10 Ways to Grow as a Pedagogical Leader

I have vivid memories of my early days as an assistant principal and principal, where overseeing instruction was just one of many duties that came with the job. Managing budgets, developing memos, attending meetings, responding to emails and phone calls, and other tasks also consumed a significant portion of my time. The advent of social media introduced yet another responsibility into my already packed schedule: digital leadership. As a school administrator, one must be proficient in many different areas, but it's essential to maintain sight of the most crucial aspect of the role: pedagogical leadership.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't visit classrooms as frequently as I would have liked, and the feedback I provided in written reports could have done more to enhance teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom. If our ultimate goal is to improve, we need to prioritize the aspects of our job that impact student learning most. Pedagogical leaders recognize that management is a necessary part of the job, but it shouldn't come at the expense of cultivating a positive learning culture to boost academic achievement.

It's simple to offer advice on improving in this area or anything else, but putting it into practice can be a constant challenge. To help you get started, I've compiled ten specific strategies that I used during my tenure as a high school principal and now help other leaders with during coaching cycles. 

Visit more classrooms

Firstly, begin by increasing the number of formal observations conducted each year and sticking to a schedule to ensure that all teachers are observed three times annually, regardless of experience. Secondly, develop an informal walk-through schedule with your leadership team, mandating at least five walks per day for each member, and track visits and improvement comments on a color-coded Google Doc.

Establish norms

Establishing a shared vision and expectations for all teachers is crucial. You can do this by utilizing the Relevant Thinking Framework to provide them with consistent, concrete elements to focus on when developing lessons and deciding which high-effect strategies to use. Abolishing the routine of announced observations, having teachers provide artifacts of evidence to show the bigger picture since you can never see all that is done in a single observation, and prioritizing the collection assessments over lesson plans can also be effective.

Increase feedback

When observing lessons, always provide at least one practical suggestion for improvement, no matter how excellent the lesson was. These suggestions should be clear, straightforward, actionable, and timely. For learning, consider curating data weekly and present at an upcoming staff meeting. Feedback is critical to encourage growth and development.

Adopt a scholarly mindset

Improving professional practice as a leader is not the only benefit of being a scholar. It also enables you to have more effective conversations with teachers about their own growth, adding credibility to post-conference feedback. You can align critical feedback to current research by keeping a document of effective pedagogical techniques found in your readings. This approach saved time when writing up observations and improved relationships with staff as the instructional leader. When in doubt, lean on Google Scholar. Another key aspect of a scholarly mindset was brought to my attention by Thomas William Miller and that is to get curious and ask questions. When it comes to leading pedagogical change, questions are often more important than answers. 

Model expectations

As I shared in Digital Leadership, leaders should lead by example and not ask teachers to do anything they wouldn't do themselves, especially regarding technology integration and improving practice. When a teacher struggles with assessments, provide or co-create an example assessment. Developing and implementing professional learning is also an effective way to lead by example and build better relationships with staff.

Prioritize growth

Attending at least one conference or workshop a year that aligns with a significant school or district initiative and reading one education book and one from another field, such as general leadership strategies or self-help, can yield powerful lessons and ideas. Creating or further developing a Personal Learning Network (PLN) is also essential to access 24/7 ideas, strategies, feedback, resources, and support.

Teach a class

One can achieve this regularly throughout the year or by co-teaching with both struggling and exceptional teachers. I personally taught a high school biology class during my first few years as an administrator, which is an excellent example of leading by example. This approach also provides a better understanding of teachers' changing role in the disruption age. When a pedagogical leader sets an example, it strengthens relationships with staff and puts them in a better position to discuss and enhance learning.

Reflect through writing 

As a connected educator, writing has been a valuable tool for me to process my thoughts and critically reflect on my teaching, learning, and leadership work. Our reflections aid in our personal growth and serve as a catalyst for others to reflect on their own practice and develop professionally. Encouraging teachers to write brief reflections before post-conferences can foster a more collaborative conversation on improvement.

Leverage portfolios

Incorporating portfolios into our observation process was a helpful way to provide more detailed insight into pedagogical practices over the course of the school year. Portfolios can showcase personalized learning activities, assessments, unit plans, student work, and other forms of evidence to enhance instructional effectiveness and validate good practice.

Co-observe 

During the first quarter of each year, I collaborated with members of my administrative team to co-observe lessons. This allowed us to benefit from each other's perspectives and expertise and provided opportunities for us to improve our pedagogical leadership skills and reflect on our observations. In my role as a coach, I have K-12 leaders visit classrooms beyond the grade levels they serve when working with districts. For example, elementary will conduct walks in secondary to provide feedback and vice versa. We then share collective insight while processing the feedback. Gaining a perspective of strategies used at various grade levels is invaluable. 

Ultimately, ensuring quality learning takes place in our classrooms is of utmost importance. These ten strategies can be implemented immediately to improve pedagogical leadership, but there may be additional strategies that others find effective. The image below provides further insight.

How to Lead with Little to No "Experience"

I vividly remember how frustrating it was to interview for various school administrator positions only to be told that I didn’t have enough practical experience related to the position(s). Well duh, of course I didn’t, as I was an aspiring leader who was just venturing into this space. I am sure virtually everyone reading this post has been in the same situation at some point, whether in the past or currently. Frustrating is putting it mildly. It should be noted that experience can certainly be beneficial when it comes to leadership, as it can provide a leader with valuable knowledge, skills, and perspective. However, it is not the only factor that determines a person's ability to lead effectively. Some people may have a natural talent for leadership and are able to inspire and guide others, even if they don't have a lot of experience.

That being said, there are certain situations where experience can be essential for a leader. For example, if a leader is facing a complex or unfamiliar challenge, their past experiences may give them a better understanding of how to approach and solve the problem. Most would agree that the COVID-19 pandemic fits the bill here. Experience can also help a leader to build credibility and gain the respect of their team. Overall, experience can be a valuable asset for a leader, but it is not the only factor that determines a person's ability to lead.

Leadership is not necessarily about having a lot of experience but rather having the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others toward a common goal. Eventually, I began revising my resume and linking to instances where I actively cultivated leadership characteristics or built capacity through coaching sports, writing curriculum, and advising clubs. Think about what you have done that can translate into a school administrator role.

Once you get your first position, the key is to hit the ground running. Here are a few other tips that may help you to lead effectively, even if you don't have a lot of experience:

• Set clear goals: Clearly define what you and your staff are working towards. This will help to keep everyone focused and motivated.
• Communicate openly: Make sure to keep the lines of communication open with all stakeholders. Encourage open and honest dialogue while being approachable.
• Be adaptable: Be open to new ideas and approaches and show a willingness to pivot when necessary.
• Empower your people: Trust your staff and give them the autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work.
• Lead by example: Show everyone what it means to be a good leader by being a good follower. Set a positive example through your own actions and work ethic.

As I shared in Digital Leadership, it's not about having all the answers but creating a vision and guiding others toward its realization.

So, what if you have never been an administrator? If you are lacking in leadership experience, there are several steps you can take to compensate for this and become a more effective leader:

• Seek opportunities to develop your leadership competencies: This can include taking on capacity-building roles within your school or district, enrolling in educational leadership programs, creating a Personal Learning Network (PLN), or participating in pertinent workshops or conferences.
• Learn from more experienced leaders: Seek out mentors or coaches who can provide guidance and support as you develop.
• Practice self-reflection: Take time to reflect on your strengths and areas for growth. This can help you to identify areas where you need to focus your professional learning efforts.
• Stay current on trends and best practices in the education field. Make an effort to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and incorporate this knowledge into your leadership style.
• Be open to feedback: Seek out feedback from others and be open to learning from their experiences and insights.

Remember, leadership is a never-ending journey and everyone starts at a different point. By being proactive in your development and continually learning and improving, you can effectively compensate for a lack of experience and become a strong and effective leader. 

Leading When You Don't Have the Answers

There is no shortage of advice on how to lead effectively. The simple fact, though, is that the process is rarely easy. Decisions must always be made, and sometimes delegation and consensus—both powerful elements in building a positive culture—are not suitable courses of action. The bottom line is that the buck stops with the one who has the title or is in a position of authority, whether we like it or not. When it comes to leadership, the person making the final decision is often second-guessed if there is a lack of communication or things don’t go as planned. I shared the following in a blog post back in 2017:

It is difficult to adequately prepare any leader for the challenges they will face as well as the decisions that will have to be made. There are so many unique variables that just cannot be taught. It’s challenging work knowing that difficult decisions sometimes will have to be made. Leaders know that it is not the work of one person that moves an organization in a positive direction but rather the collective efforts of all. The premise of every decision and action has to be geared toward the “We” instead of “I .” It’s our experiences that help all of us to develop into better leaders, coupled with the support we get from colleagues. From experience, we learn that trying to be right all the time only makes the job exponentially harder.  

One of the most uncomfortable situations a leader can confront is when people are looking for answers on the spot and the leader doesn’t have any. This was all too common during the pandemic and will continue to persist as disruptive forces change the landscape of life and work. Throw in other societal pressures impacting education and you have one big hot mess on your hands. Let me be clear: No one has all the answers, no matter how many books they have written, keynotes delivered, or years of experience under their belt. Here are some ideas on how to lead when you don’t have the answers: 

Embrace candidness

When it comes to effective leadership, honesty and vulnerability are invaluable assets. Trust and respect are developed when a leader is candid about not having an immediate response or knowing what to do at the moment. Unless there is an emergency, be candid; it will pay off greatly down the road. 

Take time to find out

While being candid is a great start, there must be a commitment to following up with a tentative date to provide an answer. The nature of the question or problem posed will determine how much time is needed to gather the right information or develop a plan for action. Telling someone you will get back to them and then either forgetting or disregarding the challenge only points to a lack of leadership that could have negative consequences down the road. 

Develop the right questions 

While questions are more important than answers, people look to a leader to have them. However, these can be a means to an end in this case. Using inquiry can help a leader dive deeply into complex issues. These can be used for reflection or asked to the person posing the question to glean more clarity. 

Leverage what you know 

Experience might very well be your greatest asset, equipping you to solve problems or placing you on the right path to obtaining the required information. If you are unsure, admitting that you don’t have an answer at this time provides you with an opportunity to sift through accumulated knowledge and experiences. It may also allow you to provide a partial answer. 

Ask a colleague

Support networks are invaluable, and every effective leader has one readily available. There is no possible way that anyone can have enough experience to be able to answer every challenging question or solve each complex problem that comes along. Reaching out to colleagues to glean their expertise and advice will always be a sound decision. 

Lean on your PLN

While looking to colleagues for advice is great, utilizing a Personal Learning Network (PLN) provides access to countless other leaders who can provide priceless guidance when you don’t have an immediate answer. Social media tools such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook allow you to ask any question and receive responses from all over the globe. Be sure to add hashtags (#) to get even more eyes on your request for help from people you aren’t even directly connected with. If you don’t have a PLN, consider creating one today. For tips and best practices, check out this post. 

All of us need to be ok with not knowing. As a leader, admitting you don’t know is a sign of strength, not weakness. While it might be easy to ignore or attempt to come up with a response on the fly when you don’t have an answer, the risk you are taking can erode the confidence others have in you. Put time and effort into not only finding the best answer but developing relationships with those you serve. 

Improvement is Always Possible

We have been made to think certain things are absolute truths for most of our lives.  Take, for example, the saying that practice makes perfect.  While this sounds great in theory and can be a great motivation to pursue growth opportunities, an underlying fallacy is embedded in this message.  Take bowling, for example.  The ultimate goal of any bowler is to reach a perfect score of 300 by getting nothing but strikes.  By any standards, this is an impressive feat.  While perfection can be achieved with the right amount of practice, you would be hard pressed to find any professional bowler who scores a 300 consistently.  Hence the need to constantly practice improving performance.  

Even though there are other examples of perfection in sports, every athlete works to get better.  Hence, the message to all of us is that improving our practice is always possible, especially in the field of education.  I genuinely believe that each and every educator has an innate desire to grow, but there are often stumbling blocks along the way that delay or derail an initiative.  Time is probably the number one reason for improvement efforts becoming stifled.  While this is a legitimate challenge, we all know full well that it will materialize at some point.  Knowing this allows us to be proactive and make time to grow as opposed to finding time, which tends to be more reactive.  I shared the following back in 2014:

Let’s face the perceived fact that there will never be enough time to get everything done in any of our days.  Or is there?  Regardless of your respective role in education, time will always be your enemy.  This is where you need to focus less on finding time and more on making time to complete necessary tasks that are not only required but also ones that will allow you to grow, innovate, and develop more of a passion for your work.  Before getting to this point, you must look at how you currently utilize the time you have.  In my case, I was more of a manager as opposed to a leader.

I wrote extensively about chasing growth instead of perfection in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms.  While the assent to growth leading to improvement will endure many twists and turns, there are some things educators can zero in on, which I have listed below.  

• Co-plan lessons, meetings, and professional learning
• De-emphasize non-essential tasks that don’t impact student learning
• Eliminate distractions such as social media and web browsing
• Prioritize passions and interests related to your position or responsibilities 
• Seek collegial support as these people know you and your culture best. 
• Develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN) to learn anytime, anywhere, with anyone you want
• Organize your learning environment such as email, physical space, and support materials to make the most of all available time
• Seek out challenging experiences that will push your practice to new levels 

Improvement is a process, not a singular event.  Growth and improvement start with honestly assessing our current reality.  There is no perfect lesson, project, classroom, school, district, teacher, or administrator.  There is, however, the opportunity to get better every day.  Hence, improvement is always a possibility no matter how much experience you have in education. 

Level Up Your Leadership

Like most kids, past, and present, I loved playing video games.  During my very early years, Atari was the best and only option.  My parents eventually bought an Apple IIe where we needed to use floppy disks to load any meaningful content, which added to our gaming experience.  However, once the Nintendo was invented and stationed in our basement, we toiled away immersed in classics such as Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, and Mike Tyson’s punchout.  Our goal was simple…acquire skills through analysis, practice, and watching others to reach new or more challenging levels.  I can still feel the rush when success was achieved and the bitter disappointment when I came up short.  In the case of the latter, this became motivation to press forward. 

We can take lessons learned from gaming and apply them to our own practice.  If we don’t push ourselves to grow and get better, it becomes increasingly difficult to empower those we work with to do the same.  You get what you model, for better or for worse. 

If leaders don’t get It, change rarely happens. 

In a world where technology is embedded in so many facets of society, it is incumbent upon leaders to look for ways to level up.  Social media is, and still represents, one of the most powerful ways to move a learning culture forward and engage with stakeholders.  For those who are still not seeing any value or are apprehensive by having their toe in the water instead of jumping all the way in, there is no better time than the present to make a change.  I encourage you to shift your mindset in order to create schools that work better for kids and, in the process, establish relevance as a leader, no matter your position.

In Digital Leadership, I presented an array of research and evidence-based strategies that can pave the way for any leader to level up.  I revisit some of these strategies as both a reminder and health-check for you to reflect on where you are, but more importantly, where you would like to be in the near future. 

• Strategically utilize an array of free tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok to communicate real-time information that stakeholders can access on any device.  Consistency aligned with intent is vital.  
• Become the storyteller-in-chief and take control of your public relations.  If you don't share your story, someone else will, and you then run the chance that it will not be the one you want to be told.  Stop reacting to public relations situations you have limited control of and begin to be more proactive.  When supplying a constant stream of positive news, you will help to mitigate any negative stories that might arise.  
• Any leader can harness the power of a brandED by telling, not selling, in order to build powerful relationships with stakeholders and empower learning like never before.  A brand presence is no longer restricted to the business world as everyone has access to the tools at their fingertips to do this in a way that won’t break the bank.  Simply communicating and telling your story with social media tools can accomplish this and organically develop your positive brand in the process. 
• If you are the brightest and most innovative person in the room, you are in the wrong room!  Develop or enhance your Personal Learning Network (PLN) to connect with experts, peers, and practitioners across the globe to grow professionally through knowledge acquisition, resource sharing, engaged discussion, and to receive feedback. 
• If you are an administrator, work to loosen up filtering policies and allow educators to use digital tools that can engage learners, unleash their creativity, and enhance learning.  As many schools know, CIPA does not require many of these to be blocked.  That’s a local decision. 
• There is a golden opportunity to teach kids about digital responsibility and positively address their social and emotional needs when digital tools are used with purpose across the curriculum. 

In a disruptive world, societal change happens fast, and this has a ripple effect on education.  Leveling up your leadership flies in the face of the status quo, and “that’s the way we have always done it” to constantly move schools in a better direction.  By consistently chasing growth, you not only learn how to become a better leader, but you also empower those who you serve in the process.

Together we can continue to be the change we want to see in education. 

The Professional Learning Sweet Spot

For the better part of my educational career, I always referred to any type of learning to assist me as a teacher or administrator as professional development (PD).  It was always referred to like this, so who was I to argue.  For the most part, this consisted of attending mandatory district “PD” days, professional learning communities (PLC)’s or approved off-site experiences such as conferences, workshops, or webinars.  The experiences where I had some level of choice were the most meaningful to me and resulted in real changes to my educational practice. I think the same can be said when it comes to the learners we serve.

In March of 2009, I began to use Twitter, and it was at this time that I began to create a Personal Learning Network (PLN). Through the use of social media, I realized that I didn’t really need to be “developed.” What I craved were experiences that I valued and could pursue that would help my school and district achieve collective goals. Thus, my thinking changed. Up until this point, professional development was always done to me as opposed to something that I wanted to be an active part of. Intrinsic motivation should always be the focal point of any experience geared at improving professional practice. If we find and see value, the emphasis becomes embracement as opposed to buy-in.

With a PLN, I was able to learn anytime, anywhere, from anyone I wanted for free. I now had access to a human-generated search engine where I gleaned the best resources, ideas, supports, and advice. Questions became a more prized commodity than answers. No longer did I have to continually fret about reinventing the wheel or coming up with the next most fantastic innovative idea.  I was both enlightened and empowered. It was at this time that I began to shift away from PD and instead embrace a culture of professional learning. There is a big difference in my mind.

Learning should be a personal experience, deeply rooted in purpose, meaning, authenticity, practicality, and relevance.  If the goal is to provide this for our students, then the same must be emphasized for teachers, administrators, and support staff. Personalization emphasizes high-agency approaches such as voice, choice, path, pace, and place, perfect for both kids and adults. Even though the individual level is the most important in my mind, we cannot discount our organization, district, or school needs. 

In order for a mission, vision, and goals to become a reality, it takes a collective effort to learn and grow together. The professional learning sweet spot evolves through a balancing act, as depicted by the image below.

In Digital Leadership I emphasized how input from educators is crucial to the success of any professional learning experience, as is time. When you think about the image above, take a critical lens to what you currently engage in and what is provided to you by your organization, school, or district.  On-going and job-embedded experiences lead to sustained changes to practice and improve student outcomes when it comes to results. A dynamic mash-up of workshops and coaching definitely falls into the sweet spot. It is crucial always to align any professional learning with current trends and needs. The COVID19 pandemic has brought a few of these to the forefront, such as social-emotional, remote, personalized, and blended learning. As schools begin to develop plans for student and staff re-entry, pertinent professional learning supports will need to be emphasized.

Below are some pathways to consider that are more personal and focus on the unique needs of educators:

• Personal Learning Network
• Asynchronous, self-directed opportunities (i.e., Professional Growth Period, flipped sessions, webinars, open courseware, digital badges/micro-credentials)
• Edcamps and Teachmeets
• Professional Learning Communities where educators determine the focus
• Blended approaches
• Peer observation
• School and site visits

Effective and meaningful professional learning is all about striving for the sweet spot. At times there will have to be concessions in terms of time, choice, and available funding. 

That’s just how it goes. The key takeaway that I hope you leave with is developing professional learning opportunities through consensus and ensuring mechanisms in place lead to improved outcomes.  In the event that you are not satisfied with what is provided to you through your organization, district, or school, then there is a myriad of options that you can pursue.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

I have a secret to share. In my humble opinion, I am not very smart.  While others might disagree, such as my mom, I pride myself on being extremely resourceful. However, this was not always my strength.  During my years as a teacher and principal, I would spend countless hours planning, researching, and attending professional learning events to hone my craft in order to become a better educator.  In all honesty, though, I was just doing what I was taught, and thought were the best ways to grow. The amount of effort put forth resulted in me working much harder than I should have been.

Over the years, I began to delegate more and build capacity in others.  I established hiring practices that resulted in the hiring of a lot of smart educators. By investing in, and trusting the people around me, more time was freed up to focus on innovation and large-scale change initiatives to improve school culture. Now, this represented an excellent first step, but probably the most impactful shift to the way I not only thought but worked, came in the unsuspecting form of a little blue bird and a tool called Twitter in 2009. Here is where I finally learned the biggest secret to working smarter, not harder, through the formation of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). The image below illustrates another secret that I have to come clean about, but one that also represents the ultimate power of connected learning.

All of us are limited to the people we surround ourselves with in life.  Social media has completely disrupted that and, in the process, removed barriers such as time, geography, and money.  As I have mentioned for years, the true power of a PLN is not how many people follow you, but the quality and expertise of those with whom you choose to connect and engage with online. No matter the tools used, what results is anyone and everyone can take advantage of collective intelligence. Here is why this matters to everyone regardless of title, position, and power:

• Knowledge, skills, intelligence, and resources are an increasingly valuable currency in the digital world. Why would you not want access to all of these when they are readily available?
• We can now teach each other and learn something we previously had no knowledge of through diverse expertise anywhere, anytime, and from anyone.
• Life is all about choices. So why not embrace the strengths and skills of others around us, and, as a result, create more opportunity to influence others and to disrupt current thinking? 
• Connecting with those who are doing or leading the work provides needed context and motivation to do the same.
• It’s all free with a device connected to the Internet.

Every leader, including students, teachers, administrators, community members, and parents, can benefit from a PLN. HERE you can access a quick-start guide.

Connect yourself to the smart people then help your peers, co-workers, and those you serve do the same. To be more effective, we need to realize that there is a wealth of human resources at our fingertips that can help us all do what we already do better. They can push us to take a critical lens to our work, deliver essential feedback, answer questions, and provide support when needed.  Together we are better.

Always remember that there is someone out there smarter than you. Admitting this is a sign of strength, not weakness. If you genuinely want to get better, and not work harder in the process, connect with these people using digital tools.

Learning Never Stops

“Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” – Abigail Adams

How do you make, not find, the time to learn and get better? Often the number one impediment in this area is fitting it into our busy schedules.  Trust me; I get it.  There never seems to be enough time in the day to do what needs to be done both personally and professionally.  The only piece of advice I can give you that has worked for me is to take a critical lens to how you currently use your time and try to carve out at least fifteen minutes a day. Easier said than done, right? The best course of action is the focus on the “what if” instead of the “yeah but” aspect when it comes to time.  If it’s important to you, then you will find a way. If not, then you will make an excuse. 

In a perfect world, your organization, school, or district provides not only the time but also relevant options of which you want to be a part.  Even though this is a great start, there have to be other associated elements to make it a valuable and worthwhile endeavor.  One-and-done events might get everyone pumped up and excited, but what comes next?  The same can be said about drive-by professional development. Like change, learning is a process, not an event. There should always be a long-term plan following any keynote or workshop. When it is all said and done, the best experiences are ongoing and job-embedded so that the needed support, application into practice, feedback, and accountability for growth lead to actual changes to teaching, learning, and leadership. These elements also go a long way to scaling both practices and initiatives. 

So, what does meaningful professional learning look like? Take a look at the image below from Sylvia Duckworth to see what educators really value and think about what needs to change in your school or district. 

Let me now get back to the time issue that kicked off this post. I really dig the quote from Abigail Adams as it applies to both formal and informal pathways. It is essential to acknowledge that learning can happen by chance, but when it comes to professional improvement, seeking out opportunities to grow is what actually results in changes to practice.  Making the time is only one piece of the puzzle.  The other is ensuring what has been learned leads to improvements in teaching, learning, and leadership.  

For the purposes of this post, let’s put aside more traditional pathways that are either provided to educators or ones that are sought out, such as conferences and workshops. The digital world now provides all of us access to some fantastic opportunities. Here are some no-cost (or relatively low-cost) options.

Webinars

Improved bandwidth and increased access to technology have helped learning through webinars gain in popularity.  Many publishers and professional organizations offer these free of charge to their membership.  While every webinar is broadcast live at a set time, what makes them very appealing is that they are archived for convenient viewing.  The ability to stop and restart compensates for many of the challenges educators face when it comes to making the time to learn.  Some providers even make certificates of completion available.  I highly suggest you take a look at edWeb as they have been a leader in this space for many years. 

Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Social media allows any educator to learn anytime, anywhere, with anyone they want. Access to resources, ideas, strategies, feedback, and conversation as well as the ability to ask and answer questions is readily accessible with an array of devices.  Herein lies the power of a PLN. It is like a human-generated search engine on steroids that is at your beck and call. You select how much time to dedicate, who to connect with, and what tools to use. It’s all about YOU! To learn more about creating or improving a PLN, click HERE.

Book Studies 

Reading is such a critical aspect of one’s personal and professional growth.  I have yet to meet an educator who does not see the value in reading to improve his or her craft. Whereas the other two options are no-cost, engaging in a book study means you have to front some cash for the book.  Many organizations, schools, and districts will participate in a book study throughout a period of time, typically focusing on a chapter or two a week. Technology tools such as Voxer, Twitter, Instagram, and live video platforms have now afforded people from all over the world to read and learn together. 

Nowadays, many books come with study guides to assist both individuals and groups reflect upon the ideas and strategies presented as well as to develop action plans for implementation. In the updated edition of Digital Leadership, I included the book study right into the text to better serve educators.  At the end of each chapter, you will find a series of discussion and reflection questions to not only push one’s thinking but also to be cognizant of applying what has been learned. If you or your group uses Digital Leadership for a book study, let me know, and I will participate digitally as best I can. You can either share the hashtag (#) or invite me into the Voxer group for asynchronous participation. I am also willing to video conference at the end of the study to answer any questions. Just let me know!

Learning should never stop, and the ideal way to grow is choosing a pathway(s) that works best for you. 

The Future of Work

The future of work should be on the top of everyone’s mind as it is smacking us right now in the face.  As I have previously written, we are in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution, where rampant innovation and exponential advances in technology are changing the societal landscape.  We are seeing professions being redefined or outright eradicated.  Here is a fact.  Millions of jobs are and will continue to be, lost as a result of artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and automation.  So, what does this all mean? Below is a synopsis from the World Economic Forum (WEF):

As technological breakthroughs rapidly shift the frontier between the work tasks performed by humans and those performed by machines and algorithms, global labor markets are likely to undergo significant transformations. These transformations, if managed wisely, could lead to a new age of good work, good jobs and improved quality of life for all, but if managed poorly, pose the risk of widening skills gaps, greater inequality, and broader polarization. In many ways, the time to shape the future of work is now. 

The WEF goes on to summarize five trends that everyone needs to know about to be ready for this paradigm shift.

1. Automation, robotization, and digitization look different across different industries
2. There is a net positive outlook for jobs – amid significant job disruption
3. The division of labor between humans, machines, and algorithms is shifting fast
4. New tasks at work are driving demand for new skills
5. We will all need to become lifelong learners

There is a great deal to unpack here.  To begin, let’s focus on the most critical overreaching element. Change is not only on our doorstep, but it is about to kick the darn door in.  As a parent, this terrifies me as both my children will be thrust into this world very soon. There is some good news, however.  In the midst of the 4th and eventually the 5th Industrial Revolution, there will be millions of new jobs.  Will our learners be ready?

The question above is meant as a catalyst for reflection.  The future of work requires new skills, and it is up to K-12 education to lead the charge in this area.  Skills are not enough, in my opinion.  Yes, we want learners to have the requisite skills to meet the needs and demands inherent in the 4th Industrial Revolution. More importantly, it is our duty and the role of education to ensure that they are competent. Here are some of the thoughts I shared on this in a previous post:

Competencies outline "how" the goals and objectives will be accomplished. They are more detailed and define the requirements for success in broader, more inclusive terms than skills do. There is also an increased level of depth that considers skills, knowledge, and abilities. To succeed in the new world of work, students will need to demonstrate the right mix of skills, knowledge, and on-the-job ability. A skill is a practical or cognitive demonstration of what a student can do. Competency is the proven use of skills, knowledge, and abilities to illustrate mastery of learning by solving problems. 

The image below outlines the critical competencies (left side) that students will need in the future of work and how educators can make sure they develop them (right side).

Empowering our learners to think critically and solve real-world problems is paramount. However, as the WEF notes, lifelong learning is a must for all of us, not just the kids we serve. To meet the demands and expectations for work now and in the future, we must commit to professional growth. It is vital to make the time to learn and grow as opposed to finding the time. If we rely on the latter, chances are it will never happen.  Lifelong learning can come in many forms, but in my opinion, the most practical and time-friendly option is the creation and use of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). Using social media allows all of us real-time access to the most relevant ideas and knowledge that can be immediately implemented into practice to prepare learners for their future better.

The time is now to move the needle on needed change. The longer we wait, the greater the risk for those we serve – our kids. 

Recognizing the Digital Assets You Have at Your Disposal

We live in amazing times where readily accessible research and connectivity converge to not only transform practices but also provide the means to share them for the benefit of others.  However, there is a big difference between talk or desire to innovate and an evidence base that illustrates an actual improvement grounded in better outcomes.  Now, I am not saying that real results don’t exist.  On the contrary, I have seen this firsthand from some fantastic educators whose schools I have been blessed to work with on a long-term basis in the role of job-embedded coach.  I have also been blessed to observe great examples that members of my Personal Learning Network (PLN) make available on social media. My point though is that there is definitely room for growth in terms of validating all the talk with substance.

We should all want to do better in this area as the field of education needs more practical strategies that are weaved into the rhetoric.  I am all for a great story that pulls at different emotions. When it is all said and done though, the teacher and principal in me wants a good dose of reality that clearly moves from the “why” to the “how” and “what” of the implementation process. The talk will only take us to a certain point.  The same goes for other avenues that are more popular than ever. Fancy images, catchy videos, and verbal hyperbole don’t go nearly far enough in articulating how change is being successfully implemented in ways that align to curriculum, standards, evaluation systems, varying socio-demographics, and budget constraints.  Together, educators can change this and help move the profession where it needs to go.

The digital world provides each and every one of us the means to show in detail how change and innovative practices are being implemented successfully despite the many challenges faced in classrooms, schools, and districts across the world. Talking about what has been done and the act of telling others what they should do has to be followed by showing what the strategy or practice actually looks like when successfully implemented.  Here is where educators can collectively show, not tell, how innovation and change have or are improving outcomes.  It begins with a focus on improving teaching, learning, and leadership followed by utilizing an array of digital assets at every educator’s disposal to share and amplify.  

Image credit: CATSY

Below I go into each in detail and how you might better leverage one or all. 

Text

There is nothing easier than whipping up a tweet or update to be posted on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Text represents a great way to get ideas and strategies out there quickly and easily. The one downside with Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn is that posts are relatively brief and often short on needed context vital to help educators deeply understand how to implement a strategy or concept. Blog posts are a great option to get into the nitty-gritty of change. More on this later.

Hyperlinks

A simple strategy to add more context to tweets and social media updates is to add a hyperlink to supporting research, mainstream media pieces, blog posts, or other resource sites. Artifacts such as assessments, lesson plans, unit plans, projects, and examples of student work can easily be converted to a sharable link using Google Docs. Links to your resources and work can be archived and annotated using a social bookmarking tool such as Diigo. 

Images

Here is where you can really begin to leverage digital assets. Many of the shortcomings associated with just sharing through text can be overcome using images.  The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text.  Instagram by far is my favorite tool for bringing more clarity, detail, and context to what I share online, but Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn all support embedded visuals in any update.  When I coach, I love taking pictures of how educators are scaffolding (questions and tasks) and improving assessments as well as examples of innovative student work that aligns to standards. For curation purposes, you might want to consider either creating a Pinterest account or regularly updating the one you currently have. 

Video

It is hard to imagine a more robust digital asset than images, but video definitely takes the cake. A one-minute video equates to well over one million written words. Think about how any educator can seamlessly film learners working together on a project, how changes to classroom design are being appropriately supported with needed shifts in pedagogy, and ways in which technology is being used in a purposeful fashion to elicit higher-order thinking. It is also a great way to openly reflect on your ideas and successful strategies being implemented in your classroom, school, or district.  I have begun to do this regularly using a combination of Periscope, IGTV, and YouTube. Once my live video is shared on Twitter using Periscope, I then upload the archive to both IGTV and YouTube. The link is then shared across LinkedIn and Facebook. Check out my YouTube channel for all of my reflective videos to date. 

Blogs

One of the best professional decisions I ever made many years ago was to start a blog.  I consider this my most potent and practical digital asset.  Everything previously discussed can be meticulously woven into a post that moves well beyond the why to also emphasize the how and what.  If you are not blogging, it’s time to get over the hurdle.

In my books Digital Leadership (2nd Edition) and BrandED I go into each of these in great detail as well as provide specific strategies that can be immediately integrated into professional practice. I hope that more educators will take advantage of the digital assets they have available to share their amazing work in ways that are substantive in nature. Together we can show what indeed works, celebrate excellence in innovation,  and change the narrative in the process. 

Why Connect?

I was honored to have been interviewed for Educational Leadership, ASCD's flagship magazine, on the power of Twitter as part of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). You can read the article HERE.  Since only snippets of my responses were embedded into the piece I wanted to share the specific questions that were asked and my thoughts on each. As you will see, the true power of connected learning is what you glean from the people you engage with. 

When and why did you decide to get involved on Twitter? Did you have any initial challenges or reservations about it—and if so, how did you overcome those to develop a robust network and community?

I got on Twitter in 2009, which was an accomplishment in itself as I had previously convinced myself that I would never use social media as I didn’t have the time nor saw any value in it. Thus, the biggest challenge I had to overcome was a fixed mindset regarding how I could use a tool like this to improve my capacity as an educational leader. My “ah ha” moment came in March of 2009 after having read a newspaper article about Twitter in the Staten Island Advance.  This article switched the light bulb on as I finally saw value in how a tool like Twitter could help me become a better leader. The connection was to communicate.  You won’t find an effective leader who is not an effective communicator. Once I made an initial connection to supporting and enhancing professional practice I later learned how social media tools could be used to improve other areas of leadership. As my focus shifted from communication to learning that is when I saw unlimited potential.  We don’t know what we don’t know.  The humbling moments that the social media world provided became the primary driver in my pursuit to embrace digital leadership and work collaboratively with my staff to improve the learning culture at my school. 

How long does it take to develop a strong network on Twitter or other digital platforms? Does it help to focus in on one platform--like Twitter or FB--or do you need to build a diverse network with blogs, social media, podcasts?

The time it takes to develop a strong network on Twitter, or any social media platform is dependent on the quality of the content you share and create as well as the time you put in. I have found that educators are keen for more insight on practical ideas aligned to research and evidence of actual improvement. The more you can show, as opposed to telling, how innovative practices are improving learning outcomes leads to the development of a robust and respected network in my opinion. My rule of thumb is to start small by mastering one platform first and embed it consistently into professional practice.  Whether for learning, communications, telling your story, or developing a brand presence, consistency is essential.  Once you are comfortable with the use of one tool, the next step is to diversify your digital portfolio. This will open you up to even more information, ideas, opinions, connected educators, feedback, resources, and discussion. The bottom line, however, is to use the platform that best meets your needs and goals. It’s not about how many social media tools you use, but how well you use them to further your thinking and learning to continually grow as an educator while better serving your community in the process. 

Newbies are often advised to follow certain hashtags or prominent people as a way to ‘do’ Twitter, but sometimes that’s akin to walking into a crowded party and not having any idea who to start talking to or where the food is. How does one go about building a network, really?

Hashtags are an excellent way to begin to build your network as you can spread ideas and strategies to an established group. Amplification through hashtags combined with engagement plants the seeds that can lead to a vibrant network.  The key is to share original work aligned to the specific hashtag. People want to know what leads to results and ultimate success. The more practical the ideas, the quicker your network will form.  Other elements that go into network building are honesty, transparency, actively participating in discussions, and the right balance of sharing your work with that of others. The real strength of any network is not how many people follow you, but the quality of the people you follow and connect with. 

What’s the most valuable information, advice, or a lesson you’ve gotten from someone in your digital network? How did you use it to improve your practice?

I learned a long time ago to keep my message on point and aligned with my professional work. In my former role as a practicing school leader, this meant only sharing what my teachers and kids were doing during school hours. This not only protected me but ultimately helped to promote all of our successful practices while building my staff and students up in the process. In this sense, it has to be about “we” and not “me.”  Over time I learned that education had to change. “Don’t prepare students for something. Prepare them for anything!” – This is one of the biggest lessons I have learned from my time in the space. In the ASCD book, Learning Transformed that I co-authored with Tom Murray we provide a great deal of context on this. 

What three common mistakes do you see educators make when they try to develop a professional network or community on Twitter?

• Too self-promotional where it becomes humblebragging. 
• Tagging loads of people in your tweets for the primary purpose of getting him/or her to share your tweet. 
• Not responding to questions or comments that are directed to you.

On average, how much time do you spend each day on Twitter? Do you have any personal rules for unplugging?

Well, this depends on the day. My thinking is this – we all can allocate at least 15 minutes a day to learn and get better. Why not make the time to do this on a platform like Twitter where we can personalize the experience?  Balance is key. As such I do not have any personal rules for unplugging. I limit my use dramatically when I with my family so that I am present. That is the best advice I can give. 

Related to the last: How do you stay focused when you’re on Twitter—and not get sucked down a rabbit hole of distraction (oh! Those cat memes!)?

Establish some personal norms and stick with them. Self-efficacy is the only way not to get distracted. I look at it this way. My time is valuable, and there must be a professional-life balance. Thus, my use on platforms like Twitter are all aligned to how I can become more effective at what I now do – helping educators, schools, districts, and organizations transform teaching, learning, and leadership. Even though my activity can come in many forms, the focus remains the same.  If I want cat memes and such I will move over to my personal Facebook or Instagram account. 

Do you think social media platforms are a give-and-take relationship? To receive good content, do you also have to create it? And if so, how?

To get anything valuable out of life, it requires to give and take.  You don’t have to create good content to obtain anything from the relationship necessarily. Case in point. One can lurk on social media and acquire proven strategies that have been successfully implemented in schools that have led to better learner outcomes.  The acquired content can then be used as a catalyst for growth and improvement in his or her context.  If you are willing to take the ideas that others are openly giving you and using them to move your professional goals forward, then a positive relationship exists. Creating content is not a means to an end if you don’t want it to be. It is the vetting of and then using, the material that others produce that leads to evidence of improvement that creates relationships in connected spaces. When, and if, you are comfortable building your content go for it, but never think that you have to to get something from the platform. 

What do you get out of Twitter (or other online connections) that you haven’t been able to get from a personal colleague?

Timely, practical, and specific feedback when and where I need it. The convenience of having a 24/7 support network that spans the globe is quite empowering.  I often get the best feedback and advice on how to improve. Another benefit is the ability to pull from a vast collection of educators who have a diversity of strengths and unique talents. 

One worry/complaint from people who are trying to build a network online is that there’s too much content. How do you sort through “the noise” to find the things and people who are most valuable to you?

The noise can be controlled by being selective about who you connect with. The beauty of social media is that it is all about YOU! Unfollow those who clog up your streams with information or posts that don’t align with your professional goals.  You can also use a tool like TweetDeck to manage your connections and hashtags in specific columns. By doing this, you essentially are applying your filter to your feed.  

When it is all said and done the true power of Twitter, or any other social media tool for that matter, is the people with whom you connect and engage with to learn. The best ideas and strategies in education come from those who are successfully implementing them and getting results. 

Quote source

The digital age allows you to create an infinite amount of rooms to engage with the brightest minds across an array of experiences in education and other fields. By building a network that works for you the short and long-term impact on your professional practice can be priceless. 

Why Learning and People Should Come First

I was recently working on my slide deck for a three-day workshop that will take participants on an immersive experience into digital leadership and learning.  My primary objective for all multiday workshops is to illustrate the vital role that technology can play in improving teaching, learning, and leadership.  Most of the first day is spent on emphasizing the importance of a pedagogy first, technology second mindset. The bottom line is that if we don’t get the instructional design right first, then the chances of technology improving learning outcomes is slim to none.  

Throughout my slide deck are numerous questions to get participants to reflect on their practice and think strategically about changes that they or their school(s) need to make.  After having attendees discuss in groups their responses to each question I have them report out their thoughts using a variety of tools. For the most part, my integration of technology into workshops is to foster greater collaboration, showcase how to increase engagement authentically, formatively assess, and creatively showcase what they have learned.   In some cases, I will directly train educators on how to use various tools, but learning to use the edtech tools is the easy part.  Integrating them to support high-level learning and having evidence to support this is the challenging work. 

Image credit: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu

As I line up my reflective questions, I also determine which tools I am going to have participants use to share out.  My favorite and most reliable tend to be TodaysMeet, Padlet, Mentimeter, and AnswerGarden.  For the first day of this particular workshop, I had also planned to use Tackk and ProConIt, two lesser-known tools that I have been using for the past couple of years.  As I went into both accounts, I was shocked to learn that Tackk had suddenly shut down on September 30 and when trying to access ProConIt an error message notified me that the site was not working.  A few days later I still have not been able to access ProConIt successfully.

Fortunately for me, I was able to swap out both tools for others that are similar.  The lesson learned is valuable for anyone using technology to support professional practice.  How would you manage if one day you walked into your classroom or school to discover that Google Classroom, Seesaw, or any other tool that was thoroughly embraced no longer existed? Technology comes and goes.  Sometimes it doesn’t work the way we want, in some cases, it fails to load, and then there is the chance that the tool ceases to exist.  

In the classroom, we must be mindful of what is most important – the quality of the learning and the interactions between people. Both of these outcomes should never be driven by a tool, device, or program.  It is sometimes hard not to get sucked in by all the potential benefits that come with technology.  Engagement is one of them. Yes, we want kids engaged. However, it is critical that engagement leads to evidence of learning.  This point comes back to my mantra of pedagogy first, technology second. Technology should never drive our work, but instead be used strategically to improve teaching, learning, and leadership. 

Technology is not a replacement for practice supported by research and what has been found to work consistently.  The ultimate failsafe is a well-designed lesson that gets kids to think while applying their learning in a meaningful way.  This is why using a tool like the Rigor Relevance Framework to develop a pedagogically-sound foundation first will help to ensure a quality learning experience with and without technology.  It is also important to understand that technology will not automatically lead to better results. We must be mindful of not only how it will improve the task(s) at hand, but also to not rely on it to the point that we can’t move beyond a tool or program if or when it ceases to exist or work.

The same advice applies to the tools that many of us use to connect, learn, and grow.  The Personal Learning Network (PLN) is fueled by the connections made thanks to a variety of social media tools, most notably Twitter. How would you manage or cope if Twitter tomorrow decided to shut its doors?  To be honest, I think many connected educators wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. My point here is not to place all of our eggs in just one tool or platform. 

Technology has enabled all of us to do some pretty amazing things when it comes to our professional practice and will continue to do so. Just be wary of losing focus on what truly matters. Without people, the tech doesn’t matter when it comes to learning.