horizon: thought leadership
What’s Inside: What is Learning for? Leading in the Digital Age
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What’s happening at Bastow WHAT IS LEARNING FOR?
THE PILLARS OF DIGITAL LEADERSHIP
Horizon Forum with Valerie Hannon, Board Director, Innovation Unit
Horizon Forum with international keynote speaker Eric Sheninger
How should we frame our learning designs to meet the challenges of the 21st century?
Eric Sheninger is a globally recognised thought leader on learning in the digital age, bestselling author of Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times and a much sought-after speaker. Eric, also known as “Principal Twitter”, will share his perspective as a Principal whose views towards digital technologies, and particularly social media, underwent significant change during his tenure at New Milford High School.
Growing critiques of global education benchmarking systems such as PISA are leading to debates about what should be measured, and what can be measured. In turn, this leads to questions about what it is we value in terms of education outcomes. Are we clear about what job we are asking education to do? Taking this question for granted is no longer an option, as growing scepticism amongst the young attests. What, today, is an education worth having? Nearly 20 years ago, UNESCO’s report Learning: the Treasure Within (1996), defined the four pillars of learning as - learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live together. Are these still viable objectives, and to what extent do they characterise the outcomes of schooling? Date: Thursday 4 June 2015 Time: Session: 5.30pm - 7.00pm Nibbles and networking from 5.00pm Venue: Bastow 603-615 Queensberry St, North Melbourne Cost: $55 pp incl. GST Register to attend: At Bastow Via Video Conferencing 2
Eric's understanding of the many new channels of modern communication to engage families and tell your school's story will inspire you to work with your staff to help them grow, build new connections, and bring new relevance to the classroom. Date: Wednesday 27 May 2015 Time: 5.00pm - 6.30pm Venue: Bastow 603-615 Queensberry St, North Melbourne Cost: $35 pp incl. GST Register to attend: At Bastow Via Video Conferencing
BASTOW EVENING EVENTS FROM ANYWHERE IN VICTORIA Bastow is offering government schools and early childhood networks, outside the Melbourne metropolitan area, the opportunity to participate in our regular evening Twilight Seminars and Horizon Forums via Polycom or Lync. WHAT ARE POLYCOM AND LYNC? Polycom and Lync are video conferencing technologies. They are an effective and easy way for people in different locations to collaborate and watch live presentations. HUB FEES The one-off fee to register a Hub is $150 for 6 months or $250 for 12 months. NEED MORE INFORMATION? For more information about Hubs, visit this link To become a Hub Leader, or register your Hub, contact Bec Gooch-Andrew on phone 8199 2942 or email gooch-andrew. rebecca.r@edumail.vic.gov.au
A message from the Director Our vision at Bastow is to have a global reputation for excellence in building the capability of leaders in schools and early childhood settings. Over the past five years we have partnered with informed opinion leaders and the go-to people in their field of expertise to deliver innovative and evidence-based leadership development. We have seen these trusted thought leaders move and inspire people with their innovative ideas, and we’ve supported educational leaders to transform these ideas into reality, by coaching them to replicate their success. In turn, they have created a momentum in our educational settings by urging others to be open to new ways of thinking, and guiding them to create a blueprint for people to follow – they provide a method, process, guidelines or a set of best practices. Bastow’s Horizon publication aims to extend the energy, excitement and thought leadership that is being generated around thinking, learning and teaching to unlock a whole new level of professional conversation and engagement. Our first Horizon presents thought leadership articles from Valerie Hannon and Eric Sheninger. Their articles explore the key questions: What is learning for? and How do we lead learning in the digital age? Valerie and Eric will be our international thought leaders at Bastow in May and June 2015. We hope that you will be able to join us to explore these questions at the Horizon events at Bastow or via our video conferencing technology.
Neil Barker Acting Director
To stay up to date with the latest Bastow courses, professional practice and events or to find out more: visit www.bastow.vic.edu.au phone 03 8199 2900 email bastow@bastow.vic.edu.au /BastowInstitute /BastowInstitute
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What is learning for?
Why revisit the old question? Can we not take the purpose of learning for granted? Since Aristotle, via Confucius, Voltaire, Dewey and a host of others, the question of purpose has been posed and answers proposed. Some solutions have aspired to the status of eternal verities: intrinsic, somehow, to the human condition. Others have been — selfconsciously or otherwise — more ideological. Moreover, the question has classically been framed in terms of ‘education’: i.e. the purposive arrangement of experiences to promote learning. In contrast, humans cannot help learning. We are wired for it, and, because of that, our evolutionary status progressed.
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But if we conflate the two issues and ask the question: what should be the purpose of organised learning experiences in contemporary conditions?, then we have a very important and massively consequential question, which is, paradoxically, scarcely addressed in public discourse. Debates about the question have never taken place in conditions such as the human race currently faces. These include: • Existential threat to continuing life on the planet within a few generations. • Resource depletion of fundamental resources — water and food — and their inequitable distribution in a globalised context. • High levels of destructive violence (again, posing potential existential threat) often accompanied by fundamentalism and intolerance, with the concomitant issues of immigration and dislocation.
• Technologies of awesome power and transformational scope (including of the very stuff of evolution and human beings), which pose threats, but also hold the potential to solve some of the challenges we face — many of which are of our own making. ‘The best of that which has been thought and said’ will only help us so far in our predicament. Never before was the very planet’s future (at least as a liveable home to humans) under threat. Nor had we developed technologies with which we ourselves will, in the foreseeable future, merge. Old narratives about economic competitiveness, or personal fulfilment are plainly inadequate. Today, learning has to be about saving our species on this planet, and in conditions which do justice to our aspirations for good lives. Another dislocation with the past arises in the democratisation of this question. Previous generations had it answered on their behalf by élites supported by experts. Prevalent industrial educational models reproduced stratified societies. Today, an education worth having is not just that defined by others. As the channels for learning have opened, individuals (almost) anywhere can define, design and achieve their learning goals without institutional or state mediation. The collective task, perhaps, is to help to shape those individual learning goals in order to address the greater challenges and possibilities we face as a species and in our communities. If learning’s purpose is to secure our survival in conditions which are better than just tolerable, we can consider the challenges in four clusters.
Four levels of purpose for learning Challenge Cluster #1: Planetary/Global Collectively and individually, we have to learn to live within the earth’s renewable resources. This entails not just learning how to redirect new technologies, but also to be responsible consumers and reshape economies so that they are not predicated on endless growth and limitless consumption.Wide recognition of how broken our economic models are has not yet led to their reinvention. This geo-political problem is also a learning challenge: for new generations must re-create their relationship with the physical planet. Similarly, the acquisition of global cultural competence, in the sense of respectful appreciation and tolerance, is the only means by which we can create the conditions for peace. The experience of globalisation is now profound and extensive. It may have created malcontents; but they will have to learn how to reshape it, since it is unlikely to disappear. Challenge Cluster #2: National/Local Whilst the nation-state may be eroding (and indeed the very purpose and functions of the concept of ‘state’ contested), learning how to reinvent democracy into some more participative process will be increasingly important if aspirations for equity and progress are to be realised.There is widespread dissatisfaction or disinterest in instruments of governance. If the collective learning is to create means and processes for participative democracy, then at the individual level, the challenge is to learn how to practise it— and understand its importance.
As economic turbulence and restructuring proceed apace, learning to earn a living through ‘the start-up of you’ must gain centre stage. In our increasingly longer lives, we must learn to expect and embrace change of job, career, field, skill-set — not once, but regularly. And as economies will increasingly depend upon entrepreneurship and creativity, so too will individuals, both for material wellbeing and their own satisfaction.
“ And as economies will increasingly depend upon entrepreneurship and creativity, so too will individuals, both for material well-being and their own satisfaction.“ The processes of learning and earning will become symbiotic. So, as there will be no sharp distinction in start- and endpoints of education and work, learning’s purpose and function will be intrinsic to working life. Learning to make a living successfully and contribute to the new economies will entail learning to think and act ‘green, lean, and eco’. It will also mean learning to adapt to work with automation, and with co-workers who are robots. Challenge Cluster #3: Interpersonal It is relatively recently that learning to live well together has come to be seen as a purpose of learning. As we become more reflective (and knowledgeable)
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about the conditions for, and skills involved in creating and maintaining healthy human relationships, we recognise the scope for learning in this space. The damage done to individuals through dysfunctional families; the scarring of societies by sexist and racist behaviours — from atrocities to discrimination — is incalculable. Again, fastchanging conditions in this century increase the urgency for education to address this cluster of challenges. Changes to family structures and multicultural communities provide the diverse contexts within which learning to relate authentically and respectfully takes place. But education needs to equip learners with the knowledge base and the skills to acquire empathy and insight. Engagement in the arts of all forms is one route for achieving this. Though digital technologies in learning are a liberating force, they have also created the spectre of the ‘new Mowglis’ — brought up by screens, unsocialised and isolated. In an age when immersion in digital environments has been responsible for the pornographising of sex, compounding grotesque sexism, it is a challenge for learning to enable people to acquire sexual identities which do no harm but rather enhance and humanise life. Finally, learning to care for and nurture others must moreover extend well beyond family ties: demographic changes are creating aged societies, not all of whose denizens will remain healthy and independent till death. Challenge Cluster #4: Intra-Personal Learning about and within our own selves presents the ultimate frontier — and for some thinkers is the precondition for authentic learning in other domains. There is however a C21st twist 6
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on the goal of Maslovian ‘selfactualisation’. The notion of ‘self’ will change; humans will have access to more and more forms of enhancement (physical and cognitive). It is not necessary to sign up to the complete thesis of ‘the singularity’ to recognise that humans must learn to deal with exponentially increased levels of artificial intelligence applied to everyday life; to a gradual incorporation into our own bodies of powerful technologies. Life journeys will be much longer, centenarians not unusual. Taking early personal responsibility for health and fitness will be a precondition for later wellbeing (in addition to preventing the collapse of health systems because of lifestyle illnesses like the obesity epidemic). Dignity, purpose and social engagement will be the dividends of continuing to learn. And lastly, the spiritual dimension cannot be omitted. Increasingly, in mechanised, technology-infused, confusing modern life, the need for mindfulness, awareness, inner silence and balance will demand to be met. Organised learning must provide the means for its acquisition.There are many routes: the joy of the arts is one. Ultimately however, we cannot avoid the conclusion that there is an enduring response to this question of learning’s purpose. It consists in wisdom — though redefined for our post-modern context.
Endnote This short contribution has dealt with the ‘why?’ not the ‘how?’ of organised learning. It is immediately clear that current education systems are not even close. Radical redesign is needed, and it is urgent. The disjunction with the conceptions of the past arises in recognising that today, learning is so intimately entwined in every aspect of life, throughout life; for
everyone; and in a context where we will incorporate and merge with learning technologies. The dimensions of learning may stay the same, although the emphasis has shifted from the individual to the collaborative and the social. We are still addressing values, dispositions, knowledge and skills. Of these, values have been the least considered and yet are perhaps the most critical. We should ponder the fact that Goebbels had a PhD in literature. Valerie Hannon, Innovation Unit, CAN Mezzanine, 49-51 East Road, London N1 6AH, UK, valerie.hannon@innovationunit.org Read this on the Talking Point blog
Leading in the digital age As schools change leadership must as well
With society becoming more and more reliant on technology it is incumbent upon leaders to harness the power of digital technologies in order to create school cultures that are transparent, relevant, meaningful, engaging, and inspiring. In order to set the stage for increasing achievement and to establish a greater sense of community pride for the work being done in our schools, we must begin to change the way we lead. To do this, leaders must understand the origins of fear and misconceptions that often surround the use of technology such as social media and mobile devices. Effective leadership is extremely important in any system, but it is even more imperative in schools if we are to provide all learners with a world-class education. This education has to be relevant, meaningful, and applicable. During my tenure as Principal at New Milford High School, we worked tirelessly over the course of four years to transform the culture to one that was primed for student engagement, learning, and achievement. Through the lens of social media I was exposed to a whole new world that I did not know existed.
My subsequent journey as a connected leader and learner resulted in small, then large, shifts in professional practice that eventually served as catalysts for transformative change. Thus I began to construct an area of practice around digital leadership. So how would one define digital leadership? I think it is important to first look at the concept of leadership in general. Wikipedia defines leadership as a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Kevin Kruse defines it as a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal. Both of these definitions highlight the importance of social influence. This leads me to ascertain that social media can be an invaluable tool that educators can harness to move schools, learning, and the profession forward. In the end leadership is about action, not position. Social media, in all of its many forms and functions, is simply a tool to engage in conversations. In a sense it levels the playing field by providing all leaders the same sandbox to play in. The resulting conversations that take place in these social spaces as the ability to radically transform professional practice. This is the essence of my story and countless others that effectively lead in a digital world.
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Leadership is no different today than it was years ago. The only difference is that style and focus need to change with the times if we are to accomplish the lofty task of preparing students for a dynamic world that is more social and connected as a result of technology. Leading in a way that supports the status quo, standardization, outdated practices, and misconceptions related to technology, not only does a disservice to our students, but also renders our schools and profession as irrelevant. We can no longer accept a head in the sand mentality as technology is changing all facets of society. The only constant, non-changing entity is schools and many of these leaders that reside within their walls.
“ The challenge for school leaders is why, how, and where to begin.” Digital leadership takes into account recent changes such as ubiquitous connectivity, open-source technology, mobile devices, and personalization. It represents a dramatic shift from how schools have been run and structured for over a century, as what started out as a personal use of technology has become systemic to every facet of leadership. Digital leadership can thus be defined as establishing direction, influencing others, and initiating sustainable change through the access to information, and establishing relationships in order to anticipate changes pivotal to school success in the future. It requires a dynamic combination of mindset, behaviors, and skills that are employed to change and/or enhance school culture through the assistance of technology. The basic tenets of leadership are still valuable and needed for our schools to succeed. These foundational elements will never change. However, the changing times as well as society’s reliance on technology demand an evolution of leadership practices to create schools that our learners deserve, and need, to succeed in today’s world. It all begins with trust. Digital leaders must give up control and trust students and teachers to use realworld tools to unleash creativity and a passion for learning. The time is now, whether you are a district, building level or teacher leader, to boldly move schools forward in the digital age. Only then will we be able to create and sustain a digital learning culture that is relevant, meaningful, applicable, and provides all students with the skills to succeed. 8
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Once the fears and misconceptions are placed on the table, leaders can begin to establish a vision for the effective use of technology to improve numerous facets of leadership. The challenge for school leaders is why, how, and where to begin. Digital leadership is not about flashy tools, but a strategic mindset that leverages available resources to improve what we do while anticipating the changes needed to cultivate a school culture focused on engagement and achievement. It is a transformed construct of leadership that grows out of the leader’s symbiotic relationship with technology. The end result will be sustainable change in programs, instruction, behaviors, and leadership practices with technology as a pivotal element. Digital leadership requires a shift in leadership style from one of mandates, directives, and buy-in to one grounded in empowerment, support, and embracement as keys to sustainable change. From my work I have identified what I call the Pillars of Digital Leadership. These are the specific areas embedded in the culture of all schools that can be improved or enhanced though the use of available technology, especially social media. They present a framework from which any educator or leader can begin to harness the power of technology to change professional practice and initiate sustainable change.
7 Pillars of digital leadership in education 1. Communication Leaders can now provide stakeholders with relevant information in real time through a variety of devices. No longer do static, one-way methods such as newsletters and websites suffice. Important information can be communicated through various free social media tools and simple implementation strategies in order to meet stakeholders where they are in the digital age. Digital leadership is about engaging all stakeholders in two-way communication. 2. Public relations If we don’t tell our story, someone else will, and more often than not, another’s version will not be the one we want told. Leaders need to become storyteller-inchief. We can now form the foundation of a positive public relations platform using free social media tools where we control the content.
By doing so, we create the means by which we share all of the positives associated with our schools and create a much needed level of transparency in an age of negative rhetoric toward education.
more antiquated systems that focus on contact hours instead of learning. To remain relevant and on the cutting edge leaders need to be cognizant of how to harness and leverage a slew of free tools to follow their learning passions.
3. Branding
6. Re-envisioning learning spaces and environments
Businesses have long understood the value of brand and its impact on current and potential consumers. Leaders can leverage social media tools to create a positive brand presence that emphasizes the positive aspects of school culture, increases community pride, and helps to attract/ retain families when looking for a place to send their children to school. 4. Student engagement/learning We cannot expect to see increases in achievement if students are not learning. Students that are not engaged are not likely to be learning. Leaders need to understand that schools should reflect real life and allow students to apply what they have learned through the use of the tools they are using outside of school. Digital leaders understand that we must put realworld tools in the hands of students and allow them to create artifacts of learning that demonstrate conceptual mastery. This is an important pedagogical shift as it focuses on enhancing essential skill sets – communication, collaboration, creativity, media literacy, global connectedness, critical thinking, and problem solving – that society demands. With a solid pedagogical foundation digital tools and social media afford students the opportunity to take more ownership of their learning. Letting students choose the right tool to create an artifact of learning to demonstrate conceptual mastery builds a greater appreciation for learning while better preparing them for the real world. 5. Professional growth/development With the rise of social media, schools no longer have to be silos of information and leaders do not have to feel like they are on isolated islands that lack support and feedback. Leaders can form their own Personal Learning Network (PLN) to meet our diverse learning needs, acquire resources, access knowledge, receive feedback, connect with both experts in the field of education as well as practitioners, and discuss proven strategies to improve teaching, learning, and leadership. There are also new and exciting ways to acknowledge both formal and informal learning through the use of digital badges as opposed to
Once leaders understand the pillars and how to use them to initiate sustainable change, the next step is to begin to transform learning spaces and environments that support essential skill sets and are aligned with the real world. Leaders must begin to establish a vision and strategic plan to create an entire school building dedicated to learning in an ever so more digital world. In order to do so, leaders must be knowledgeable of the characteristics and dynamics that embody innovative learning spaces and environments such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), blended learning, the flipped classroom, gamification, makerspaces, and virtual learning. 7. Opportunity It is important for leaders to consistently seek out ways to improve existing programs, resources, and professional development. Digital leaders leverage connections made through technology and increase opportunities to make improvements across multiple areas of school culture.
Conclusion Leaders need to be the catalysts for change and the pillars identified above provide a framework. Each is critical in its own right to transforming and sustaining a positive school culture. By addressing each of these pillars, leaders can begin changing and transforming their respective schools into ones that prepare learners with essential digital age skills while engaging a variety of stakeholders. Digital leadership begins with identifying obstacles to change and specific solutions to overcome them in order to transform schools in the digital age. You can read more about digital leadership in Eric’s best-selling book Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times available from Corwin Press. Note – a version of this was originally published at http://www.teachthought.com/technology/7-pillarsdigital-leadership-education/ Read this on the Talking Point blog
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