Principles for Principals
Administration, Critical Reading, Leading, MultiDimensional Learning Space Monday, March 24th, 2008It seems everyone has their list of principles for principals, so seeing Marc Prensky jump into the mix with his Prensky’s Principles for Principals in a recent Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Educational Leadership article didn’t really surprise me.
However, what did surprise me a bit was his list, a list I’m hoping was strictly from the perspective of enhancing student engagement and technology infusion. If not, Prensky greatly missed the mark in my opinion.
While I’m the first to fight for educational reform, I also would be the first to say the lights won’t turn on simply by adding notebook computers, stopping lecturing, and speaking with students. Not that his principles aren’t important, their importance falls low on the priority list if other key Effective Schools Correlates aren’t in place.
But being the nice guy that I am and since the article focuses on transforming the traditional classroom , it is only fair to give him the benefit of the doubt and explore his principles on what Darren Draper says is “to encourage change among educational administration”.
Taking that perspective though, his principles are interesting principles and offer a starting point; however, there are other critical principles missing.
Starting Points
- Empower Students in the Community
Three of Prensky’s principles focus on students and he hits the mark with this one: Find out how students want to be taught, Students have much to offer in terms of learning environment and the policies that govern said environment. Are we listening? As Prensky’s says in his principles, it is all about talking with students on a daily basis and “If you feel you can’t spare that time to engage with kids, you may need to rethink your priorities.”Will we like what they have to say? There are many, including Prensky himself, that claim what students want but just how many and to what extent is still something I’m not entirely convinced of based upon the assumptions that tend to run rampant about these “Digital Natives” that want everything technology. - Go Public
Prensky has long advocated for making work public and I agree 100%. While this is quite a challenge to the psyche for many teachers and schools, there is great value to the community at large to Go Public with what is and isn’t working. We’ve seen the power of the network — I can only imagine how powerful it would be if all schools were connecting and networking. It starts with letting go of the “This Sets Me Apart” Mentality that stops teachers from letting go over their instructional practices and content. - 21st Century Learning Environment
I know… I know… many of us are tired of hearing this but I’m still sort of fond of it. If I have to deal with all the 2.0-34.0, you can show me a little love, right? After all, it isn’t that bad of a term given our educational system in the US is still grossly rooted in the 20th Century but I digress. Bottom line: Prensky tells us as he has for awhile that we need to Engage Students and technology plays a vital role in that engagement.
Missing Principles
Now, this isn’t a complete list or anything. It is merely an extension of what Prensky started, I’m adding to, and I’m expecting many others will add to as they read his work.
- Administrators Need to Model Technology and Social Media Use
- Administrators Need to Foster Professional Learning Communities and Networks
- Administrators Need to Encourage Innovation
- Administrators Need to Rethink Teacher Evaluations
- Administrators Need to Go Green
- Administrators Need to Embrace NETS Standards for Students, Teachers, and Administrators
- Administrators Need to Include Community Members (businesses, higher ed. parents, and non-parents) in Technology Integration and Infusion
- Administrators Need to Develop means of Technology infusion into the curriculum not just random instructional practices or technology units
- Administrators Need to Create student learning spaces that live and grow with the students during their academic career
- Administrators Need to Invest in research-based practices including action research that inform and guide decisions (something I’m obviously not doing entirely in this post)
Okay, so I’m brainstorming here and this list could use some editing, categorizing, research support, etc. but it is hopefully a conversation starter. How about your list? What needs to be added?
Reference
Prensky, M. (2008).Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership. 65.6, 40-5.
[Tags] ascd, nets, administration, leadership, effectiveschools, prensky, lezzotte [/Tags]
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I agree completely with the need for principals and administrators to model technology. Do you feel that age has anything to do with the hesitancy? At a meeting last week it was mentioned that half of all administrators will retire within the next five years in the state of illinois alone. As a recent graduate of an administration program there was a lack of any type of training about integrating technology. How can we prepare principals to be advocated of integrating technology into what they do?
I’ve been self teaching for the past three years as a principal but have really learned the most in the last two months by being plugged into the world of blogging and subscribing through google reader. I love the hour or two a night i spend learning about new technology and then pushing my teachers to start using it.
Yep those missing elements are very important too. My district just hired a new Supt., and one of her comments after touring the buildings was the lack of recognizable engagement and far too much lecture (my favorite way of saying it is “sit and get.”) She said she would like to see innovation in the classroom, and that just might include technology. She said there were way too many computers in the rooms off and unattended. Best, she said all this BEFORE the board went into executive session and selected her for the job. My hope and desire is that she will bring this vision we so desperately need. One lone library media specialist can’t do it all. I for one and welcoming some top down efforts.
@Charlie Ray – Administrators too have got to continue their learning–otherwise they are wasting tax dollars IMHO. There is ample opportunity for leaders to learn just as much as educators. Just look at Chris Lehman, a principal, and Dennis Richards, a superintendent. They have taken charge and continued learning and definitely model top down pro-activeness. Without continuous learning, how can any administrator have a vision or mission? Just b/c one is in the top seat, doesn’t mean learning is over.
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