Leadership Challenge #1

LdC  #1

Influential Practitioners (Leadership Challenge): Leading in a COP

Enhancing Action Research and Leadership Possibilities

through the Development of your Collaborative Skills

Module 1                                                                    Name: James D. Lett

The process below relates to the following Leadership Provocative Question(s): 

How are groups and communities of practice (CoPs) different?  How are they alike?  So what?  What now? 

Groups and CoPs are comprised of people who have frequent contact, consistent interaction, collective influence, a shared feeling of friendship and support, and a commitment to work together to achieve common goals.

Communities of Practice are not simply a collection of individuals discussing various topics or participating in a myriad of activities. PoPs are built upon competent membership. There are three components of competent membership:

1. Mutuality of Engagement - the ability to build relationships based upon engagement with members and reciprocating actions. Membership is based upon social status, organizational membership, or personal relationships with people. Identity is established through participation.
2. Joint Enterprise - the ability to adequately grasp the enterprise, take responsibility for it, and participate in the negotiation of the community's continued pursuit. 
3. Shared Repertoire - refers to routines, words, tools, words, experiences, tips, stories, and ideas that have been adopted during the communities existence. 

a. Preparing for an on-line Conversation

Consider the provocative question(s) above; please record quotes/ideas from the Wenger text that are appropriate in responding to the provocative question(s) posed in this module. These quotes/ideas will help you participate in a scholarly and collegial on-line conversation during the module. Also record illustrative stories or instances from your professional practice appropriate for responding to the provocative question(s). Typically, you should provide six (6) quotes/ideas from Wenger and two (2) applications/instances from your workplace setting. Write them here. 

Quote/ideas from the book; applications/instances from your workplace setting	Page number
Membership is not just a matter of social category, declaring allegiance, belonging to an organization, having a title, or having personal relations with some people.	74
Their practice supports a communal memory that allows individuals to do their work without needing to know everything.	46
Makes the job habitable by creating an atmosphere in which the monotonous and meaningless aspects of the job are woven into the rituals, customer, stories, events, dramas, and rhythms of community life.	46
Knowledge is a matter of competence with respect to valued facts, fixing machines, writing poetry, being convivial, growing up as a boy or a girl, and so forth.	4
Communities of practice are an integral part of our daily lives. They are so informal and so pervasive that they rarely come into explicit focus, but for the same reasons they are also quit familiar.	7
(Implications for what it takes to understand and support learning) For organizations, it means that learning is an issue of sustaining the interconnected communities of practice through which an organization knows what it knows and thus becomes effective and valuable as an organization	8
Frequently, our student services are often unsure of their responses to students when being asked general advising related questions.
Many procedures are communicated through word of mouth, which places a great deal of pressure on staff members to know everything.

b. Holding an on-line Conversation

After participating/viewing the “fishbowl” conversation record notes here (below) about your responses to your peers or new thoughts based on their postings.  Be certain your notes here are comprehensive, as were your responses to peers. (If you participate as a “fish,” in the fishbowl your notes, which should be entered below, can be much more succinct.)

(This space expands to accommodate your writing.)

c. Determining your Leadership Challenge

Pt. 1: Based on your own quotes/ideas from Wenger, your workplace experiences, and new insights you developed as you reflected on your peers’ work, what behavior do you want to experiment with/try out for your leadership challenge in the next few days?

I want attempt to improve our organizational knowledge by offering student services information sessions during our Friday meetings.

Implement your leadership challenge over the next week.

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(Complete in Module 2)

Pt. 2: What did you end up doing for your leadership challenge?

(Write one sentence.)

d. Assessing and Reflecting on your Leadership Challenge

How did your change in behavior affect others in your Community of Practice? Tell the story of what happened.

(Be brief.  Write 2-4 sentences.)

Reflect on your experience with the Leadership Challenge for this module. 

(Be verbose.  Write 2-3 paragraphs.)

Some prompts to help the juices flow, but it is not mandatory that you use any/all of these:

·            Was your behavioral change supported by CoP theory? Explain.

·            Was this change really a challenge for you? Why?  (cont. next page)

·            Did you “Lean In” for this challenge? How far? Could you have leaned further? If so, why did you hold back?

·            Did your behavioral change trigger changes in response from others? Was it a positive or a negative response? Why do you think this is so?

·            What do you think would happen if you sustained this behavioral change over time? Why do you think this is so?

·            What would Wenger say?

Journal Entry 5 (November 18 - November 24)

Part 1: Worksite

This week, I visited checkoutacollege.com. Checkooutacollege.com is a resource for those interested in attending college at the community college level. Through this site prospective students and parents research specific programs offered within the community and technical college system. Additional, they may research high school completion, review programs that assist in improving jobs skills, learn the basic admissions steps, compare college costs, and utilize online counselor resources. 

Part 2: Observation

The sight is graphic with a little more narration than wacareers.com. Still the site flows well so students and parents may quickly access the information they need. There are three essential sections for career exploration and college research at different levels. These sections are:

• Explore Careers

• Find a College and Program

• Get Started

• The are also drop down options:

• For Counselors

• For Parents

Those who visit Explore Careers may find useful information under the following options:

• Worker Retraining

• Program for unemployed, job at risk, or underemployed

• Top Jobs for the Future

• Find out what jobs are in high demand in Washington.

• Career Interest Survey

• This survey will help you take the first steps in exploring career options

• Learn More, Earn More

• Discover the financial benefits of lifelong learning

• How Much Do I Need to Earn?

• Figure out how much income you need to take care of you and/or your family

• Explore Career Areas

• Explore categories of occupations from a multitude of disciplines

Those who visit Find a College and Program may find useful information under the following options:

• Search by College and Program

• Find a college to meet your goals

• Explore Career Areas

• Explore categories of occupations from a multitude of disciplines

• Earn a Bachelor's Degree Close to Home

• Applied baccalaureates and university partners located at community and technical colleges

• Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit

• Earn college credit and useful college-level skills while still in high school

• Colleges in Washington State

• Community and Technical Colleges

• Four-Year Colleges and Universities (regionally accredited)

Those who visit Get Started may find useful information under the following options:

• General Education Development (GED)

• The GED Test offers adults who left school an opportunity to earn a high school credential

• High School Completion

• Earn a high school diploma at a community or technical college

• I-BEST

• Get job training while improving basic skills (GED, ESL, ABE)

• Compare Tuition Costs

• Compare costs between colleges in Washington

• Paying for College

• Learn about financial aid, scholarships, and other ways to pay for college

• Online Learning

• Find out if online learning is for you

• Visit A Campus

• Take a campus tour in person or take a virtual tour

• Steps to Enroll

• Apply for Admission

• Take a Placement Test

• Meet With an Advisor

• Register for Classes

• Pay For Tuition

• Attend Orientation

This site is another opportunity for visitors to gain valuable information about careers and educational programs. Students, parents, and educators may use this site to review the offerings within Washington state. It especially useful for high school students needing assistance choosing a college and learning about the initial steps to getting started. Students and their families may review financial options including scholarships at theWashBoard.org. 

Part 3: Readings

Improvement science intimates that scale-up takes place when basic knowledge is incorporated with the system of profound knowledge. Improvement science combines generalizable knowledge with knowledge specific to the organization (Lewis, 2015, p. 54). The fundamental notions of improvement science are remarkably similar to action research. Action research emphasizes planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. This is very similar to the improvement science approach of plan-do-study-act (PDSA) (Lewis, 2015, pp. 54-55). 

An example of improvement science is lesson study, an instructional approach utilized in over 95% of Japanese public institutions. Lesson study is a demonstration of how improvement science can be implemented nationwide. Lesson study is a cooperative model where teachers plan, implement, and evaluate an instructional intervention (Lewis, 2015, p. 56).  

Because improvement science is so closely related to action research, there are implications for higher education as well. The core framework PDSA and the essential questions below make improvement science a very useful tool in higher education. 

• What are we trying to accomplish?

• How will we know that a change is an improvement?

• What change can we make that will result in improvement? 

When reviewing my problem of practice, I am asking these questions and framing my plan around answering their answers. Additionally, action research also allows for the opportunity for improvisational outcomes. These are the unexpected and unintended trends or circumstances that are revealed throughout the study.  

Lewis, C. (2015). What Is Improvement Science? Do We Need It in Education?. Educational Researcher, 44(1), 54-61.

Part 4: Integrations

The are tools on this site that will support educators at all levels. Specifically, advisors in my department will be able to utilize this tool for available professional development opportunities. New advisors may use this site to become more acquainted with the CTC system and higher education in general. Advisors will be able to better assist students in making decisions about careers and programs that suit the needs or fulfill their aspirations. 

Journal Entry 4 (November 11 - November 17)

Part 1: Worksite

This week, I visited Washington Career Paths at http://www.wacareerpaths.com. The website combines all of the essential job search tools and websites within the Washington area. The website is for people at all levels including high school students exploring career interests, military service members separating from armed services, or mid-career adults researching new opportunities.   

Part 2: Observation

The sight is intentionally graphic with minimal narration to promote ease of use for those with different learning and research styles. There are six essential sections for career explorers at different levels. These sections are:

• The Match Up
• The Start Up
• The Change Up
• The Train Up
• The Pay Up
• The Work Up

The Match Up helps the career explorer articulate their interests and assists in identifying potential careers that may suite those interests. Individuals may complete a long or a short survey of their personality, interests and skills. At the end of the survey, potential careers that align with the personality, the interests, and the skills indicated will be revealed. 

The Start Up is for high school students exploring their career interests. First, high schoolers are assisted with developing a plan. Then, they are assisted with career matching. Finally, students are given some options for starting school early or immediately following graduation. Some of these options include apprenticeships and Running Start. 

The Change Up is for adults seeking a career change. The first step is to identify career opportunities in high demand fields. Next, job seekers may explore transition assistance options that are tailored to meet their unique personal and professional needs. These options include military to civilian transition or worker retraining for those who have relocated or have been laid off. 

The Train Up offers assistance with training and educational programs. Explorers may review colleges in the Washington area. They may also visit the Check Out a College and the Centers of Excellence websites for programs such as fire service, homeland security, emergency medical technician, paramedic, automotive technician, and culinary arts, just to name a few. Finally, individuals may view available options for apprenticeships, construction, clean energy, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. 

The Pay Up allows career cruisers to review available funding and additional resource options. These funding sources may include financial aid such as grants, loans, work-study and scholarships. Additionally, individuals may be connected to the official website to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and they may also be connected with the points of contact for worker retraining within the Washington state community and technical college system. 

The Work Up combines all of the job search tools within the state of Washington and some federal job search options. Initially, job seekers are encouraged to review the Helpful Hints to Get You Hired section. In this section, job seekers are provided with three essential hints for job search success: 

1. Start with the end in sight
2. Narrow down the competition
3. Spread the word

Next, job seekers can visit gcflearnfree.org to research tips and tools for successful networking. Additionally, individuals may review the Washington state Employment Security Department website to research wages, occupations, industries, and potential for industry growth. 

It is an educational sight because career exploration and job seeking is a learned behavior. Many individuals have the will to learn but are unsure about how to get started in college. Many workers have worked in an industry for many years but they are unsure about how to obtain the training or education needed to become skilled in other areas. Additionally, all job seekers need assistance conducting an effective job search. This website provides individuals at all levels with the tools needed for a successful transition into college and/or the workforce. Moreover, it is easy to follow with few words and more graphics to help keep site cruisers engaged and on target. 

Part 3: Readings

The article I read focused on the 25 years of increasing testing and accountability culminating in legislative mandates such as No Child Left Behind. Essentially, the author discusses the environment in which teachers teach and learners learn. In earlier generations, teachers were almost omnipotent, unquestioned leaders of their classrooms and stern disciplinarians for those who were not performing within accepted behavioral standards. Then came a more relaxed generation where teachers smiled and encouraged students without the threat of corporal punishment, verbal admonishment, or gestural scolding. Then came the era of desegregation which upset our classroom dynamics yet again and teachers adjusted to this changed environment.

However, since 1980 federal and state governments have demanding more accountability and more measurable student outcomes. This has brought about an unprecedented level of standardized testing. American educators continue to press forward with this high accountability approach at the expense of other critical learning needs such art, music, and physical education. Teachers are also under constant scrutiny and many have complained about how they are spending more time teaching the test and less time focusing on other measures of student learning. Classrooms used to have evenly measured desks nailed to the floor. Classrooms eventually moved to less rigid infrastructures and students began to experience more freedom of movement within the classroom, especially in K-5. However, in many school districts, by the time students reach secondary education levels, many of the free moving classrooms have given way to traditional classroom setting. Additionally, other curricular activities such as art, music, home economics, and physical education have been reduced in many school systems. 

The author also addresses how teacher teach. He speaks of different approaches such as teacher directed, student directed, and a varied approaches. However, no one really has a clear picture as to how a teacher delivers curriculum in the classroom. The author highlights three cities and there transformation into schools with a high focus on standardized testing. These cities are Arlington, VA, Denver, CO, and Oakland, CA. Federal and state mandates ordered more accountability from these schools. These schools minority population has increased over time. However, the performance in these districts has substantially declined. Additionally, federal officials are afraid that as we become more information driven, high school graduates are proving less and less prepared for college or the workforce. 

The author conducted studies of the three school districts (Arlington, Denver, and Oakland). The author's findings showed more informality in instruction in the elementary schools in these three districts and persistence through secondary schools. This evidence contradicts interview responses from several teachers. However, what he found is that despite the continued pressure for standardized testing and text books being shaped around federal and state mandates, teachers are still finding ways to hug the middle. That is, they are meeting external mandates while continuing to create enrichment in their classrooms.

Cuban, L. (2007). Hugging the Middle: Teaching in an Era of Testing and Accountability, 1980- 2005. education policy analysis archives, 15(1), 1-29.

Part 4: Integrations

My problem of practice revolves around improving professional development and employee engagement within my department. This website may be used to help my staff review opportunities within the state of Washington. Many leaders seem to have a fear of employees leaving. However, I have found that being a leader involves mentorship and preparation for the next professional challenge. I feel that I am doing my staff a disservice by not supporting their professional aspirations whether they be within the current organization or elsewhere. This website may provide valuable tools for both student and staff care. 

Journal Entry 3 ( November 4 - November 10)

Part 1: Worksite

Our institution is a Leader College for Achieving the Dream (ATD). ATD is an initiative that assists community colleges in evaluating the effectiveness of our student success model through the use of disaggregated data. These data are used to target specific achievement gaps within our institution and higher education as a whole. These data may also be used to assist key contributors in taking a closer look at the area in which we operate and direct us in creating programs and services that are more representative of our population’s needs. This week's worksite was at one of our district campuses. We discussed how to improve our ATD evaluation tool. The setting included faculty, staff, deans, presidents, the chancellor, and the ATD coaches. We were there to evaluate the tool and determine where improvements can be made to better serve our institutional needs.

Part 2: Observation

Monday, November 9, 2015, we convened in the multipurpose room of the college center. We were seated at seven different tables. Each table had a portion of the evaluation tool for the table members to review and score. The task of the participants was to move to different tables in a 3 round format and assess and score the portions of the tool located at the table. We intend to distribute the tool to all levels of the institution to determine how effective our ATD interventions have been and to assess how well we have gotten the word out about the project.

We learned that the institutional research staff is strong and responsive to institutional needs. We also learned that we have not done an adequate enough job creating a narrative around the data that will help the college at large understand and appreciate the data. We also learned that our policies might need more clarity. Additionally, we may have some contradictions between policy and practice. Also, we learned that the scale of the tool is too narrow and may need to be broadened to resemble a Likert scale. Finally, we will need to communicate and educate the college a little more before distributing this tool as several of the administrators and faculty in the room had minimal knowledge of certain questions being asked.

This was an educational setting because we were there to learn about ourselves as a leaning institution. We have some substantial work to do in closing the communication gaps within our organization before we can see the full potential of our achievement gaps interventions.

Part 3: Readings

This week's reading was from Sutton and Rao, chapter five. I can see where many of the suggested approaches may be useful within an educational setting. According to Sutton and Rao, hiring strong talent is not enough (pg. 146). Many educators leave colleges due to poor professional development and often express feelings of being under appreciated both existentially and intellectually. Cultivating that talent and creating a professionally nurturing environment is critical to moving forward with organizational objectives. Another area of appreciation was that of guilt-prone leaders. According to the authors, guilt-prone leaders are more likely to become effective leaders (pg. 159). These leaders tend to consider the consequences or their actions and the effect they may have on other people. As a result, these leaders tend to be more "action-oriented", and when mistakes are made, they take the necessary precautions to prevent future missteps (pg. 159). 

Some of the private sector examples such as Neflix and their hiring, retention, and termination approach would not fit in an educational setting, nor should it. Still, the underlying principles were there: know whom you need working within your organization, know how to recruit for that need, and know how to retain them as key stakeholders. 

Sutton, R. I., & Rao, H. (2014). Scaling up excellence: Getting to more without settling for less. Crown Business. 

Part 4: Integrations

My problem of practice revolves around improving professional development and employee engagement within my department. When I observe my institution, I see many positive interventions being created each year to improve the student experience. However, we have substantial turnover. Of course we have the usual yearly retirements after many years of dedicated service. We also have those who are following their career trajectory. However, we have a significant number of employees who are talented contributors to our organization but leave after just a few months. Many cite feelings of under appreciation for intellectual capacity, poor onboarding, and lack of professional development. I envision creating a more seamless and more comprehensive onboarding process. I also want to develop a professional development program that leaves our advisors engaged, empowered, and enthused.

Journal Entry 2 (October 28 - November 3)

Part 1: Worksite. I observed my current worksite again this week. I am the student support manager at community college extended learning site. I manage three advisors located at two military education centers where the two installations are connected by a recently constructed bridge. We provide complete student services, online and face-to-face instruction, financial aid services, disability services, and veterans education benefits services. All of these services packed into tiny cubicle laden offices. 

Part 2: Observation. This week I observed the flow of traffic following the implementation of new signage in our office. After gaining feedback from our staff, the student services administrative team put our heads together and brainstormed ways to better support our staff during peak periods. We worked with our staff members during a brainstorming focused staff meeting to develop signage to address the traffic flow within our limited space. The signage was well received by most of the staff. However, we did have several skeptics regarding the effectiveness of our intervention. Nonetheless, we moved forward. We noticed that students were going to the appropriate person and getting more efficient services. The most important gain from this effort was the value the staff felt from having an opportunity to contribute to improving our practice and seeing the results of their brainstorming efforts. Valuing our staff's contributions and meeting our folks in the middle brought smiles to many of their faces. 

Part 3: Readings. Fullan's views on accountability really resonated with me. According to Fullan, there are five key components of an improved professional accountability model. These key factors have lead to improved institutional outcomes and student performance (Fullan, et. al, 2015, p.7).

These components are:

1. Vision and focus
2. Collective capacity and responsibility
3. Leadership development
4. Growth-oriented assessment
5. System coherence and cohesion 

The component that really hit home for me and my institution is system coherence and cohesion. System coherence involves development of a communal approach to organizational thinking. When organizations are cohesive in their collective mindset, all contributors share an equal view of the objectives and goals. A culture is created from top to bottom that values the ideas of all organizational stakeholders. Additionally, all have the opportunity to experience the growth and evolution when plans are implemented (Fullan, et. al, 2015, p.7).

Part 4: Integrations. The aim of our efforts is foster an environment where we empower, engage, and create enthusiasm for the accomplishment our organizational goals within each individual worker. We envision helping in the creation of an enhanced depth of knowledge and understanding by investing in the people delivering the services. Rather than typical top-down communication, it is our hope that we create two-way communication and understanding that leads to a shared learning environment among faculty, staff, and administrators (Fullan, et. al. 2015, p. 7).

Fullan, M., Rincon-Gallardo, S., & Hargreaves, A. (2015). Professional capital as accountability. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23(15). http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v23.1998