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 * Please feel free to edit this to be more organized, etc. I just thought we should get something started. :) Sandy, I don't know how to do it, but could you somehow organize it so that our names are in a column on the left? Or however you think it would clear it up more. As you see, now it's slightly confusing with you and I having different opinions for rank 1 (different texts justification and real world experience). I'm lacking in this area, but you seem to have a really good handle on it. Thanks!! Anna


 * Hi Everyone. Anna - when I set up the chart it was only meant to have the individual ranking of the skills, not the justification or real world experience for each individual. Then we could work as a group to determine the group rank and fill in the texts justification and real world experience. I believe the only thing we as a group are responsible for is to provide the group information, not our own individual. I only provided the individual to eliminate some work if we all agreed on some of the rankings - say for instances you and I both agree on Listening as 2nd (provided the other three felt the same) it would eliminate trying to justify it ranks as # 2 to the other group members. Once we have our own individual rankings in we can determine the group ranking via discussion in WIKI. Does that make sense? Anyways that's just my interpretation of the assignment. I could try to revise the chart anyway you or anyone else would like me to - just remember we do have a storage limit on the free version of WIKI so we need to make sure we keep that in mind. Thanks for getting the WIKI link started. I'm going to do some more research and then post my individual rankings. I'm looking forward to working with all of you. Do you think we should be using the Discussion tab for our conversations and leave the Page tab for our table? Just a thought. Sandy


 * Hi Everyone. I did post this in the Discussion but wanted to follow up in case you were not reading any of the discussion. Looks like we are just waiting for Brian to post his rankings and then we can decide on the group ranking. Once we have the group ranking down I'll post some Real World Experiences and Texts Justifications but I didn't want to post them now because I wasn't sure what comment went with which ranking. Sandy


 * After 4/5 of us put our rankings in, it looks like we have a consensus on #1,2,4,11, and 12. Hopefully Brian will put his rankings in soon and then we can decide on the others. Anna


 * My son has 2 hockey games today (Sunday @ 10am & 2:30) so I won't be able to get on until about 5 or 6. I know that some of the 4/5 answered are pretty close - if you want to get the group ranking done before I can get on feel free to because I don't want to hold anyone back. Then when I log on I'll just enter my Real World Experiences and Texts Justifications. Sandy


 * It's getting late and Brian still has not responded and since this is due tonight at midnight I'm going to fill in the rest of the group rankings according to the majority rules, where each of us has a different answer or two of the same I'll review my answers and change if possible or just do my best. In addition I'll shift around the Texts Justification and Real World Experience columns. If you are logging in after I have filled them, please feel free to adjust. - you won't hurt my feelings I just do not want us to have incomplete work. I'll fill in whatever text I can find too. Sandy


 * NOTE: Not sure if you've looked at the Recent Changes tab but it appears the majority of my changes have been under a guest name instead of the chapmans.uws because I had this page saved on my favorites so it's allowed me to come and and EDIT the document without logging in as a user - not sure I like that feature!!! But just wanted to let you know in case you do check it out and wonder who's been messing around in here. Sorry about that. Sandy (02.27.11 @ 10:10 pm)

So, these are the skills you must rank from most important (1) to least important (12) in __your__ opinion
 * 1) Listening,
 * 2) Being a Visionary,
 * 3) Decision-making,
 * 4) Coaching,
 * 5) Being Creative,
 * 6) Problem-solving,
 * 7) Presenting Information,
 * 8) Empowering Others,
 * 9) Positive Reinforcement,
 * 10) Mentoring,
 * 11) Managing Conflict,
 * 12) Facilitating Meetings

others || Empowering Others || Empowering Others ||  || 1 || Empowering Others || "High leadership capacity schools provide teachers with opportunities for skillful participation, which in turn allows their leadership skills to flourish" (p. 33). || Good leaders know how to delegate and raise up more leaders. I don't think leading is about dictatorship, rather it is about partnership. Thus, empowering others is a vital part of leading. (Anna)
 * **Individual Skill Ranking** |||||||| **Group** ||
 * **Elena** || **Kim** || **Sandy** || **Anna** || **Brian** || **Rank** || **Skill** || **Texts Justification** || **Real World Experience** ||
 * Empowering others || Empowering

I had a special needs student who totally shut down during a lesson because my aid was forcing him to participate in something he was not interested in. When I was done delivering the lesson, I went over to him and encouraged hit to participate in the assignment by using things that he enjoyed which empowered him to complete the lesson. (Sandy) ||
 * Listening || Listening || Listening || Listening ||  || 2 || Listening || "True understanding is a rare commodity when we are busy rehearsing and imparting our own opinions...The purpose of dialogue is understanding: when we truly listen and build on each others ideas, we construct meaning and knowledge together" (p. 23). "Being listened to carefully and listening carefully to others has an almost magical effect on what we say: issues and problems are held at arms length and examined from all sides instead of being subjected to quick opinions and ready solutions" (p. 34). || I think that many people regard listening as something passive. I look at it as an activity. You as a listener are a participant because you are actually processing what the speaker is saying instead of tuning the speaker out.(Elena)

To me, listening is very important because we need to be able to incorporate everything around us in order to understand the big picture. By not listening, we will miss out on information. Showing students you listen gives them a sense of importance. I base my instruction by listening to my mentor and his students during my student teaching days. I listen to my students, not only about the subject being taught but about what is important to them. In turn I try to give them a different perspective on something that they may not have thought of (Sandy) ||
 * Managing Conflict || Facilitating Meetings || Problem Solving || Presenting Information ||  || 3 || Problem Solving || "Collaborative reflection on the survey raised the staff members' awareness of how to intervene collectively in their school, and encouraged them to view the school as a whole and work jointly to accomplish its mission" (p. 30). To me, this is an example of problem solving || I think that problem solving is crucial when being in a leadership position. Inability to constructively problem solve can sink a project (or possible project) very quickly, since there are typically many hurdles to cross. Without an intact ability to problem solve, progress can be slow and even stall out. The way I see it, the inability to problem solve effectively can be a barrier to carrying out a groups visions, and preventing the group from moving forward. Problem solving requires collaboration and inclusion as well as creativity--definitely thinking outside of the box! (Elena) ||
 * Presenting Information || Presenting Information || Presenting Information || Mentoring ||  || 4 || Presenting Information || Develop, share and invite..Create information systems that cycle through out the school community (p 51) || Presenting information in a thoughtful matter creates cooperative discussions. I also strongly believe that good leaders present information without bias so that the listeners can form their own opinions. I like the information to be factual and consistent. (Kim)

I had a leader at my school who was very clumsy when presenting information. After meetings, everyone was left feeling confused and unclear of what the purpose of the meeting was. (Anna)

Presenting information is important because it provides a clearer picture. A perfect example that I can think of would be a treasurers report or budget. If you do not provide back up on what has been spent or saved and just provide numbers it can draw a lot of "confused and unclear" viewers, like Anna stated. Presenting detailed information allows a clear picture. (Sandy) ||
 * Facilitating Meetings || Managing Conflict || Facilitating Meetings || Facilitating Meetings ||  || 5 || Facilitating Meetings || "When teachers learn to facilitate faculty dialogue, they become better at facilitating classroom dialogue" (p. 21). || A good leader is able to listen to both sides of a situation and thoughtfully problem solve with those involved. I also believe upon leaving the room, both parties are happy, or at least somewhat happy. This is important in creating a community that shares the same purpose. (Kim) ||
 * Mentoring || Problem Solving || Coaching || Coaching ||  || 6 || Coaching || Example of Principal Trevor and Jennifer on Page 26-27. Coaching is also discussed on page 34.

"Although instructional coaching has been with us for many decades, very little attention has been given to leadership coaching..." (p. 34). || Thinking outside the box (Kim)

I view coaching and mentoring to almost be one in the same. Coaching is directing and leading by example. A coach's goal is to try to get people to do their best....to capitalize on their strengths and natural talents. I think that a good coach is both insightful and inspirational. They know how to get others to perform in a way that is beneficial to everyone involved. I think that one of their jobs is to encourage-- as well as lead.(Elena) ||
 * Coaching || Coaching || Managing Conflict || Managing Conflict ||  || 7 || Managing Conflict || A public commitment to student leadership has often been expressed through the establishment of governance opportunities (p 57) || Managing conflict is essential to any type of success. Leaders should lead by example in all areas, but particularly this one. Conflict management, or lack thereof, can be a deal breaker. Goals can be overlooked or take a back seat to problems when they arise. (Elena) ||
 * Positive Reinforcement || Mentoring || Mentoring || Being Creative ||  || 8 || Mentoring || "Mentors often see greater possibility in their mentees than do the mentees themselves, who tend to live up to their mentors' expectations when a deep belief in their capacities is expressed" (p.36). || I loved my mentor! Though she was frustrating at times, because she would never tell me what she truly thought, she guided me to make my own conclusions and answer my own questions/problems. She did see the potential in me and she guided me into seeing it too! (Kim)

It's because of my mentors at NWTC that I completed my BS in CTE and continued my education in pursuing my Masters in CTE (Sandy) || Making ||  || 12 || Decision Making || I ranked problem-solving and decision making lowest because, "When a principal -rather than the school community members -consistently solves problems, makes decisions, and gives answers, dependency behaviors on the part of staff actually increase" (p. 48). || I ranked decision making last because decision making needs all the other leadership skills. At the end of the day, someone needs to make the decision. If all the other skills are used, decisions will be cooperative and others involved should be happy. (Kim) ||
 * Being a Visionary || Positive Reinforcement || Positive Reinforcement || Positive Reinforcement ||  || 9 || Positive Reinforcement || "When encouraging teachers to improve their practice it is essential to provide them with support from administrators and colleagues in the form of clear expectations, classroom observations and instructional coaching, professional development, rich opportunities for satisfaction with intrinsic rewards, supervision, and evaluation" (p. 40). || Always communicate the good before the bad. When the bad is communicated, it is done so in a way that promotes change in an empowering way. (Kim) ||
 * Problem Solving || Being a Visionary || Being a Visionary || Being a Visionary ||  || 10 || Being a Visionary || A visionary helps keep the plan alive and systematically implements its components during group planning time (p. 16) || Being a visionary can transfuse programs and projects that might be going stale. i agree that vision and creativity go hand in hand. (Elena) ||
 * Being Creative || Being Creative || Being Creative || Problem solving ||  || 11 || Being Creative || Designing is an essential skill for building leadership capacity... design professional development opportunities directed toward state of the art instruction, assessment and guidance (p 51) || I ranked this (being creative) with being a visionary because I believe they are really the same concept. Creativity and being a visionary are needed in creating opportunities for everyone to be successful. (Kim) ||
 * Decision Making || Decision Making || Decision Making || Decision