Soul cleansing in Alaska

Learning, Leadership, and Me

How do people learn? There is no simple answer to this question as there are different schools of thought. Depending upon one’s orientation, learning may be described as a behavioral response, a cognitive process, the result of constructivist activities, or as the result of social structures such as those found in communities of practice. In my estimation, each of the aforementioned theories have their merits, however, the communities of practice approach to learning extends the definition of learning beyond acquisition to application which appeals to me as an educator and lifelong learner.
 
How should teaching happen? This depends largely on the learning objective(s). There are times where behavioral approaches are appropriate. In the context of academic learning, I feel that the communities of practice approach, whereby, the “expert,” a.k.a. teacher, acts as a guide (the responsibility of an expert in a community) who assists the individuals of the community on their journey to become contributing members of the community, is an effective approach with mature learners such as in the OMAET program here at Pepperdine.
 
What is the nature of leadership? Leadership is all about providing vision and direction with the objective of helping the entire organization achieve, and ultimately exceed, their stated goals. I strive to be a bold, socially responsible leader that genuinely cares about the individuals within my organization.
 
Over the past year how have my ideas about the three previous prompts changed? My ideas have changed with my introduction to communities of practice in preparation for Virt Camp. I have always been heavily aligned with cognitive theories of learning and have applied such principles in curricular design and in pedagogical approaches. At this early stage of my understanding of communities of practice I feel that I have been remiss in my approach to education and professional growth and look forward to learning and doing more.
 
What are the skills you bring to the workplace, and how have they changed in the past year? I believe I bring a good mixture of technical know-how, theoretical understanding, leadership/management expertise, and excellent soft skills to the workplace. With that said, I have much more to learn and to apply and look forward to continued growth, especially in a leadership capacity.
 
How would you characterize your identity within your workplace, and how has it changed in the last year? I am commonly looked upon as the source for leadership and guidance in helping bridge technology and learning in a way that fosters improved student outcomes, enriched environments, and administrative efficiencies. With that said, I believe I am also looked at as somewhat of an enigma because I am younger than most persons in my position and therefore sometimes not seen as someone to provide organizational level leadership as an Assistant Superintendent, especially in the absence of a doctorate degree. I am hoping that in the coming year I will continue to grow professionally and prove my abilities as not just an educational technology leader, but as a catalyst of change and a beacon of leadership.