Blogical Discussion (6-A-2)
October 22, 2007
Last week Deb added some links on Educational Reform to our wiki project and one of them got me thinking about teachers and leadership. The link to a blog by Neil Rochelle referred to some questions about teacher leaders, specifically the questions asked by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach in February of 2007.
Below I have paraphrased Nussbaum-Beach’s four questions and targeted them more specifically to you – my classmates, setting them within the context of our work on the Read/Write Web.
- Do you feel your responsibility to act as a leader has increased as your understanding of the Read/Write Web has developed?
- Do the new skills that we are acquiring make us “teacher leaders by default?”
- What role does Web 2.0 play in the role of a teacher leader?
- How do you see yourself contributing to teacher education?
8 Responses to “Blogical Discussion (6-A-2)”
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October 22nd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Hi Patricia. Your questions are a perfect example of the natural flow of ideas that result from networking. The ideas that we have all shared in these few weeks is amazing, so I do believe that we have become “teacher leaders by default.” If it is the goal of an educator to teach his/her students how and where to obtain information and then convert it to knowledge by critically applying it, how can we ignore opportunities to network with others in our profession? If those who control the budget are not immediately convinced, then we can share our enthusiasm with one colleague at a time until there are enough voices to make a difference.
October 23rd, 2007 at 11:42 am
Lots of questions!!!
Do you feel your responsibility to act as a leader has increased as your understanding of the Read/Write Web has developed?
I hate to sound like I’m tooting my own horn
but I’m doing my first webinar in a few weeks. The topic will be presented to the Maryland Assistive Technology Network on using Open Source Software to design lessons using the Universal Design for Learning theory. I will also be including ideas using Web 2.0…so I’m really excited. I hope that my ideas will spur others to get out there and explore free options. Personally I’m tired of always paying money for software when there is so much out there to be used openly.
Do the new skills that we are acquiring make us “teacher leaders by default?”
Yes for other teachers not necessarily for our K-12 to undergraduate teacher trainees
What role does Web 2.0 play in the role of a teacher leader?
Web 2.0 means that we are on the cusp of new ideas. Many teachers do not even know the definition of Web 2.0 and what it involves.
How do you see yourself contributing to teacher education?
That’s my day job teaching undergraduate preservice teachers and graduate teachers
October 23rd, 2007 at 7:12 pm
The more knowledge we obtain in any field of interest definitely increases our responsibility as teacher, but how we apply it on the leader end is entirely up to the individual. Read/write web just happens to be one of the fastest growing and least understood of all of the movements going on in education. Since so few people understand web 2.0, you could say that the small number of people who have become “teacher leaders by default.” However, I don’t know how well that really settles with me. I think we are all here for a reason, and have great vision in the first place. We are taking the time to understand web 2.0 because of that vision, and any good leader would recognize such a topic. You can’t exactly teach a leader everything and vision is just one of those things. I understand how this gets turned around because before I was even tenured or had my permanent teaching certificate I was leading and running inservice sessions that trained teachers on integrating technology into the classroom. (This didn’t always go over well and I didn’t have nearly as much respect as I have now.) There was honestly one other person who could do the same thing as me and now he is a technology administrator for a different school district. “Leader by default” or not I’d rather be somewhere towards the front of this movement. I share everything I know with all of my teachers. When I leave those trainings, they have every bit of knowledge I have; however, I don’t see any others stepping up as teacher leaders. I still contribute to teacher education by running inservices and training for teachers, and I’m here to learn more things to share with them. I would love for more people to jump on board, but either people don’t care (which I find it hard to believe in all cases) or parts of leadership you are either born with or you aren’t.
October 23rd, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Justin I so agree with your quote that we as teachers using Web 2.0 technologies become “teacher leaders by default.”
Cute
BJ
October 24th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
As I read your comments, I am beginning to wonder if the role of “leader” might be evolving. Being a strong and useful node in a network is a form of leadership as well. Do you think the ways in which people “lead” are changing?
October 26th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Wow! Some great discussion here.
BJ, is there any chance you could share your webinar with us so we can see and learn?
Patricia, I am intriqued by the idea of “what it means to lead” changing. Teachers are leaders for their students, right? Our roles as teachers are changing, clearly. For some reason the image of an underground railroad comes to mind. Teachers are safe houses. I want to do some more thinking on this. This runs pretty deep, I think.
Lee Anne
October 27th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
There is definitely a lot here that can facilitate matters for staff at my school and for the other members of the World Languages Department. I think it becomes natural to step up to the plate and take more decisive responsibility just from knowing the potential that is there to coordinate and initiate action that can advance everyone’s abilities and options. It’s not a secret to keep to yourself, it’s a key to a door that’s been closed to us.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
A leader is an agent of change. Teachers who continue to be learners are agents of change in their classrooms and with their co-workers. By taking classes we place ourselves in a posture to accept new ideas and strategies to help others. As we go back to our buildings, we will share what we have learned. Our co-workers will ask questions and we will help them learn. We are agents of change, leaders!