Read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals. Consider, if you were to adopt these, how each habit can contribute to a school and community-wide sustainable process of transformation with e-learning in your school.

Post a critical response to this article in your personal course blog. Does it apply to your context? Do you think these are vital habits? Are there further habits you feel should be included?

Distributed leadership

The notion of “technology champions” or “leading lights” in technology integration is widely published and has led many school to appoint technology co-ordinators or assign all the “technology-related” issues to a technology teacher at the school. The trouble is people move on, and when these supporting pillars of the process are the removed, the process grinds to a halt. Much the same can be said for the leadership capabilities of a school’s principal and management team. The idea of a “visionary leader” does not suggest that one or two leaders must have all the vision and drive, because when they leave, their energy goes with them and “the lights go out”.

A sustainable leadership is one that can be sustained and has a very wide-spread base.

Watch this video on Distributed Leadership. Develop an understanding of what it involved by noting the key elements of leadership mentioned. What is the nature of the environment in which this kind of leadership is practised? What are the benefits of this approach?

[youtube http://youtu.be/Yj3XYrvjkZ8]  Video: Distributed Leadership in Education (4:39)

Watch the next video OR read this overview of the Pennsylvania School District Distributed Leadership project
(Source: Penn Center for Educational Leadership).

Does it define distributed leadership differently from your current understanding? What new perspective does it offer you?

[youtube http://youtu.be/J5F0MNrDSpY] Video: Leadership is … distributed (10:15)