Reflections on Domain III Competencies 8-9

Reflections on Domain III Competencies 8-9

My internship experiences for Domain III have given me great insight and an understanding of administrative leadership.  Much of this was gained through discussions with many individuals on my campus, research I conducted, and activities I have performed.  The time I spent will give me the foundation I need to be a successful administrator in the future.

My activities in Competency 8 allowed me apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to campus budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology use.  I inventoried all of the current administrative technology in use.  This allowed me to determine if there was adequate equipment for administrative purposes and to determine what equipment should be upgraded, repaired, or replaced.  I met with the school attendance officer and the director of security to discuss ways technology is used to monitor student attendance.  We also discussed the process of monitoring truant students.  As Activities Accountant, I oversee the income generation and purchases of all extracurricular activities and clubs.  I work closely with club advisors, coaches, and the athletic director on financial matters, giving financial guidance and advice.  I also prepare and maintain financial records that are supplied to the district business administrator and the district’s auditors.  I developed a professional development plan that includes deficiencies and areas in need of improvement.  In addition, I compiled a list of publications and resources that will be useful for use as an administrator.

In Competency 9, I gained knowledge on how to apply principles of leadership and management to the campus physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.  I worked with technology support personnel to identify computer lab computers in need of repair, replacement, or upgrading for improved student use.  I discussed current issues and needs of the transportation department with the district’s assistant director of transportation.  I also discussed the daily responsibilities and management of the school cafeteria with the cafeteria manager. 

All of these activities gave me a greater understanding of an administrator’s role as an administrative leader.  Administrators are responsible for and need to be knowledgeable of all aspects of the school community.  They need to be effective leaders and managers to maintain a safe and effective learning environment. 

Reflections on Domain II Competencies 4-7

Reflections on Domain II Competencies 4-7

My internship experiences for Domain II have given me great insight and an understanding of instructional leadership.  Much of this was gained through discussions with many individuals on my campus, research I conducted, and activities I have performed.  The time I spent will give me the foundation I need to be a successful administrator in the future.

My activities for Competency 4 included identifying software to improve enhance or support the business/technology curriculum in my school, discussing the scheduling of classes with the head of guidance, conducting classroom observations of teachers, supervising the income generation and purchases of all school activities, and review the school’s Perkins grant.  I researched and identified software to enhance and support the business/technology curriculum in my school.  I found that there are many low or no cost alternatives that would benefit the curriculum and would help control the schools budget.  I also learned a lot about the scheduling process from discussions with the head of guidance.  These conversations gave me a greater understanding of what scheduling entails from taking course request from students to creating the master schedule.  By conducting teacher observations, I was able to experience the observation process.  This experience will give me confidence in my abilities when I am an administrator.  As activities accountant I supervise the income generation and purchases for school activities.  I put in a considerable amount of time for this position, spending five or more hours per week.  I need to advise teachers and coaches on appropriate procedures and regulations, in addition to making sure they are financial sound.  I also reviewed and had conversations regarding the school’s Perkins grant.  This grant is important because it is the major source of funding for the school’s technology equipment.

For Competency 5, I engaged in activities such as evaluating options for student belonging, researching trends and practices in educational technology, analyzing school test data, and participating is student discipline conferences.  Since many students are motivated by activities such as clubs and athletics, it is important to have an understanding of what the school has to offer students.  I also researched current trends in educational technology, such as Web 2.0 tools, and discussed my finding with colleagues in my school.  I have found that it is important to stay current with trends and that many of the tools available today can have a positive effect on student learning.  I also analyzed school test data on state tests.  It is important for a school leader to be aware of trends in student achievement as well as areas of concern.  This data can be important in making decisions on curriculum and allocation of school funding.  Lastly, I participated in student discipline conferences with an assistant principal.  I found this to be helpful in learning the process of student discipline, but also in the technique of administering student discipline.  I observed that an administrator who is consistent and fair usually gains the respect of staff and students.  This helps aid the administrator in the process of their duties.

My internship activities for Competency 6 include conducting a survey of the school staff to determine professional development needs and desires, and participating in interviews for instructional aide positions.  I found surveying staff was an effective way to determine staff professional development needs.  I was able to pinpoint deficiencies and strengths, allowing the school to focus resources on the greatest areas of need.  Participating in the interviewing process was also helpful in my understanding of hiring and personnel procedures.  I was able to experience how to candidates were gathered, interviewed, and selected.  I was also able to learn what qualities can be determining factors in their selection, especially when there are multiple candidates for a position. 

My activities for Competency 7 consist of discussions at length with a school supervisor about a school change and the school nurse about student services available to students and the requirements of the school health program.  I also participated in a conflict resolution as a mediator.  The discussions with the school supervisor about changes in administrative responsibilities and structure that recently took place in my school were very helpful in helping me understand the process my district uses to make changes.  I obtained a greater understanding the reasoning behind certain school changes and the steps that are necessary to school change.  Discussions with the school nurse were helpful for my understanding of required school services.  Before discussions with her I did not know of the responsibilities of the school in filling and reporting student health related information.  I was also not aware of the services that the school provided to students regarding health care and treatment.  The conflict resolution was very helpful in my understanding of the mediation process and the steps needed for individuals to come to a consensus.  I found this activity helped me gain a greater comfort level in conducting conflict resolution and I would have much higher confidence when conducting other in the future.  I found that it is important to hear the concerns of all involved and at the same time come up with a consensus that is in the best interests of all of the individuals and the school.

All of these activities gave me a greater understanding of an administrator’s role as an instructional leader.  They need to make sure that all of the needs of students, staff, and the school are being met.  An effective leader needs to create an effective learning environment for students to thrive and be successful.

Reflections on Domain I Competencies 1-3

Reflections on Domain I Competencies 1-3

My internship experiences for Domain I have given me great insight and an understanding of instructional leadership.  Much of this was gained through discussions with many individuals on my campus, research I conducted, and activities I have performed.  The time I spent will give me the foundation I need to be a successful school community leader in the future.

In Competency 1, I performed many activities that gave me experiences and an understanding of how an administrators shape campus culture.  I looked at the vision statements of several local schools and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses.  I reviewed my school district’s technology plan.  I gained an understanding of how it was developed and supported.  I investigated how assessment data is used within my school and how this is a contributing factor in student placement and programs.  I developed consensus building skills through the development of my action research plan.  This helped me develop a plan that was in the best interest of the school and its needs.  I also was able to observe consensus building and collaborative decision making through the observation of administrative team meetings.  These meetings gave me an insight into the process, and an awareness that many decisions are made as a group and not by one individual.

For Competency 2, I gained experience on how to effectively communicate and collaborate with all members of members of the school community.  I gained feedback from my action research survey from teachers.  This allowed me to evaluate what was effective, what could have used improvement, or what could have been additional follow-up questions.  I also was involved in planning and participating in a series of technology community nights.  This was helpful in building positive relations with the community and an effective way to communicate what our school had to offer.  I examined the school’s policy for parent involvement and discussed the committees for parent involvement.  This gave me a greater understanding of how parents can be involved in shaping the school’s culture and the positive changes they have been a part of.  In addition, I examined the school library’s resources to determine if they had an appropriate selection of material to meet the needs of the school’s culturally diverse population.  Lastly, I compiled a list of agencies that are available to help and support students, faculty, and administration.  They can provide valuable resources that the school may sometimes not be able to provide.  I have found that partnerships within the community can a contributing factor to the success of students and the school. 

My activities for Competency 3 gave me an understanding of how to act integrity, fairness, and in an ethical and legal manner.  I reviewed and analyzed the job descriptions and responsibilities of several administrative positions within my school district.  This gave me a greater understanding of what is required of an administrator on a daily basis.  I interviewed a retired teacher that was able to describe the changes in technology within the school district over the past 30 years and its impact on all aspect of the school community.  I also created a guide for teachers on the use of copyrighted material for school use.  This will allow teachers to appropriately and legally use copyrighted materials within their classrooms.  I also attended school board meetings to gain an understanding of how and why decisions are made within the district.  This gave me a great insight into the legal aspects the school must deal with in the operation of the school district.

As a leader in a school, administrators need to demonstrate themselves in the appropriate way.  Administrators are many times the link between all members of the school community and need to effectively and appropriately communicate with them.  As an administrator you will be counted on to make sound judgments and the activities that I participated in will be helpful in this capacity.  

Action Research Progress

The research and activities for my action research have been completed.  A rough draft of the report, charts, and tables has been completed.  Finishing touches are all that remains for the report.  The action research is to determine the technology proficiency of the teachers at my school and also to determine how often and how technology is being used in their classrooms.  I also want to determine what types of professional development that would be appropriate to improve technology proficiency and also to determine what types of professional development teachers would like to help improve their proficiency.  The use of Web 2.0 tools will help to improve classroom instruction and increase student engagement.

During my research, I surveyed the teacher in my school.  The survey consisted of question regarding what technology tools they are proficient in, what technology tools they use in class, how often they use technology in their instruction, and what technology tools they would like to receive training for.  I also reviewed the technology standards used by teachers.  In addition, I took a physical inventory of the technology equipment that is available for teacher and student use.  The combination of these activities was to determine in what ways it is necessary to improve teacher technology proficiency and use.  It was also helpful in determining a network of teachers that would be willing and capable of providing in-school training and support through mentoring and workshops.  From my research I have determined that the school has the equipment and capabilities for teachers to infuse Web 2.0 tools into their curriculum.  However, the majority of the teachers are not proficient in the use of Web 2.0 tools and this is the major hindrance.  Most have a desire and are willing to learn about Web 2.0 how to use tools in their classes.  This is encouraging and will enable the school to create a culture of growth and improvement in the area of technology.

EDLD 5326 Week 4 Presentation

Robert Heck EDLD 5326 Week 4 Presentation from robertlheck

This is my week 4 presentation on my school-community partnership.  My proposed partnership is between the school and the local community center to target the three lowest performing subgroups within my school for academic support. The partnership would be the inclusion of high school students to an existing partnership that currently involves the district's elementary students.