Leadership for learning: context matters

Workshop conducted at the CEOM Annual Secondary

Learning and Teaching Conference

12 August 2011

What sort of learning?

• Contemporary learning– What characterises this?– Common themes

• Integration of ICTS– as a way of learning– as learning tools– as a means of communicating, sharing, collaborating– as a means of thinking, demonstrating learning,

creating • Australian Curriculum

What sort of leadership?

• Having a clear moral purpose• Relationship building• Understanding and managing change• Creating and sharing knowledge• Ensuring coherence and alignment of

structuresLeadership in Catholic Schools

Development Framework and Standards of PracticeCECV 2005

Leadership for whole school change

Leadership is context rich. How can you use a knowledge of your context to help you lead your school through changes?• No blueprint for change management• Leadership needs to be strategic• Use a framework for planning and

implementing actions (Kotter, J. (1996), Leading Change, US: Harvard Business School Press)

Changes to what?

Changes to leadership • Changing the mindset of what it means to be a

leader; of what leadership entails; of who the leaders are

• Changing the structure and hierarchy of leadership; sharing leadership; formal and informal leadership

• Empowering others; teachers as leaders

Changes to what? (cont)

Changes to curriculum design • Units of work, integrated units, special

programs, multi-disciplinary units

Changes to pedagogy • Inquiry learning, problem based learning,

Webquests, 6 Step research process, community connections, assessment and reporting

Changes to what? (cont)

Changes to contemporary learning tools (Web 2.0, portable devices, access, support, expertise)• As new ways of learning• To enhance learning• To demonstrate learning• For visual thinking• For creating• For communicating• To share learning• To collaborate in learning

Changes to what? (cont)

Changes to learning environments• Flexible spaces• Learning anywhere, anytime• Collaborative virtual spaces• Timetabling

Changes to what? (cont)

Changes to the way staff work and learn• Professional learning teams• Mentoring; critical friends• Team teaching• Teachers as learners• ARMs learning and teaching focussed• Meetings with a learning and teaching focus• Learning walks

The scenario

Your school’s strategy plan articulates a clear mandate to implement contemporary learning practices in all areas of the curriculum by 2013. As a learning and teaching leader in the school, your job is to lead these changes.

THE TASKUsing Kotter’s 8 step approach to change management, what actions could you take to maximise your leadership effect?

A strategic framework for change management

Kotter’s 8 step approach to change management1. Create a sense of urgency2. Pull together the guiding team3. Develop the change vision and strategy4. Communicate for understanding and buy in5. Empower others to act6. Produce short term wins7. Don’t let up8. Create a new culture

John Kotter (1996)

Step 1 Create a sense of urgency

How are you going to heighten the awareness of the issue and convince people of the importance of acting immediately?

Step 2 Pull together the guiding team

• Who are the potential change agents in your school?

• How can you get them to be part of a special team that will work together in leading the changes?

• How do you select the members so that there is a balance of skills, sufficient political capital, willingness and capacity to lead, from different areas of expertise etc

Step 3Develop the vision and strategy for the

change

How are you going to make the vision a reality?• How are you going to develop a shared vision

of what the school will be like, what the classrooms will be like, what the teachers will be doing, what the students will be doing?

• How will you get all stakeholders to be involved in sharing and developing the vision?

Step 4 Communicate the vision and buy in

How will you communicate this vision to the whole community: students, parents and teachers, school board?

How will you keep the vision alive and at the forefront?

Step 5Empower others to act

How are you going to remove as many obstacles as possible to support those who want to make the changes?

How are you going to assist, encourage and support those who are willing and ready to change?

Step 6Produce short term wins

How are you going to create some visible, successes that are clearly linked to the vision as soon as possible?

Step 7Don’t let up

How are you going to recognise the first signs of success and build on those to increase the amount and rate of change?

Step 8Create a new culture

How are you going to hold onto the changes and work hard to ensure that they succeed in replacing the old and becoming part of the new and emerging culture?

Table activity

• Each table to take 2 steps and fill in sheets• These will be uploaded onto the Secondary

Curriculum Leaders and Professional Learning e network portals

Using the framework: what is your role?

CHANGES 8 STEPS

Leadership

Curriculum

Pedagogy

Contemporary learning tools

Learning environments

Staff working and learning

Where to now?

• What is foremost in your mind now?• What is one thing you can take from today’s

session?• What is one thing you can do now?• Who will you need to talk to first?

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves

Lao Tsu