Private: SSW Professional Development Path

Module  Leadership and Leaders

Welcome to SSW professional development please complete the four modules in the first month of your commencing your new position. If you require additional time please notify your Supervisor prior to month end.

Please click on the link to view article in  Globe and Mail.

Leadership is a process, a leader is a person, a manager is a job title.

While there are many styles of leadership they basically fall into two categories: Transformative and Authouritarian and the titles describe the main focus. The first style Transformative is about change and improvement. An Authouritarian style is about maintaining control and directing from the top down.

An Authouritarian leader makes the final decisions with or without input. This style of leadership requires a hierarchy with clearly defined roles. There is adherence to norms and standards and meeting expectations but not in exceeding them. The Authouritarian leader is like a hardwood tree it is rigid in the changing strong winds so branches get broken and it can get uprooted.

Transformative leadership recognizes many people have expertise and leadership can be shared or distributed amongst team members depending on what needs to be done. Transformative leadership style aligns with being an authentic and self actualized leader who seeks to achieve greater social justice. This style focuses on inclusion. The transformative leader may at times prioritize a thoughtful slow approach, a dispersed leadership style, a transactional style or one that is responsive to situational factors. Transformative styles are like willow trees that can bend and adapt to the changing winds so they do not break but instead become massive, strong and beautiful.

Rigidity
Flexibility

Authritarian leadership requires motivating people about your vision while transformative leadership includes inspiration from all members and requires listening carefully to their vision. Ab inclusive leader wants everyone to feel comfortable in sharing fully and in providing honest feedback so you get the best result. So save your own opinion for last and be open to changing your mind. Transformation is a process that requires constant updated communication, openness to change, enlisting champions and focusing on small successes. If you go in with door locked you cannot pass beyond where you are now.

Reflection

View the video of  Dan Ariely by clicking here He is a behavioural economist who has studied work and motivation.  Once you have watched the short twenty minute video reflect on what this video message makes you think of  in terms of your own life and work.  Draft your short reflection showing how some idea(s) has made you reconsider something related to your own life and how an idea from the video may impact you to believe more or less strongly on your previous idea of motivation. 

Post Forum 7 MDDE 623

Educational Utopia could be in our future in accordance with Unesco (2013) goals of Education For All (EFA):

  • There will be no disparity between rural and urban, no differences in access dependent on gender, economic status or disability. 20 years plus
  • Screen size will be flexible to suit all needs. 5 years or less.
  • Language will be no barrier and the entire world will be connected in a wireless web. 5 years or less for language longer for wireless everywhere.
  • Students and educators will have access to meaningful data to shape effective personalized learning. 5-10 years
  • Power sources  will be more efficient and device costs will be affordable. 5-10 years.
  • Universal designs will make instruction suitable for a multiplicity of mobile device types. 2-5 years
  • There will be excellent research to promote standards for mobile learning that will ensure the best possible learning outcomes tailored to individual needs. 2-5 years.
  • Mobile cloud computing will provide large data repositories than can be mined and will ensure access anywhere by any type of device to well designed learning materials. 2-5 years
  • Learning will be blended between play and work, formal and informal educational opportunities and life long learning will be secured. 2-….?
Katie Joy Crawford Photographer
A Head in the Clouds  – photographer Katie Joy Crawford

Now that our heads are in the clouds a few cautionary notes:

  • Learning theory, learning analytics and design standards are not clearly connected and much research is still needed to inform practice (UNESCO,2013).
  • Educational institutions and educators are still often resisting change and the norm remains traditional classroom bound learning. Chen,Tao and He (2016) stated that while Mobile Cloud Computing has grown due to its economic and mobile advantages they identified barriers to mobile cloud learning to include: Privacy, security, policies, legal ramifications and wireless connectivity.
  • Cochrane (2009) discussed that learning through mobile wireless devices provides the fertile ground necessary for social constructivist based pedagogy to enable deep learning to flourish in creating learner centred, self-directed environments. However, this alters the student teacher paradigm and is by its nature disruptive. This will undoubtably cause resistance as disruptive change is never quickly embraced by the masses. Cochrane (2009) states the impact as being significant since “the disruptive nature of mobile devices requires educators to rethink learning environments and assessments in order to integrate the technology into their pedagogical approach (p. 399).” Disruptive technological advances require radical changes and this can in fact slow down adoption as it is not a gentle transition.
  • Getting ahead means we have to identify ways to promote adoption and we need more successful models to showcase future potential. Enabling institutions to see potential in mobile learning in the not for profit sector has been one of my goals for several years. Success with small projects that shows good return on investment and engaging champions has shown some progress but as with all change, patience and commitment is required. I think the utopian vision will take at least twenty years and it will still not be world wide due to social and cultural restrictions. War, displaced persons and cultural or religious beliefs will sadly hinder access to mobile learning for all people for the foreseeable future.

References

Chen, Y., Tao, R. and He, W. (2016) Investigating mobile cloud learning through blog mining. International  Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, Vol. 10, Nos. 1/2, pp.61–77.

Cochrane, T. (2009) Mobilising learning: intentional disruption – harnessing the potential of social software tools in higher education using wireless mobile devices. International Journal Mobile Learning and Organization. Vol.3. p. 399-419

Winters, N., Sharples, M., Shuler, C., Vosloo, S., & West, M. (2013). UNESCO/Nokia The future of mobile learning  report: Implications for policymakers and planners.