UWO+Program+Portfolio

**__Welcome to my Program Portfolio: Kristin__**
This Wiki symbolizes the beginning of a new journey in my professional career. I am thankful to be sharing this voyage with others and look forward to developing leadership skills, collaborative partnerships, and an increased knowledge base to share with my students.

Through this program I have developed the following skills by focusing of the following program goals:

It is clear that change is all around us. We must be committed to being a leader in the change that is pressing. As a result of reflection, I can vividly see that change is occurring and I have a responsibility to be informed, relevant and secure in my leadership. We live in a world that is dramatically affected by globalization and new technologies. One area of change that has been focused on lately is that of the American Education System and how it compares to the rest of the world. Very often the question is asked, “Are we doing enough in our American schools and how do we compare in global society?” In his book, //Catching Up or Leading the Way,// Yong Zhao looks at these questions in greater depth. According to Zhao’s book, some of the strengths of our system are as follow: it is inclusive, we encourage initiative and responsibility, we have a strong community of public and private people who value our different talents, and we allow children to be proud of their strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses”. One of the strengths we have is diversity and our tolerance of how we face these differences. I believe this last statement truly highlights the interdependence that we have between our Educational Leadership goals. One of the greatest areas of change that I have seen is with the integration of 21st century skills and specifically with the area of technology. One interesting impact that comes out of technology is how these changes impact our students. It is fascinating to consider that, “Technology, while reducing certain types of jobs, creates new jobs and thus increases the value of certain kinds of knowledge.” Out of consideration for these changes we have made a list of 21st century skills that are essential for students to have. Zhao includes core subjects, learning and innovation; information and media; technology skills; and life and career. As a professional, I have made a commitment to continue learning and growing in my knowledge in the above listed areas, and desire to help my students find change. Another development in my process of change is the integration of change theory into my thinking. I have learned the importance of implementing theories from Sergiovanni into my leadership. There were many aspects to his writings that applied to change. One of his statements was on the importance of leading with our “head, heart, and hands.” These three values have been directly linked to how I view leadership and my classroom. I truly see the importance of using my brain to think prudently and diligently about decision. Personally, I feel that leading with the heart is core to strong leadership. In order for me to have any influence with someone they must know that I truly care about them and have the best intentions to make things better. I have seen this principle directly applied in my classroom this year with one of my students and her parent. In this situation with an autistic student, the mom truly wanted what was best for her daughter and simply was trying to see change in how things we handled. This parent was misunderstood by a few staff members. However, when she realized that I truly cared and appreciated her daughter, she connected with me and was complimentary to work with. There seems to be truth in the old playground mantra of “treat others as you want to be treated.” Kindness always brings abundant rewards. The final component that Sergiovanni proposed is the idea of leading with hands. I truly feel that servant leadership is important in life. I know that it is important for me to practice, humility, and to be available to serve the people I am leading. Only in the process of reaching out to others and sharing the work will everyone be able to share the mission and values that we are trying to accomplish.
 * 1) Envision and Guide Organizational Change

Communication is the key to solid leadership. One of the tremendous benefits to this program has been focusing on strong communication skills and various strengths necessary for good leadership. It was extremely valuable to focus on the different communication styles in our early coursework. One of the excercises that made an impact was that of thinking of personality types. One of the methods that we discussed was the “tank.” At that moment it became clear to me that was not a style of communication that I would not want to embrace. One area of communication that is essential for me in my classroom is with my students and their parents. I read a book titled, //How to Talk so People Will Listen and Listen so People Will Talk.// I found the methods helpful in my current discussions because at times I think it is important for the leader to be the first one to listen before they can lead. When communicating with students, I prioritize showing that I care, providing respect, and then I set high expectations. It is important to me to show these same values to the parents and families of my students. I feel that this program has opened my eyes to the process of mutual understanding that is essential in leadership. As a result of me growth in this program I have taken on a few new positions in my school. Recently the associate principal asked me to join the School Behavior Committee. In one of the discussions we had he mentioned that he thought I could help to build community and lead in the direction that he thought we needed to go. I felt that it was a true compliment that he thought that I could influence the staff on the issues at hand. I know that I will be directly applying my learning from this program to that opportunity. Another area that I have been applying the communication and community building foundation is at my church. I have recently been helping with the women’s ministry. I feel that I have used discretion with how we are building the foundation and making sure that we are following the proper change methods and communication to help build our ministry.
 * 1) Communicate effectively, engage constituents, develop people and build community.

This goal has been one of the most meaningful to me as a result of this program. I feel that I have learned so much in the area of diversity and equality in education. The conversations that we had as a result of Dr. Parks class were eye opening and impactful. I had not fully considered the issues of poverty and race in my classroom. As a result of this program I have been more verbally active in making respect and equality bedrocks of my classroom. Just recently, a colleague was proposing having technology help for students after school. From my experience with this class, I explained that the students who need the help because they don’t have access at home are the same students who don’t have the transportation that they need for after school activities. This year I applied the same principal for several of my students who needed to serve consequences for behavior and missing work. As I talked over the situation with the parents I respectfully proposed alternatives that worked with their family situation. I am so thankful for my exposure to this new way of thinking. I have learned so much in how to approach diverse group of people and how to still provide respectful methods of all students having the opportunity for learning.
 * 1) Advocate and promote equity for diverse populations, and respect for individuals.

As I reflect over my program, I am so thankful that I have solidified my foundation of knowledge in leadership. Throughout the coursework it seems that one of the theorists that I connected with the most is Sergiovanni. I appreciate the wealth of perspective that he provides for leaders in the educational setting. I found my thinking in line with his ideas. Specifically in his book //Providing Leadership,// I found insight with his stages of leadership in we progress from Bartering, Building, Binding, and to Bonding. In our class discussion I found myself thinking about knowing the importance of the stage of influence that I have and knowing where the others are expecting to be. I appreciate that this process also integrates the levels of respect that important in dealing with diverse people. There have been two areas that we learned about and I wish to continue to learn more about. One major focus has been the integration of 21st century skills. In the readings we have done I have seen the importance for us to be instilling in our students the skills they will need to compete in the world. With this in mind, I humbly learned a lot in the technology class and will continue to active in learning more. This summer I have signed up for some of the technology in-services that are being offered through my district. Also, in the fall, I am working on trying to prepare some lessons that can flip the classroom in a controlled environment. In conjunction with this I will continue to learn more about Project Based Learning and the importance of backward planning. Especially in light of CCSS integration and the looming teacher evaluation model, I know it is essential to be focused and efficient in the implementation and increased learning of these ideas.
 * 1) Integrate theory, data, research and ethical standards into the context of one’s practice through continual learning.

Through this program I have developed the following dispositions: This programs has opened my eyes the power and importance of change. My goal is to make sure that I stay relevant in my leadership journey so that I may be one who is helpful in leading and sustaining change. I desire to be informed at positive in the change process, and hope to seek excellence in myself, and those around me. I feel that I am learning more about leading in change with the new responsibilities that have just been given to me this spring in relationship to the Behavioral Team and integrating PBIS in my school, and the fifth grade leader. I am thankful for having a foundation of seeing change as a beneficial thing, and an important component to improvement.
 * 1) Value change as the Source of Opportunity

2. Display the ability to understand people and relations and be receptive to the ideas of others. It has always been my philosophy to treat others with compassion and kindness. This program has truly opened my eyes to widening my range of perspective to include a much deeper level of respect in terms of diversity and the differences that are present in my community. As more students enter my school with multicultural backgrounds it will be critical for me to continue to model the respect that they deserve. Personally, I have tried to have strong conversations around the issue of poverty as well. In my classes I have tried to offer some different opportunities to make sure there is equity for my students. Another benefit to this program has been being able to listen to and converse around relevant topics in an educated manner. I have truly enjoyed the high level of professional conversation that I have been part of as a result of this program. I have tried to bring this level of discussion to my school as well. In the conversations I try to model the skills that I have learned and the methods that have been modeled for me through this program.

3. Show a willingness to implement non-discriminatory access, accommodations, and assessments. I would like to emphasize again how much I have learned and developed in the area of equity for my students. I have tried to be intentional with how I provide assistance for my students, and access for their families. In terms of assessment, I have tried to be creative and respectful with how I continue to monitor the learning of each student whom I serve and teach. I am thankful that as a teacher I am willing to learn new methods to reach all my students. I will continue my pursuit of best practices and seeking higher levels of understanding and confidence for all of my students.

I fully acknowledge that humans are complex creatures. We have many different parts that make up our social, physical, mental, and emotional parts of who we are. As a leader, I know that it is critical for me to be aware of these different perspectives and domains that make us up and to also apply empathy to those around me. I feel that one of the themes that has been present in this program has been that we are all different. We all have different strengths. We all have a different opinion about how to reach a solution. In functioning as a leader it is critical for me to embrace my inner Sergiovanni and wrap my “head, heart, and hands” around the situations and conflicts that arise around me and focus on working with those around me to find a solution and improvement. I am reminded of the human resources theory that has come up several times and its idea that we need to work together to find a better place for us all to be.
 * 1) Demonstrate empathic understanding of diversity in all domains.

Personally, I find it helpful to use reflection often. On most days I start with a quiet moment of thinking about how I hope my day will go. As I go through my day, I am mindful and purposeful in what I am doing and how I may need to improve, adjust, or celebrate my current reality. As a woman, I feel that personal discipline is important. I have set a high moral standard for myself, my family and my profession. I embrace many of the principles that we discussed regarding ethics. I honestly enjoyed the experience of the research project. I liked that there was a process and procedure that needed to be respected and followed to find results. Leadership is something that I have felt called to, and now I have a renewed sense of purpose in showing strong leadership in respectful ways to those people around me.
 * 1) Regularly reflect upon he philosophical assumptions, ethical principles, and rationale that guides one’s practice.

It is one of my goals to be a life-long learner. I have truly embraced this philosophy to the core. I want to continue to be in the conversations around best practices in education, what challenges our students face and how we can help, and how we can continue to pursue excellence in the field of education. Personally, I have found a renewed sense that I would like to stay connected to the University in some capacity. I will also commit to being a leader in the change that is moving through the educational system. As the authors discuss in their book //21 Century Skills,// our learners are different today, and I want to make sure that I am informed and practicing what will be most important for them. One of the keys to this process is that I never allow laziness or mediocrity to ease its way into my thinking. I must take the time to reflect, evaluate, and improve on a regular basis.
 * 1) Understand oneself as a learner, and value learning as a core capacity