IEJLL: International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning
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227 research outputs found
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Reflections of School District Technology Leaders on the Implications of the New Technologies for Educational Leadership, 7(19)
No full textThis paper reports the results of a focus group interview of technology-integration leaders to identify the leadership issues which influence the integration of technology in schools. The participants discussed questions that focused upon the relationship between ICT technologies and educational leadership. Qualitative analysis of these discussions indicated the participants agreed that leadership is a very important but misunderstood determinant of successful ICT integration. The report concludes that effective technology integration requires a new approach to leadership. It requires the integration of leadership at each and every level of organizations to attain the objectives of those organizations as integrated wholes
Sharing the Challenge: Using Threaded Discussion Groups to Build Teacher Resiliency, 7(11)
No full textProducing more teachers to address the current teacher shortage is a quick fix that ignores the deeper issue of teacher retention. Teacher educators and school district staff developers should be developing ways to prepare resilient teachers.
This article explores the use of threaded discussion groups used in two pre-service reading courses to investigate the potential for online discussions to support the development of the attributes of resiliency in both pre- and in-service teachers
The Internet in British Columbia Classrooms: Learning Environments in New Contexts, 7(15)
No full textThis article reports on a study of classroom environments in emerging Internet classrooms in British Columbia, Canada. The study involved an evaluation of the physical and psychosocial learning environments in these settings through a combination of case studies and questionnaires. This work focuses on the results obtained from the administration of a student questionnaire designed to measure aspects of the psychosocial learning environment in these settings and to relate these factors to students’ satisfaction with learning and to other physical aspects of the learning environment. Versions of the What Is Happening in This Classroom (WIHIC) instrument and Computerized Classroom Environment Checklist (CCEC) were administered to 358 high school students in 22 classrooms from six schools around the province. Analysis of classroom environment data revealed that student autonomy/independence and task orientation are associated with students’ satisfaction with learning. Relating data to physical measures such as the workspace and visual environments demonstrated significant associations between the physical and psychosocial learning environment in technology-rich classrooms. Further qualitative data suggest that factors related to teaching styles, classroom design, and the learning environment interact to influence students’ satisfaction with learning
Technology Use as a Catalyst for Change: A Leadership Framework for Transforming Urban Teacher Preparation, 7(12)
No full textWhat research-based model can we develop for preparing tomorrow’s teachers to use technology that is flexible to different New York urban contexts and to the needs of different teacher preparation institutions? This is the question guiding the three-year study of urban teacher preparation in technology by the New York State Education Department, in collaboration with university-school district partnerships from four of the “big five” cities of New York State. In this report we present the results of the Catalyst Partners’ grounded theory approach to building a learning organization and a systems change model for teacher preparation using technology as the catalyst for change in the state
Web-Based Learning Needs for Adult Education Centres, 7(13)
No full textThis study recounts the experience of the Vancouver School District in planning for web-based instruction in adult education centers. Following a literature review of adult learning and web-based instruction with learners, focus groups were held to identify needs of learners, instructors, and administrators. Results identified learning needs for diverse constituent groups, strengths and limitations of web-based technology with adult students and issues dealing with web-based interactivity, accessibility, support, and collaboration and participation in decision-making. The article concludes with recommendations for future directions that might be pursued by an adult education centre within the Vancouver School Board
The Importance of Beginning Teacher Instruction in Your School, 7(21)
No full textThis article is review of the literature surrounding the issues of induction with a strong focus on mentoring in specific educational contexts. The article discusses the issues school communities face as they examine the ways induction programs are implemented, decide what type of information to include in such programs, and discern the effect such programs have on teacher retention. This perspective is particularly valuable as more and more induction programs become mandated at the state and national levels
Leadership, Organizational Learning, and the Successful Integration of Information and Communication Technology in Teaching and Learning, 7(14)
No full textThis study focused on a specific change related to the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into teaching and learning in 15 case study schools in order to explore how leadership influences organizational learning, and to determine if those schools that engaged more frequently in organizational learning behaviours were more successful at implementing ICT in teaching and learning. The work provides empirical evidence that changing school practices, such as using ICT in teaching and learning, is very much dependent upon the level of organizational learning in a particular school. As well, it provides evidence that formal planning processes provide continuity of organizational learning only if there exists a critical mass of leadership that is collaborative and distributed
Critical Dimensions of the Caring Culture of an Urban Middle School, 6(3)
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine several operational arenas that functioned as organizational vehicles for the expression of a school’s caring culture. Data from interviews with nineteen teachers, four administrators, and eight professional staff members, and participant observations indicated that the principal was a vital force in creating and sustaining a caring culture at this school. In addition to the administration, three other areas of school functioning helped sustain the caring culture at this middle school: mission and goals, curriculum and instruction, and structures. However, although the school’s stakeholders had made strides in developing a culture of caring at their school, future efforts needed to focus, especially, on including students and their parents as important contributors to such an endeavor
Democratic Leadership for School Improvement in Challenging Contexts, 6(9)
No full textThere is a great deal of contemporary interest in improving schools in challenging contexts. However, there are relatively few research studies that have focused exclusively upon successful leadership practices in such schools. This article outlines the findings from a research study funded by the National College for School Leadership in England that explored successful leadership practices and school improvement strategies in a group of secondary schools in challenging circumstances
Bridging the Home and School: A Case Study of One Web-Enabled Technology, 6(11)
No full textIn today\u27s society, there are many new technologies that educators have at their disposal to use both inside and outside of the classroom. One such technology was the focus of the first stage of an on-going project on the "open school" model. This "open school" model is designed to provide access to information on a child\u27s schooling to both students and parents outside of the traditional school day. This article considers the use of one web-enabled technology called ThinkWave in two one term, elective courses