Readings

__Reading # 1__ The Wallace Foundation has supported a variety of research projects on [|principal leadership] over the past ten years. This report summarizes the findings of those studies, namely that there are five key actions taken by effective principals who impact student achievement. Read the entire report so that you have a good understanding of the five keys. Then, create a visual for your web site to inform viewers of your leadership plan. (e.g. As a principal, I will ...) This visual should be built with your own words, but beyond words, consider including clip art or other creative means to interest viewers. After completing your visual, paste it into the discussion box so fellow cohort members can benefit from your effort. You may decide to include this visual somewhere within your web page. Click on the tab to the immediate right of the Edit tab above to access the discussion feature of the wiki. Then, do not click on "New Post", but simply paste your visual into the discussion box and click "Post" just below the box.

__Reading # 2__ This assignment is actually a "Listening". It is a radio interview about //cognitive dissonance,// that is when one is biased towards a certain decision even though other factors favor an alternative. Understanding cognitive dissonance and how to deal with it is important for leaders since they make numerous, important decisions, and would like followers to support those decisions. The link that follows will take you to an NPR radio interview. If you also would benefit from reading a summary of the interview, click on //the full story.// The context of the interview is political but that is not what you will be discussing on our wiki. After listening to the interview (maybe twice), think about how it might be experienced within a school. The principal makes a decision that to her, and perhaps to you, seems obviously correct based on the facts. However, others on the staff view the decision as unacceptable because it does not comply with their beliefs about what is best, even if the facts would seem otherwise. The question I pose to you is what can an educational leader do to deal with the reality of cognitive dissonance in their school? What if the facts, upon which your decision is made, appear to conflict with the beliefs of some followers? Are facts enough to gain support of a correct decision? What does it take to gain the support of those who are convinced they are correct in their beliefs? If the facts aren't enough, what else is there? What's a leader to do? "http://www.npr.org/v2/?i=152287372&m=152319297&t=audio"

__Reading # 3__ We often read about the necessity for leaders to give followers a "voice" and to build "buy in". We also read about the need for strong leaders. Rick Hess, resident scholar for education at the American Enterprise Institute, has an interesting take on strong leadership. Read & react to this widely-read article. Do you agree or disagree and why?

__Reading/Viewing # 4__ "Connected Principals" is a group blog written regularly by one of a number of principals. Here is one such blog that deals with a very practical issue faced almost daily by building administrators, namely student discipline. This Canadian administrator shares his reflection on making decisions that affect individual students as well as the broader school (i.e. Teachers & the student body.) The decisions relative to student discipline made by principals & asst. principals are critiqued not only by the students involved but also by parents, teachers, and, sometimes, by district-level administrators. Criticisms range from "not fair", "inconsistent", "too harsh", "too soft", "ineffective", etc. If you were replying to this principal's blog what would you say to him? Do you support his beliefs and actions, or question his thinking? However, __before posting__ your thoughts on our wiki, take time (23 minutes) to watch the TED lecture that he recommends and links at the conclusion of his blog. Then, after viewing it, react to the principal's blog. http://bit.ly/KCp7R8 The National Journal, sponsors an education blog that I receive on my IGoogle page via an RSS feed. This particular blog uses the end-of-school-year discipline concerns as an example of actions that raise broader questions. React to the broader questions, not to the examples given at the start of the blog. http://bit.ly/MygaGg