“Never lose your sense of wonder.”
– Unknown
Many are writing about “connected educators”. The educators and educational leaders who are learning and growing through multiple digital learning networks. These personal and professional learning networks allow people at various levels to share links, blogs, journals, research, tips, tricks, etc. These networks allow for virtual relationships to develop between and among professionals at many levels. These networks are the wave of the present and future – not the past. These networks are revolutionizing professional development and conferences. Now terms like “un conference” or “ed camp” are becoming the norm. Now “experts” – meaning professionals at every level – are facilitating sessions and sharing creativity.
Through our journey into the connected world, we have discovered that in some school systems the top leadership does not understand or value these new types of learning. Their relative ignorance about social connectivity can become quite detrimental to a school system in search of change, innovation, and leadership. Students today will be competing for jobs that do not yet exist. Students today will be connecting in ways that generations of senior leadership do not understand. Therefore, I believe that it is incumbent upon senior level leadership to connect, to open up, to model, to essentially lead in a culture of connectivity.
I am proud to report that I am a connected superintendent who leads a connected leadership team and a connected faculty and staff! At @DPS109, #Engage109 we challenge you to resolve to become more connected in 2015!
Why connect to others? Why seek out a professional and personal learning community?
Connected educators are educators who:
· Organize the entire community around specific and focused goal areas
· Build relationships constantly
· Seek feedback, shares feedback and incorporates feedback into actions
· Communicate by listening first, processing, and responding
· Stay focused on the big picture, medium picture, and details
· Respect the Board of Education and connects with the Board professionally
· Learn about the formal structures and the informal structures and moves all forward
· Reach beyond the “walls” of the school District and community to learn, grow, & share
· Respond to all inquiries in a timely and respectful manner
· Connect to the modern day technology as an accelerator for teaching, learning, and leading
· Measure culture and reports on culture and deliberately work to improve organizational culture
· Keep students, staff, and community at the forefront of all decision making
· Communicate over and over and over again – clear messages, brands, modes of communication
In DPS109 we Engage, Inspire, Empower – each and every child – each and every day!
We Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, Encourage the Heart (Kouzes & Posner, The Leadership Challenge)
