Questions

Since I am not in this program and am taking this class to learn about Technology and different Leadership styles I have a couple of questions for you in this program. On Blackboard ther are only limited number of links for discussion. Are we supposed to be doing most of our work and communicating on this blog site. Also what about the Live Discussions are those different than the weekly Skype meetings? Just not sure and want to know

ReEntry into Blog World

Since I have not been on in 2 weeks I have some catchning up to do. I thought Sensei's advice under Forming was good practical advice. You must lead or get out of the way and appoint a leader. Understanding boundaries are essential with guidelines being set as essential and nonnegotiable. Defining the task with timelines and resources will keep lines of communication open and avoid pitfalls in the process. In the Storming stage he points out as to intervene as leader or coach the team leader if appointed. Be able to identify and solve the right problems. Get to the root and don't get wrapped up in symptoms. Provide ways for group members to communicate their frustrations and strategies for resolving differences. He says to monitor, monitor, monitor and watch team members to see if they are progressing through this stage.

Reflection on Skype Meeting

Since this was my first Skype meeting ever I thought it was cool the way we could meet all at once online from different parts of the country and share ideas from different perspectives. It was like video conferencing without the pictures.
As we discussed efficacy as a perception issue I was impressed with Dr. Holders remarks about wisdom. Knowledge is what we teach. Wisdom is what God gives us. And if I may add one other principle. God gives us his Torah which is His teaching and instruction. Many believers think that the Torah are just the first 5 books of the Bilble. But observant Jews look at the Torah as the whole Bible. They don't really seperate Old and New Testament because back in Yeshua's day there was no New Testament.
Another interesting and I believe true statement that was mentioned in Tuesdays meeting was that "A school is a reflection of its community". I think that this is an accurate statement and also if the school reflects its immediate community it then behooves the members of that community to make sure the culture sets a certain standard. Secular vs. private(Christian, Hebrew) schools are responsible purveyors of values and morals that are taught by teachers in schools and supported by parents.
This brings me to Chapter 5 in Piccianos text. People, decision making and the social nature of information. When a technology leader is selling an idea to a principal he must be able to manage that information along with aligning and monitoring the curriculum to meet the needs of the school. Along with this is the idea of building a culture of professional learners who are committed to insturctional improvement or advancement. There has to be a reason for implementing the program and for the data collected to make sense to all parties involved.

Leadership Style

After reviewing chapter 2 of Halls book I would classify myself as a Sensei leader with some aspects of of a sage thrown in. The dual role of mentor and facilitator is a pretty accurate representation of my personal leadership style. My expectations are usually formulated and implemented and with the cooperation of the team take some time to implement. However I am confident in the individuals ability to grow as well as to problem solve. This is where the mentoring comes in. The Sage part comes in with getting things done and assigning tasks. In the Learning Continuum Model I would classify my self predominantly as Sensei with some Sage.

Hall, D. (2008). The Technology Director’s Guide to Leadership. ISTE ISBN 978-1-56484-244-2.

New to the Blogging Thing

This is my first blog, my first time on a blog well you get the idea. I am a Liberty University Graduate student in the MAT program. I elected to take this class because I have been a substitue here in Southern California the last 3 years and see an ever increasing trend towards technology. Since I am not a teckkie I thought I would try and understand what this generations "Final Frontier" is all about. I also manage an amputee golfer who is playing his way onto the PGA tour. I know were supposed to talk about technology issues but its a challenge just to get this written right now.