Week 3 Literacy Leadership

The readings for this week focus on goals for literacy leaders, principles of adult learning, effective professional development, and beginning to think about coaching. In this blog, I want you to focus primarily on connecting your own experiences to the ideas about adult learning and professional development as we prepare for our weekend together.  We will spend time in class on coaching, but there are also three more weeks devoted to understanding coaching and how it works. Think first about the principles of adult learning that were discussed in L&T 4 and EP&L 1. For you as an adult learner, which of the principles are most important for you as you learn something new? For me, I have to know why I am doing an activity or reading a text, and it has to be tied to something I need and want to learn.  In fact, it is best if I choose to learn it.  Technology integration into my own classes has been an example of this--I sought out books on technology in classrooms, specifically tied to literacy learning for my undergraduates. What is an example for you?
Now think about characteristics of effective professional development from L&I 3. Think about PD sessions that you have attended that were effective for you  and ones that were not. How did they match up to the list on page 52? What can you learn from those sessions that you can apply to your work now and in the future as a literacy leader?  I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say.  Preview of coming attractions: We have a full agenda for Friday night and Saturday which should give us a good start on you personal learning plans, understanding technology as part of being a literacy leader, and creating the survey to find out the learning needs in your setting. See you on Friday at 6 pm in Rm 334!
SB

Week 2 Who are you as a literacy leader now? What are standards for literacy leaders and what do they mean?

Who are you as a literacy leader now? I know you will have been working on creating your Glog to introduce yourself as a literacy leader. I'd like you think about someone you know that you admire as a literacy leader. What are their characteristics? Describe that person. Then think about what you do now to be a literacy leader, albeit potentially an unacknowledged one in your setting. Describe that. Relate those thoughts to the readings for this week.
I have thought about what I do as one and what I would like to get better at.  I do know that I try to innovate in my teaching by using new tools that are available to support the learning of my students. I try to model being a learner by learning new technologies, and by keeping up with research. In my setting, that is important.  But I also see literacy leaders in the schools I visit as well, leaders who consistently look to make sure that all students are learning and who are not afraid to change what they do if it will support learning.  The International Reading Association has developed standards for literacy leaders.  The links to those standards is posted on D2L. Take a look at them.  If you are a reading specialist candidate, look at those standards.  If you are not a reading specialist candidate, I have posted the standards for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. Unpack the standards in terms of the L&T reading for this week. How do they relate to what the reading says literacy leaders who are ethical and critical do?
I look forward to reading both about you and reading your analyses. Be sure to respond to each other in the comments to my post as well as to me.
SB

Welcome to EDRG 5903 Week 1

Welcome to my blog! I"m new at this, so we will be learning together. This is the first blog of the semester.  You will be responding to my blog each week. My purpose is to activate your background knowledge of topics of readings or set purposes for readings when you have readings.  On some weeks, I"ll ask you to reflect on ideas or projects or give you instructions for jigsawing the readings. I'll want you to reflect and dig deeply into what you are reading and into your practice as a literacy leader.
This class is being held in a hybrid or blended format.  That means that we will have some face to face interactions, either in the classroom together on a weekend or online via Adobe Connect.  But it also means that you will be interacting with each other and me online via this blog or via small group discussion sessions. You will also be listening/watching to videos of mini lectures as necessary. Unlike a traditional class where you know when you will meet up with me each week at a specific time, you will need to be more independent in making sure that you interact with me and each other when there are big gaps in time between face to face meetings. Consequently I know I have some expectations of you, and I am sure that you have some expectations of me as the instructor and of each other as fellow members of the learning community. Here are my expectations for you:

• Keep up with the readings for each week so that you can reflect on them and interact with others around them. 
• Participate thoughtfully and think deeply about class content.  Think and reflect on how concepts and issues relate to your own situation.
• Read my blog early in the weekend and respond to ti before you do the readings. That will also guide your own blog posts.
• Plan to spend 2 hours per week during the work week online, blogging, responding to blogs, meeting with your small group.
• Be open minded about learning new tech tools. I"ll be here to guide you and help.  I also have 5 iPads to loan out for use in completing the assignments.
• Let me know if you need help, need to talk, need moral support, want assignments reviewed, just want to make sure that you understand.

What are your expectations for me as the instructor of the class? What are your expectations for the members of the class? What are your expectations for yourself?
I'm looking forward to reading your responses.
SB