Calling all bloggers! - Leadership Day 2009

Since the past two have been so successful, I am putting out a call for people to participate in Leadership Day 2009. As I said two years ago:

Many of our school leaders (principals, superintendents, central office administrators) need help when it comes to digital technologies. A lot of help, to be honest. As I’ve noted again and again on this blog, most school administrators don’t know

• what it means to prepare students for the 21st century;
• how to recognize, evaluate, and facilitate effective technology usage by students and teachers;
• what appropriate technology support structures (budget, staffing, infrastructure) look like or how to implement them;
• how to utilize modern technologies to facilitate communication with internal and external stakeholders;
• the ways in which learning technologies can improve student learning outcomes;
• how to utilize technology systems to make their organizations more efficient and effective;
• and so on…

Administrators’ lack of knowledge is not entirely their fault. Most of them didn’t grow up with these technologies. Many are not using digital tools on a regular basis. Few have received training from their employers or their university preparation programs on how to use, think about, or be a leader regarding digital technologies.

So… let’s help them out.

Guidelines

On Sunday, July 11 12, 2009, blog about whatever you like related to effective school technology leadership: successes, challenges, reflections, needs, wants, etc. Write a letter to the administrators in your area. Post a top ten list. Make a podcast or a video. Highlight a local success or challenge. Recommend some readings. Do an interview of a successful technology leader. Respond to some of the questions below or make up your own. If you participated in years past, post a follow-up reflection. Whatever strikes you. The official hashtag for your post and/or Twitter is

#leadershipday09

Please also link back to this post to ensure that I find yours. If you don’t have a blog, comment on someone else’s post and/or send your thoughts to me and I will post them for you. I will do a summary afterward of what folks wrote and talked about [bloggers, this means some new readers probably will head your direction; this is a blog carnival for technology leadership!].

Some prompts to spark your thinking

• What do effective K-12 technology leaders do? What actions and behaviors can you point to that make them effective leaders in the area of technology?
• Do administrators have to be technology-savvy themselves in order to be effective technology leaders in their organizations?
• What are some tangible, concrete, realistic steps that can be taken to move administrators forward? Given the unrelenting pressures that they face and their ever-increasing time demands, what are some things that administrators can do to become more knowledgeable and skilled in the area of technology leadership?
• Perhaps using the new National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A) as a starting point, what are the absolutely critical skills or abilities that administrators need to be effective technology leaders?
• What strengths and deficiencies are present in the new NETS-A?
• What is a technology tool that would be extremely useful for a busy administrator (i.e., one he or she probably isn’t using now)?
• What should busy administrators be reading (or watching)?
• How can administrators best structure necessary conversations with internal or external stakeholders?
• How should administrators balance enablement with safety, risk with reward, fear with empowerment?

Here are the ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT posts from the past two years

• Leadership Day 2007 – Summary
• Leadership Day 2008 – Summary

A badge for your blog or web site

Please join us for this important day because, I promise you, if the leaders don’t get it, it isn’t going to happen.

Comments

[tammiemac]

1.

I firmly believe that if we as leaders are not willing to change how and what we offer our 'client' (the student) that we are failing to offer what it is that ALL need to be a successful, contributing member of our society. It just has to be! Model the appropriate use of technology from top down making good use of the resources that are right in front of your nose- THE STUDENTS! Embrace technology integration with open arms and watch student achievement soar and discipline problems decrease. It will happen!

[Kevin Hodgson]

2.

Here is my post, Scott.

http://dogtrax.edublogs.org/2009/07/11/leadership-day-2009/

Kevin

[Tracy Rosen]

3.

Here is mine, with a thanks to Kevin for reminding me about this year's Leadership Day :)

Leadership for any kind of Change
http://leadingfromtheheart.org/?p=1248

Tracy

[Carl_Gaines]

4.

Here' my post as well...

http://cresentcityeducationaltechnology.blogspot.com/

Intel Leadership Forum Really Rocks!

[D Peter]

5.

Rethinking Technology and Effective Technology Leadership

http://quality-instruction.blogspot.com/2009/07/effective-technology-leadership.html

[Janice Robertson]

6.

Here's my post
http://web.me.com/janicerobertson/Site/Musings/Entries/2009/7/12_Leadership_Day.html

[A Twitter User]

7.

Here's my post for Leadership Day 2009!

http://chrislindholm.typepad.com/principal-thoughts/2009/07/what-should-we-train-and-support-vs-what-we-should-expect.html

Thanks Scott for the call to do this.

[Andrew B. Watt]

8.

Here's my post: http://andrewbwatt.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/leadership-day…nge-the-debate/

[Errin]

9.

Here's my post for Leadership Day 09. Hope you read it!

http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/07/12/tips-on-creating-effective-school-technology-leadership/

[Barry Bachenheimer]

10.

Here is mine. http://plethoratech.blogspot.com/2009/07/leadership-day-2009-fearless-learners.html

[Janelle]

11.

Here is my Leadership Day 09 post.

http://mrswilsonscience.com/stretchingforward/?p=29

[Kelly Tenkely]

12.

Link to my post, thanks for hosting again Scott! Enjoying reading everyone's thoughts on this one! http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=997

[Jeanette Johnson]

13.

Thanks for keeping the light on, Scott. Enjoying the posts I'm seeing as a result of your efforts. My post:

http://principalblogs.typepad.com/jeanettejohnson/2009/07/leadership-day-2009.html

[Matt Townsley]

14.

Great idea, Scott. Here is my attempt to look at culture/change as a pre-requisite to any sort of transformational technology use. http://bit.ly/17cgZy

[Peter Pappas]

15.

Scott,

Here's two of recent my leadership post:
A Guide to Designing Effective Professional Development: Essential Questions for the Successful Staff Developer http://bit.ly/oRajI
What Questions Should School Boards Be Asking about 21st Century Learning? http://bit.ly/w0OBP

Great idea,
Peter

[Barbara Treacy]

16.

Hi Scott,

I was very glad you organized Leadership Day and knew I'd enjoy the posts, but was not sure I'd contribute. However, I just finished Michael Fullan’s “Leading in a Culture of Change” this afternoon, and I realize I need to recommend this book as my contribution to Leadership Day.

I’ll call attention to one quote from the concluding chapter:

“Leadership creates the conditions for individual and organization development to merge.”

It made me think of my PLN and the sharing culture I have found via technology, and appreciate how important this has been to my growth and work.

The paragraph that include the above statement in the book provides a little more context, so I’ve copied it below (but read the whole book if you haven’t!)

“If you want to develop leadership, you should focus on reciprocity, the mutual obligation and value of sharing knowledge among organizational members. The key to developing leadership is to develop knowledge and share it; if it is not mutually shared, it won’t be adequately developed in the first place and will not be available to organization in any case. For the individual the explicit value to be internalized is the responsibility for sharing what you know. For the organization (or for leadership, if you like), the obligation is to remove barriers to sharing, create mechanisms for sharing, and reward those who do share. Leadership creates the conditions for individual and organizational development to merge.”

I keep thinking about my online colleagues and mentors who share so generously in so many ways, and the technologies that support this collaboration and learning. I also think about what these online colleagues must also be learning as they engage with their online networks.

My comment for Leadership Day, besides “read Fullan”, is that leaders need to foster a learning culture and encourage all staff to identify, create and contribute to PLN(s). They also need to understand, support and use the technologies that enhance these networks; help clear obstacles that their school communities may face in using them; and embrace how powerfully these networks can be for both individual and organizational development.

Thanks to all of you!

Barbara
http://edtechleaders.org

[Darcy Moore]

17.

Here is my post, Scott (and thanks for the opportunity):
http://darcymoore.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/leadership-day-2009/

[Lisa Thumann]

18.

Hi Scott,

Here is my post for the day:
http://thumannresources.com/2009/07/12/i-just-need-to-be-concise-leadership-day-2009/

Thanks for encouraging us all to give this some time and thought.

Lisa

[Cheryl Oakes]

19.

Scott, here is my post, thanks to Judi for the reminder when I read her post.
http://www.cheryloakes.com/

Judi's post
http://edtechapalooza.wordpress.com/

[Damian]

20.

My two cents: http://www.apaceofchange.com/2009/07/12/leadership-day-2009/

[Nadine Norris]

21.

Here's my post. It's a little different than most, but still hope it's a valuable contribution. http://nnorris.edublogs.org/

[concretekax]

22.

Great idea. Here is my first entry: "Schools need heroes"
http://concretekax.blogspot.com/2009/07/schools-need-heroes.html

[Eric Townsley]

23.

Scott,

Great idea, here's my effort.

http://ameobaed.blogspot.com/2009/07/leadership-2009.html

[Carolyn Foote]

24.

Scott,

Glad to read all the excellent posts! Here's my contribution!

http://futura.edublogs.org/2009/07/12/leadership-challenge-look-ahead/

[Russ Goerend]

25.

Scott,
Here's mine: http://www.tagmirror.org/2009/07/leadership-day-2009-leadership-day-2009.html

[Miguel Guhlin]

26.

Here's my contribution, Scott:
http://sn.im/n48xz

Take care,
Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org
http://mguhlin.org

[Caitlin]

27.

http://not-enough-coffee.blogspot.com/2009/07/if-youre-gonna-lead-make-sure-youre.html

[Zack Allen]

28.

http://blogkhead.blogspot.com/2009/07/document-your-thinking.html

[Janine Lim]

29.

How Principals Support Videoconferencing

[Sean Nash]

30.

"Four Pillars of Technology Integration"

http://nashworld.edublogs.org/2009/07/13/four-pillars-of-technology-integration/

[Dennis Richards]

31.

My post for Leadership Day 2009 begins in my past...

In the 1960’s change was in the air. The Beatles first trip to the United States was in 1964 and the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held the summer of 1969 in Bethel, New York. A whole generation was learning beyond school from the likes of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Peter, Paul and Mary and Pete Seeger.

When I graduated from college in 1970, there were transistor radios, TVs and record players or turntables.

[Dennis Richards]

32.

If you want to read the Leadership Day 2009 blog posts, you can find them here.

[Jan Smith]

33.

Hi Scott, thanks for the encouragement to put fingers to keyboard. Here's my contribution: http://resiever.edublogs.org/2009/07/12/tech-whisperer/

[Melissa Corey]

34.

Post:

http://newschoollibrary.blogspot.com/2009/07/leadership-day-2009.html

[Karenne Sylvester]

35.

Hi ya Scott,

Here's my blog posting addressed to the leaders of global English language learning centers:

http://kalinago.blogspot.com/2009/07/english-language-institutions-letter.html

Kind regards,
Karenne

[Joseph Corbett]

36.

Hey Everyone, I was very inspired by the content all of you created, it's made me re-think how I approach tech integration personally and professionally. I wrote a bit of a rant about it on ISTE Connects, so please feel free to check it out and leave me some of your own wisdom, rants, and insights!

[Colette Cassinelli]

37.

My reflection on Leadership Day 2009: http://edtechvision.org/?p=733

[ShellTerrell]

38.

First, I'd like to say thank you Scott for sponsoring Leadership Day 2009 and allowing small time bloggers like myself to participate in this event. Scott, you are a champion for the educational technology movement and your team's Shift Happens videos are inspirational and continue to revolutionize the education system!
Don't know if you received the track back link so just in case here is my recommendations for building a PLN for teachers new to social media http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/2009/07/13/oh-the-adventures-you-will-have-if-only/

[Heike Philp]

39.

I wish there was a teachership day too.

Rgds Heike

[Janis Sartucci]

40.

MCPS' tech-savvy superintendent doesn't permit the community to communicate with him directly via an e-mail address. We know that he has an individual e-mail address because he has given it out to select individuals and professional publications. The lack of a public e-mail address gives the impression of a superintendent who is not up on the latest communication tools.

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2009/07/weast-no-e-mail-but-tech-savvy.html

[Blair Peterson]

41.

My contribution to Leadership Day 2009. Posted on the Creative Tension - No Fear, No Hope. http://creativetension.wordpress.com/

[Paul Bogush]

42.

http://blogush.edublogs.org/2009/07/14/dear-administrator/

[Bill Ferriter]

43.

Here's my post, Scott....

http://snipurl.com/nj0z7

Better late than never?!
Bill

[Dan Storchan]

44.

Here's a late one as well, Scott. Thanks for inspiring me to put this out there!

http://www.dstorchan.com/2009/07/leadership-day-post.html

[David hogard]

45.

Thanks for keeping the light on, Scott. Enjoying the posts I'm seeing as a result of your efforts. My post:

http://claimss.putblog.net/factors-for-successful-safety-leadership/