21st Century School Vision
My vision for educational leadership is to provide children with the opportunities they need to be successful in the 21st century. This includes skills that are crucial with the ever changing world and job market they will face as adults. Of course, all students need to be proficient in core subjects: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Innovation and 21st century skills have to be part of the conversation as well. Communication/Collaboration Skills, Research & Information Literacy, Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, and Innovation/Inquiry are competencies that I believe all students need to be successful.
Children are constantly connected with the globe in a way that no generation has been before. They can not only access information at the touch of their fingertips, but they themselves can also use tools in the 1:1 classroom to produce content that can be published globally. This gives educators an excellent opportunity to teach students how to be reflective about their learning while preparing to share their work with a global audience.
The 1:1 classroom calls for the importance of students and teachers to understand Digital Literacy and Digital Citizenship. Students need to understand how to find valuable information on the internet. They must learn to evaluate and be critical of the information they read in order to understand the validity of this information. Students must also understand the digital footprint that they leave behind while online. They need to realize the importance of keeping information private, and how to be safe while online. All of these skills need to be embedded into the classroom culture.
I do realize that what I am talking about it going to require a shift in thinking for many teachers, parents, and stakeholders. This change is not something that can happen instantaneously. This change should also not take away from the importance of student success of the core subjects.
So how can a school be successful in all of these things? I believe that job embedded teacher professional development is the answer. Creating strong Professional Learning Communities across the school building is critical to the success of all content areas as well as the usage of technology. These PLCs should be based off of team goals for improvement. These teams should have the opportunity to choose what PD they want to receive, but they should also be guided toward the PD that they need for their students to be successful.
The other large component to school building success is relationships. The power of a relationship should never be underestimated. A strong relationship between a teacher and student or an administrator and a teacher can prove to be the best motivation tool a school can offer. Creating this school climate needs constant monitoring and adjustments to continue a solid rapport for all stakeholders involved.
Children are constantly connected with the globe in a way that no generation has been before. They can not only access information at the touch of their fingertips, but they themselves can also use tools in the 1:1 classroom to produce content that can be published globally. This gives educators an excellent opportunity to teach students how to be reflective about their learning while preparing to share their work with a global audience.
The 1:1 classroom calls for the importance of students and teachers to understand Digital Literacy and Digital Citizenship. Students need to understand how to find valuable information on the internet. They must learn to evaluate and be critical of the information they read in order to understand the validity of this information. Students must also understand the digital footprint that they leave behind while online. They need to realize the importance of keeping information private, and how to be safe while online. All of these skills need to be embedded into the classroom culture.
I do realize that what I am talking about it going to require a shift in thinking for many teachers, parents, and stakeholders. This change is not something that can happen instantaneously. This change should also not take away from the importance of student success of the core subjects.
So how can a school be successful in all of these things? I believe that job embedded teacher professional development is the answer. Creating strong Professional Learning Communities across the school building is critical to the success of all content areas as well as the usage of technology. These PLCs should be based off of team goals for improvement. These teams should have the opportunity to choose what PD they want to receive, but they should also be guided toward the PD that they need for their students to be successful.
The other large component to school building success is relationships. The power of a relationship should never be underestimated. A strong relationship between a teacher and student or an administrator and a teacher can prove to be the best motivation tool a school can offer. Creating this school climate needs constant monitoring and adjustments to continue a solid rapport for all stakeholders involved.