    • nickyforest
       
      Wikipedia is not written at a 3rd grade level, or for any elementary student for that matter.
  • How is the research process introduced to elementary students, particularly for using the internet? Are learners provided an age-appropriate online tutorial? Is there a standards document indicating skills that students should be developing in elementary grades for using technology to conduct research?  What guidelines/templates are students provided for developing their projects? Are they provided a checklist/rubric for how projects would be graded? Who sees their projects?  How do you make parents aware that their children will be doing internet research and that their children’s “online safety” has been considered?
    • nickyforest
       
      What are the guidelines for elementary school student research. These six questions were asked of teachers in two different states.
  • elementary learners can hop on the Research Rocket at the online portal Kentucky Virtual Library: How to Do Research and find an interactive and engaging tutorial designed just for them. Content might also benefit classroom lessons and discussions, particularly in K–2 when
    • nickyforest
       
      School districts in Kentucky have a virtual library where students can learn about how to do research.
  • ibrary media specialists in the School District of New Berlin (WI) developed a series of research guides and templates, organized by grade-bands. Templates for grades 4 to 6 combine a checklist or rubric.  Lankau, Parrish, Quillin and Schilling (2004) developed the Research Project Guide: A Handbook for Teachers and Studentsfor Humble Independent School District in Texas.
    • nickyforest
       
      LMS staff in Wisconsin and Texas have organized templates, rubrics and checklists to help students with their research.
  • Symbaloo, a social bookmarking tool, for this purpose. The Elementary Research Guide focuses on the Super 3 and Big 6 research models for grades K–2 and 3 to 5, respectively. Presentations on the Super 3 and Big 6 models, posted on Slideshare.net, illustrate that educators value both models.  
    • nickyforest
       
      Resources for research projects also include Symbaloo, Super 3 and Big 6 which are readily available to students and teachers.
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    Some real examples of research done wrong while highlighting how much research skills need to be taught, starting in elementary school.
anonymous

Home | Lauren's Education PortfolioLauren's Education Portfolio | A little corner of th... - 5 views

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    I like this portfolio because it is well presented and clean. By clean I mean that it is not as overwhelming as some of the others that I have seen. There's a lot of information, but it is well organized.
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