A teacher in your school division was recently dismissed due to an inappropriate relationship with a student. It was found that the relationship began with text messages sent between the two. A new school board member has suggested that texting between teachers and students should be banned. The board has directed the superintendent to prepare a recommendation to be considered by the board.
Your superintendent has requested that you, as a group of principals, provide input to her. You will present to the superintendent knowing that you may be called upon later to present to the school board.
Your team will have one hour to prepare and 15 minutes to make your presentation. Prepare to present appropriately for your audience. Support your recommendation. Take some risks. Think broadly. Your superintendent is instructionally and organizationally innovative.
To prepare for this activity, please read Entrepreneurial Leadership for Technology: An Opposable Mind (Creighton, 2009) and other documents you find appropriate to the topic.
Standards to be demonstrated during this activity
Standard 4: An education leader promotes the success of every student collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
- Collect and analyze data and information pertinent to the educational environment.
Standard 5: An education leader promotes the success of every student by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner.
- Consider and evaluate the potential moral and legal consequences of decision-making.
Standard 6: An education leader promotes the success of every student by understanding, responding to, and influencing the political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
- Act to influence local, district, state and national decisions affecting student learning.
- Assess, analyze, and anticipate emerging trends and initiatives in order to adapt leadership strategies.
Assessment Rubric
For this practice field activity, you will assess yourself and an instructor will also assess your performance. You should demonstrate skill in the areas noted below. (For each bulleted item, rate yourself from 1 to 5 with 1 indicating no skill demonstrated and 5 indicating skill demonstrated in an outstanding manner.)
Teamwork
- Supports the ideas of team members
- Encourages team members to share
- Contributes ideas
- Assists in operational tasks
- Acts to maintain direction
- Seeks consensus
Oral Communication
- Demonstrates effective presentation skills
- Speaks articulately
- Uses proper grammar
- Tailors message to audience
- Clearly presents thoughts in formal presentation settings
Integrative Thinking
- Integrated elements of multiple alternatives in a fashion superior to any individual alternative.
Decision-making
- Provided clear rationale for decisions
Reflection
Answer the following questions to reflect on this activity. Then, partner up with two other aspiring principals who were not a part of your group. Share your reflections with each other. Prepare to share some thoughts with the whole group.
- What skills were required of you to complete this activity?
- What was most difficult about this activity?
- What additional resources would have been helpful in completing this activity?
- After talking with your partners, what additional insights/perspectives do you have regarding this activity?
