Activity Log:
January 21: Accessed Blackboard and downloaded pod cast for session 2. Listened to pod cast and took notes. Reworked my website angelicavillanueva.com for 4+ hours, and made my blog page “prettier.”
January 22: Visited other blogs for inspiration. Realized I need some more time on the computer.
Project 1: Create a website for substitute teachers. It would include information and links to better prepare substitute teachers for the classroom, I would add links to useful teaching aides, printable worksheets and educational games.
Management vs. Leadership (Compare and Contrast these administration styles)
A manager and leader have some similarities:
- communicate well the requirements of a certain project or position,
- will run the school efficiently if not effectively,
- will understand the basic nuts and bolts of running a school or a department, and
- be adequate in understanding the need for infrastructure.
A manager and a leader have more differences than similarities, a leader (as opposed to a manager):
- will not just manage the basics but will have true vision of where the school (or department) will be,
- will guide the school through changes with an eye towards the improvement of performance,
- will do more than maintain the status quo, s/he will take an active role in forming institutional goals,
- constantly review the action plan and try to make it better,
- develop understanding of how technology will make the overall goals more readily achievable,
- will critically examine technology, its uses and how to best integrate it,
- work to develop shared understanding of goals and how technology fits into it,
- shares goals and vision with all stakeholders and communicate high (realistic) expectations,
- listen to individuals concerns,
- ensure proper training and support, and
- understand the importance of infrastructure aside from just maintaining technology.
True stories from the perspective of a sane person:
While working for a certain county (which will remain nameless, unless, of course, you ask me) I entered training to understand and learn how to use the platform used for benefits processing. The training was meant to last approximately eleven weeks and would encompass all aspects of the software and its related components. Two weeks into the training I realized that I new more than the training manager about computers and software, it came to our attention (due to the openness of said county, just joking, actually it was more because the trainer did not mind being open about her shortcomings) that if we took less hour-long breaks, where said manager would call the tech department for pointers, we could finish the training in less than half the time and get down to some real work. But as with all well run businesses [sic] they wanted us informed and well trained, and who better to train us than a life long employee with very little training in instructional technology. Aside from the fact that this county was one of the original developers of the platform, very little effort went into training personnel.
