Welcome to my 07.750 Program Portfolio

It is with great excitement that I prepare this program portfolio to share with you about my MEd learning journey.  This journey technically began six years ago,  when I took my first course that was to be applied towards my MEd.  However, I officially began my MEd at Brandon University in the fall of 2017.  It has been a whirlwind of learning over the past three years with many evenings and weekends spent at school in order to complete the required work.  I am thankful to my husband for taking care of the "home piece" while I pursued my dream!

Since I learned how to use Blogger in one of my elective courses, I thought it would be fitting to apply this knowledge as I complete this final summative course.  I did need to make adjustments to the date of the entries so that my posts appear from oldest to newest because Blogs typically show most recent posts firsts.  When you have reached the bottom of the page, please click "older entries" to see the rest of my posts, until you see the final conclusion page.  You may also use the side bar to choose the entry you wish to read. 

There were many times during these past three years that I had to remind myself to slow down and just breathe - I can do this.  (Photo below is my first "paint night" painting!)

All of the photos in this blog are items in my office and were taken by me.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Introduction to Educational Administration
3. Overview of Educational Issues
4. Interpreting Educational Research
5. Graduate Scholarly Writing
6. Educational Leadership
7. Supervisory Policy and Practice
8. School Administration and the Law
9. Introduction to Educational Technology
10. Curriculum Foundations
11. Administrative Leadership in Educational Institutions
12. Educational Administration Practicum
13. Graduate Summative Seminar
14. Conclusion

My filing system may not be pretty, but it is functional. :)

Introduction

Professional learning has been a constant throughout my adult life. As a military wife, being flexible and open to learning has been a critical component to a successful marriage and career. From the time I graduated with my BEd (1993), until I moved to Winnipeg (2006), I had already lived and worked in 5 different cities, 3 other provinces and 2 countries. With each move came a significant amount of new learning. Although most of my career was spent working with middle years students, I did teach from pre-school level (Montessori) to adult education (Seneca College and Correctional Services Canada).  

After over 13 years as a classroom teacher, in 2008 I accepted a position as a resource teacher, unsure of how I would feel not having "my own class".  After getting my feet wet and learning the ropes, I realized that this was "my favourite job ever" (like each and every position that I had previously held). It was then that I decided that I wanted to take my PBDE in Special Education.  In the fall of 2010 I began my PBDE journey.  With steadfast dedication to taking coursework yearlong, I completed my program in 2012.  It was a steep learning curve after being out of university for so long, but I was proud of my accomplishment.  As rewarding as it was, I vowed that I would be done university course work because it took so much time away from my family.  

In 2016 I was asked to instruct a summer course for Educational Assistants at the University of Winnipeg.  Little did I know when I accepted the position that the course needed a severe overhaul so I was left to my own devices to create the course content.  I think I ended up making about $5/hour when the work was all said and done.  ;)  It was, however, an amazing learning opportunity.  

Now, with over 25 years in education, I have yet to remain in the same building for more than five years. I thrive on learning and change. 

My participation in the Graduate program at Brandon University over the past three years has provided me with an immense amount of learning and growth.  There were many times, and I mean MANY, that I debated continuing my coursework.  I'd say pretty much mid-way through each course I would reconsider whether I "needed" my MEd.  Working full-time as a single school administrator, and being a mother and wife, was a full plate in itself.  My colleagues with their MEd encouraged me to persevere, and my colleagues without told me it was okay to not pursue it.  Each time that I debated not finishing a course, or not registering for the following session, I acknowledged that I did not "need" my MEd, but deep down I knew that I "wanted" it.  

When I began my coursework at Brandon University, I was starting my second year as a single administrator. When I originally entered the Master's program at Brandon University I was enrolled in the area of Special Education.  I have included my statement of interest from my original application, followed by my letter requesting a switch to Educational Administration.  Although I know that continuing in Special Education would have been a rewarding path, the learning that I gained through the intense, yet relevant, coursework, has guided and shaped me as a school principal.  I could not imagine myself being in the role that I am without the knowledge that I have acquired through my coursework in Educational Administration.  

Statement of Interest:

It is with great interest that I am applying to enroll in the Master of Education program at Brandon University, specializing in Special Education. 

With over 20 years’ experience in the field of education, I have been fortunate to have had a rich and varied career.  I have worked with students from the pre-school level to adult education, and in private, public and federal institutions.  I have worked as a general classroom teacher, a subject specialist, a resource teacher and I am now in my fourth year of administration. In each position I have held, I have learned and grown along with my students.  Growing professionally and pursuing higher education has been a lifelong interest of mine.  Throughout my career I have continually pursued professional growth and development opportunities and challenges.  Most recently, I obtained my Level 2 Principal’s Certificate.  As I was working toward this certification, I was able to take courses in Universal Design for Learning and Educational Administration.  I would like to continue to delve more deeply into the education system in which I work so that I can better support teachers and students at all levels.  A Master of Education is the logical next step in my educational career.  

Shortly after starting my position as a resource teacher, it quickly became evident to me that inclusionary practices were going to be the focus of my work from that point on.  I became an advocate for the students that were marginalized in the school community.  Now, as the principal of a small school, I am directly involved in the planning for our students with learning and behavioural challenges.  I want to know how to best serve the students under my care.  As such, I would like to learn about the most recent research and practices in the area of Special Education.  I want to know how I can best plan for, support and assess students with exceptionalities and behavioural disorders.  Inclusive education is at the core of my belief system and this is one of the reasons I was selected for my current administrative position.  Completing my Masters in Special Education will take me one step closer to my future goal of being the Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services, where I will be able to support many more teachers and students in my division.

My personal and professional learning goals and beliefs align very closely with the mission statement, vision and academic plan of Brandon University.  My students’ learning is my passion.  I believe that it is the role and responsibility of our educational system to create and promote competent, socially responsible, resilient, and resourceful life-long learners that are able to contribute meaningfully to society.  As an educator and leader, it is essential that I keep this mission in mind as I am entrusted with the task of educating, guiding and leading in our schools.

I believe that the focus of our school is not only to educate in the area of academics, but in character development, relationship building and social justice.  We must model the behaviours we wish to see, and do so with passion and commitment.  I believe in building supportive relationships with students and families.  We must develop mutual trust.  I believe that students learn best when work is meaningful and relevant.  We must engage our students in real-world experiences.  I believe that all students can learn and that it takes courage to try something new.  We must create safe and inclusive learning environments where risk taking is encouraged and modelled.  I believe that learning should be embraced and viewed as a life-long journey.  We must continue to grow personally and professionally.   
                    

Request for Switch to Educational Administration: 

     Please allow me to explain how I have come to make this request.  I became a resource teacher in 2008 and loved the learning that it entailed.  Shortly thereafter, I began my PBDE in Special Ed. at University of Manitoba.  I thoroughly enjoyed my program and received my Special Education Teacher’s Certificate in 2012.  As I searched to continue to “make a difference” with as many students as possible, I was appointed as a vice-principal in 2013. 

 

     In 2014, I took Intro to Ed Admin at U of M to see if that was the area in which I wanted to specialize.   The course forced me to think critically about topics that were new to me, and at the time was “out of my comfort zone”.  As I was comfortable with the Special Ed programming, I decided to continue in that stream for my MEd.  In 2016, I was appointed to the position of principal in my current school.  As much as I still see inclusive education as my passion, I have now realized that I want/need to focus my learning on the role of an educational leader.  

     I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to switch to the area of Educational Administration so that I may continue to grow and learn as an educational leader.   

And here is my journey....

EDUA 5010 An Introduction to Educational Administration

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of, and introduction to, the administration of education/schooling in Manitoba and Canada.  In this course "administration" broadly conceived to include issues of governance and politics - how our school systems are structured an dhow authority is exercised - as well as issues of leadership and management - the processes of working with others and through others to achieve certain desired organizational outcomes.  It also assumes that administration always has to be understood in a broader cultural and educational context.  In the first part of the course attention will be focused on "the Canadian design of education" - the different systems and structures we have created, their stated purposes, and contemporary reform efforts.  In the second part of the course attention will shift more to an examination of the processes and practices associated with school administration.  Throughout attention will be given to exploring the social, political, socio-economic, legal and cultural contexts that give meaning to school administration in Manitoba.

Instructor: Jon Young

(Fall 2014 University of Manitoba)

Reflection:

I had originally taken this course in order to fulfill the requirements of my Principal’s Certificate and to see if I was really interested in completing a Master’s program in Educational Administration. 

This course was taken through the University of Manitoba on Monday evenings.  It was wonderful to have this opportunity to meet many other educators from other school divisions in and around Winnipeg.  Little did I know then that this would be one of only two courses that I would take in-person while completing my Masters.

Professor Young provided a varied syllabus with a plethora of articles, books, policies and reports to read.  Personally, I found the political articles very challenging to read and understand.  Fortunately, there was enough of a variety of topics to keep me somewhat interested in continuing.  Honestly, if it hadn't been for the fact I needed a course for my principal's certificate (that I really wanted), I would have dropped this course. 

On a positive note, it was during this course that I came to know about the works of Ken Leithwood and The Wallace Foundation. As a newly appointed administrator, the required readings helped provide me with a greater understanding and perspective of my role as a school leader.  

I appreciated that Jon brought in guest speakers to speak to their areas of expertise.  Carolyn Duhamel, Executive Director of the Manitoba School Boards Association, Nora Murdock, Director of Education of Fisher River First Nation and Brian O’Leary, Superintendent of Seven Oaks School Division all provided us with insight on their roles and responsibilities as educational leaders.

This course also gave me the opportunity to explore and critically review the Ontario Leadership Framework document.  I found their province-wide approach fascinating, daunting and intriguing at the same time.  Their framework demonstrated the enormity of the roles and responsibilities of educational leaders.  I really did not know how much there was to learn about school leadership and was disheartened with how little guidance was being provided by my own division.  I decided that I would keep this framework handy as there was certain to be much overlap between Ontario and Manitoba.  As we now navigate through a global pandemic, I think that it will be even more important for us to learn from successes (or failures) of other provinces.  

Although there were certain aspects of this course that I enjoyed, I mostly "tolerated" this course.  It did not entice me to enroll in a Master's program in Educational Administration.  I found the broad overview of so many topics a bit overwhelming and out of my comfort zone at the time.  Overall, I did not enjoy this course experience and I knew that I wasn't going to get what I needed from a program that I didn't love.  I decided that I would focus on gaining on the job experience before committing to taking more courses.  

When I think back to the topics discussed in this course, I now understand that the broad topics were intentional and required in order for me to understand the diverse aspects of educational leadership.  

EDUA 5010 Chosen Assignment (Article Review)

I chose to include this article Educational Accountability by Kenneth Leithwood because the topic of accountability really resonated with me.  As a bit of a type A personality, or maybe a lot, I have always held myself accountable to very high standards in everything I do, whether or not there is a possible reward or penalty at stake.  When I took this course I was in a situation where I felt that my principal did not hold himself to these same standards and it was challenging for me to navigate my leadership role.  

07:752 Overview of Educational Issues

Course Description:

The main purpose of this course is to engage students in discussion of the important issues facing the educational system; public, private and band-operated schools.  The course is designed to facilitate the study of educational issues, and to think and to make inferences from a combination of premises and perspectives regardless of political correctness, personal perspective or personal advantage.  General topics for study will include the following: educational perspectives (historical, philosophical, sociological), federal and provincial government policies and practices, curriculum as a field of study, teacher professionalism, globalization, and educational reform.

Instructor: Dr. Marion Terry

Fall 2017

Reflection:

This was my first course taken while officially registered as a Master of Education student.  It was also my first course taken through Brandon University, my first on-line course, my first time using both Moodle and Zoom.  Oh, and I was also just entering my second year as a single administrator.  Needless to say, my stress level was HIGH! 

I must say that having Marion Terry as my first professor was a gift.  Although reading through her syllabus seemed daunting at first, I quickly came to realize that if you read her notes well, the Zoom classes were a breeze.  Her syllabus even included a resource on how to write a research-based essay - something that I greatly appreciated as writing was not something that I had ever considered a strength.  (I was more of a "math" person).  Marion had very high expectations for her students, however, she provided us with all the tools that we needed in order to be successful.  This knowledge did not make the course “easy” by any stretch of the imagination, but you knew what the expectations were. 

As a mature student, I had many, MANY, questions that fell outside of our Zoom hours, usually on the weekends when I would come into school so that I could work without interruptions.  Marion responded promptly to each question, ensuring that I understood her response.  

In addition to learning how to complete an annotated bibliography, I learned that graduate level writing was a notch above post-baccalaureate writing.  WOW, I did not how much I did not know!  I was thankful for the grammar book that was a recommended purchase. I have referred to it many times throughout my course work and even when editing report cards!

I was also appreciative of Marion's offer to allow us to submit our drafts for feedback - say what!?  I was stunned to learn that not everyone took advantage of this option.  Although I always submitted what I thought was a perfectly-edited draft, Marion was always able to find the most minute errors - which is not a criticism, but a fact. Although I purchased an APA manual, as recommended, I must say that Marion's resource sheets were much more user friendly and provided all of the information that I needed.

I was pleased to know that we could choose our own topic for research for this course.  At the time of this course, as a new administrator and new to working with elementary students, I was surprised at the level of absenteeism seen at this early age.  This topic interested me greatly as I wanted to support students and families as best I could.  While researching articles, I was fortunate to become acquainted with the intervention program Be@School because it provided me with insight into the factors that contribute to absenteeism in the early grades. 

It is easy to understand why this course is a required course for all students in the Master of Education program.  It certainly provided me with the foundational skills I needed in order to navigate my way through my next 10 courses.  

07:752 Chosen Assignment: Final Paper

I chose this final assignment not only because chronic absenteeism is very relevant to me as an early years administrator, but also because Marion had considered it to be of acceptable quality to be submitted for inclusion in the BU Journal.  Although I did not take the time to complete the additional tasks that were required for it to be included in the journal, I was honoured to be asked to submit it.  The ability to choose my own topic to research during this course motivated me to learn how to more efficiently navigate EBSCOhost.  Just thinking of the countless hours spent searching for articles makes my head spin.   

07:751 Interpreting Educational Research (NET)

Course Description:

Students will be critically analysing research in education.  The course will approach the topic of research design and data analysis from a "consumer perspective," and students will be guided to develop their critical thinking and reflection abilities to recognize the qualities of well-designed research.  Topics in the course will include observation and measurement, ethical considerations, research design strategies, and the development and communication of research ideas.

Instructor: Dr. Marion Terry

Winter 2018

Reflection: 

My first recollection of this starting this course was my utter shock at the price of the textbook - hundreds (plural!) of dollars.  Fortunately, there was a loose-leaf version that was ONLY ~$150.  Thank goodness for small mercies!

Marion started this course with a review of APA rules in order to make sure that we would be successful in our written work.  I found this helpful because there are so many minute details to take into consideration - review and guidance is always appreciated. 

I remember being skeptical of having to have boiled eggs ready for a "boiled eggs" experiment that Marion had us perform together on Zoom, but then (of course) it made perfect sense once we shared our observations. Unlike many of my fellow students, I thoroughly enjoyed the assignment where we had to calculate central tendencies, variability and relative standing - I am a true math geek!   Learning about quantitative research was definitely more up my alley than the qualitative research.  

Once again for this course, Marion provided us with templates and exemplars to follow as we completed our assignments.  I was always sure to submit my drafts for feedback and I benefited greatly from this option.  (I was surprised to learn. again, that not everyone took advantage of this opportunity.)  Marion always seemed to find one tiny error that I had missed in my final copy - which always surprised me and made me wonder "how did I miss that?" and "how did Marion notice that?".  

Although Marion provided us with much guidance and support, this course was HARD!  It took focus and attention to understand the minutia of good research.  Two classmates ended up dropping the course at different points through the course.  They each shared that it was just too intense and rigorous.  I agree about the intensity and rigour required, and I am proud that I persevered with this course.  It just took a bit of hope and a lot of faith!

This course definitely helped me appreciate and understand how to evaluate research articles.  I knew that I would be required to research and read a plethora of articles over the course of my MEd so understanding how to assess articles for their strengths and limitations was important to learn early on. I learned that not all articles are created equally and that I can't just choose the first few articles that appear in my first search.  (Sadly, this meant hours upon hours of searching for quality articles.) I fully understand why this is a required course for all MEd students. 

07:751 Chosen assignment: Analysis of Quantitative Research

I have included my Analysis of Quantitative Research assignment.  I chose to include this assignment because it was the first of the two analysis assignments and used quantitative research instead of qualitative. I continued to delve into the research on school absenteeism and was pleased to give Assessing Reasons for School Non-Attendance a thorough analysis.

I found that the content of this assignment fairly straight-forward, with much guidance from the textbook.  The APA rules for this type of assignment was much more intricate than a typical essay.  Luckily, the format was quite similar for the final assignment so I was able to use this corrected assignment as a guide for the qualitative paper. 

07:780 Graduate Scholarly Writing (NET)

Course Description:

Students will analyse and practise a variety of forms of written communication, including recovery of meaning (through analysis, synthesis and evaluation), conceptualization, categorical frameworks, exposition, autobiography, editing, and bibliographic notation, modeled on current practices in research and scholarly publication in education.

Instructor: Dr. Marion Terry

Spring 2018

Reflection:

I shudder to think at the amount of trees that I killed during the course of this course.  I find it hard to read articles online.  I like to have the papers in my hand, with my highlighters and sticky notes at my disposal.  Since there was so much information available about school attendance and absenteeism, I found that I needed to skim through (too) many articles in order to find the meaningful or quality articles for my research.  (Thank you course 01-751 for teaching me how to choose quality articles!)

The first assignment for this course was to apply Kolb's Learning Styles theory to myself as a learner.  Since I had not yet heard of Kolb's learning style or his inventory, I found this intriguing.  I learned that I am an assimilator, which helped explain many of my type A personality traits as it relates to my own learning and my work preferences.  It also helped me understand why I sometimes find it hard to relate to others - social-emotional learning is an ongoing area in need of growth.  

Even though I had previously taken two other courses with Marion, there was still so much to learn about scholarly writing. I remember being disappointed with the corrections that came back in a variety of colours after I submitted my final assignment.  I still earned a high mark, but my perfectionistic tendencies are hard to ignore. At this point, I decided to view all errors as learning opportunities.  I began to record each my errors in a section of my journal so that I wouldn't repeat them in future assignments.  This was a very helpful strategy because I used these notes for every future course.  Despite the numerous errors, what I most remember about my getting my first assignment back in this course was the sentence, "You have a mature writing style".  This comment inspired me to absorb everything I could about scholarly writing.  Since I had never been confident in my writing skills, this single phrase filled me with pride.  (I took this as a full compliment, so if it means something other than that, please do NOT tell me!).  This sentence was an acknowledgment of the learning and growth that had occurred in my writing during my first two courses with Marion.  

 Marion taught me how to adjust my searches in the BU library catalogue and how to "assemble a research-based essay" and how to "think in three's".  This was exactly what I needed to help me learn how to write for academic purposes.  

I am surprised that this course is not a required course for all students.  Although extremely rigorous, it helped solidify my academic writing skills.  

07:780 Chosen Assignment: Kolb's Theory

I chose to include this assignment on Kolb's Theory because it was a turning point in how I viewed myself as a writer.  I felt an increased confidence when writing my draft papers in subsequent courses.  

Marion's courses were tough, but I so appreciated everything that I learned in them.  She pushed you to the edge, but made sure you had something to hang on to so as not to go over.  

Educational Leadership (FLC 3 Professional Perspectives)

Course Description:

This course explores the concept of educational leadership through three lenses: by role (leader, manager, change agent, learning community), as relationships (power, practices, people), and with commitments (conscious leadership, resilience).  The course content and processes are intended to help learning leaders to reflect, apply, and lead intentionally while bridging theory with practice.  A reflective practice perspective will provide a framework for course discussion and assignments.  

Instructor: Dr. Danielle Fullan Kolton

Summer 2018

Reflection:

This summer course was intense, action-packed and covered so many relevant topics that my head was constantly spinning.  I had attended a COSL summer session in 2015 so I thought that I had somewhat of an idea of what was in store for me.  However, in 2015, there was no "homework" because I wasn't taking it for a credit.  This added layer of work intensified the learning because there was a very short turn around time for some assignments.  

One of the highlights of this course was that it was taken with a group of colleagues who were all interested in school leadership.  Having that common passion helped us form quick bonds with each other.  I knew a few people from previous online courses or from professional development sessions, but the majority were new people with whom I could connect and learn.  

Many of the people taking this course had either not yet taken many MEd courses, or not yet taken a course with Marion Terry because the APA formatting was challenging for many.  Luckily for me, I had just finished Scholarly Writing so I was well-versed in APA and was able to provide much support to others in this area, even the instructor!  ;)

The amount of material covered during these six days was overwhelming.  I took tons of notes!  As I look through them now, some of them I don't even recall, but they are in my handwriting so I know that I wrote them!  Luckily, several times throughout the day we would meet with a partner and discuss or reflect on our recent learning.  This was helpful in order to help process some of the information. 

One of the articles and activities that I remember most was The Big Rocks  The main idea is that we need to prioritize our time (big rocks, little rocks, sand) and always start with the big rocks.  We were able to see the importance of this by filling a jar with big rocks, little rocks and sand. If you didn't start with the big rocks, not everything would fit in.  At each table group one member was the lucky winner and was able to take the jar home.  I keep my jar on my bookshelf as a constant reminder of needing to prioritize what needs to be done, not only as a principal, but as a mother and student. 

This course also helped me see the various roles that I play in my school and gave me perspective on where I needed to grow:

Principal as a manager and a leader.  I learned that I was more naturally a manager and that my skills as a leader were still developing.  (Humbling, but true.)

Principal as Change Agent: I learned that there are many steps to be taken prior to implementing significant change in a building.  Oops.  These lessons made me wish I could have had a "redo" in some of the ways that I implemented change with staff.  

Principal as Lead Learner:  I felt that I was fairly well-informed in this area and was pleased that I was mostly doing what I should be doing. 

As I look back at the reflection sheets I filled out, I see that relationship management was a continuous theme where I needed to develop the most.  I have been working toward being more self-aware and socially-aware of my staff.  

FLC 3 Chosen Assignment - Pecha Kucha

When we were learning about leading with commitment, through "15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership", I chose the commitment " generating appreciation".  I have attached the Pecha Kucha that we were required to do for this book study because I the idea of showing gratitude has been important to me since I became an administrator.  I work hard to show my staff my gratitude for all that they do for our students and the school.  Often we only hear from people when they are unhappy with us, so it is critical for leaders to acknowledge the good work that is done by staff. 

                                  

01:757 Supervisory Policy and Practice (NET)

Course Description:

This course will examine relevant theory and research in the practice of educational supervision and evaluation.  Students will have the opportunity to link theory to their own practice as well as compare and analyse various supervisory models.  Students will develop skills in facilitating learning-focused conversations to strengthen reflective practice. 

Instructor: Dr. Cathryn Smith

Fall 2018

Reflection:

I was very excited to start this course!  Since I was entering my second year as principal I had not yet completed many teacher evaluations.  I was aware of our divisional performance assessment process but was not yet comfortable or feeling proficient at adequately assessing new teachers.  (In our division, only term teachers and first year permanent contract teachers are assessed.)  

Cathryn uses Schoology, not Moodle, so there was a new learning opportunity right off the hop!  Luckily it was an easy change to navigate.  

Once again, it was clear that expectations for this course were high!  Cathryn provided us with ample topics related to supervision and evaluation from which to chose our first assignment.  As great as that was, it did cause me more stress that I would have anticipated.  There were so many topics that I wanted to explore that I spent WAY too much time looking for journal articles.  

Cathryn's Zoom sessions were always interesting.  I think it was the first time I had been put in a breakout room (pretty sure Marion didn't use that feature but I could be wrong) and I really enjoyed the chance to discuss topics and practise skills with other students face-to-face (virtually).  

This course allowed me to delve into my division's evaluation process and compare it to the recommendations found in Marshall's book.  Although I was not really surprised at how many areas my division could improve upon, I was curious why our divisional practices did not really provide much guidance in the area of "how" to adequately supervise and assess a teacher.  This course really helped me gain a better understanding of the purpose of teacher assessment and the importance of making it meaningful for the teacher.  Teacher evaluation is one of the critical components of our role as a school leader.  

The books required for the course are AMAZING!  I still refer to them often, particularly Lipton and Wellman's because I find it helpful to review the different types of learning-focused conversations before meeting with teachers to discuss their performance.  

This course definitely had rigour, but I soaked it up because it was a topic that I NEEDED to learn and master as a principal.  There were so many skills and terms that I needed to practise and master: coaching, collaborating, consulting, calibrating, attending fully, invitational thinking, pausing, paraphrasing, inquiring, plural forms, non-dichotomous forms, positive presuppositions, shifting levels of abstraction, etc...

 

01:757 Chosen Assignment - Learning-focused Conversation

I chose to include the learning-focused conversation assignment for my portfolio because it provided me with the biggest challenge.  I needed to record a 30-minute conversation with a teacher who was struggling with classroom management in a grade one class.  Properly preparing my initial invitational questions was key to this assignment.  I was very nervous about completing this task as my "go to" has usually been to help teachers "fix" problems.  I know how important it is to let teachers arrive at the answers themselves, but is seems like often there is just not the time required and it is easier to just give them the answer.  I was pleased with the results of my conversation as I was able to apply many of the strategies that we had read about, talked about, and practised in class.  

01:758 School Administration and the Law (NET)

             

Course Description:  

This course is designed to inform graduate students of the legal context in which education in Canada finds itself.  As the legal responsibilities and roles of those in education become more complex in today’s school environment, it is imperative that educators acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of the legal parameters affecting education today.  This course will examine the impact of common, statutory, and case law on education and schools.  An exploration of the legal context of school administration will provide an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, administrators, and employers. 

Instructor: Dr. Tom Skinner

Winter 2019

Reflection:

To me, this was by far the most interesting course out of all my courses.  Once I started reading the articles and links to case law provided by Tom, I could not stop reading.  I think I had read almost all the required case study reading by the end of the first week of class!  WOW!  Hard to believe all these things really happen. Once I found out how to search for case laws on Canlii I spent hours reading article upon article on a variety of topics. 

This course should be required for every school administrator whether in a Master program or not!  It was definitely an eye-opener for me.   Once it sunk in that these case studies we were “real”, I felt a huge weight added to my shoulders.  I knew that I had great responsibilities as a principal, but I had no idea how many things could go wrong in so many ways.  One of my greatest takeaways was to make sure that I knew my stuff (divisional policies, Manitoba statues, Public Schools Act, etc…).  I now keep these references bookmarked for easy reference.  Another learning piece was to be certain to complete my Workplace Health and Safety walk-throughs with a much more critical eye.  Some of those Tort Law case studies were scary!  It is so easy for accidents to happen.  I realized that I must do my due diligence to ensure that learning opportunities are always offered in a safe space.  It is also my job to ensure that my staff are aware of these expectations. 

I found the cases related to religious diversity particularly interesting since my school has just started to become very multi-cultural.  It is important to honour and recognize diverse cultures while finding a balance of with school academic and safety requirements. The case laws regarding Exposure to Differing Views and Wearing of a Kirpan in school were a reminder of how important it is to be informed about religious diversity. 

I must admit that my teachers weren’t exactly thrilled with my new knowledge.  I began asking many more questions about field trips and became relentless about making sure that staff were outside on time for their recess duties and continually circulating.  There is no room for error when we are entrusted to care for other people's children. 

 01:758 Chosen Assignment: Case law - Negligence

I chose this article Tort Law – Negligence because it was something that could so easily happen in my school, or any elementary school.  Everything seemed innocent enough, but there were some missteps and a child lost vision in one eye while at school.  This case gave me the opportunity to work with my office staff to ensure that we have the proper steps in place to ensure that we don’t end up with a situation like this.  

03:765 Introduction to Educational Technology: Theory and Practice

Course Description:

This course will examine the emerging impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on current teaching and learning practices and the curriculum implementation process.  The course is intended to combine both a theoretical examination of educational technology and a practical, hands-on exploration of web-based software applications in teaching and learning.  A critical approach to analyzing ICT applications will be adopted in order to explore its impact and possibilities.  

Instructor: Dr. Mike Nantais

Spring 2019

Reflection:

Okay, I am going to be honest. I did not really “want or plan” to take this course. I am not very adept at technology, but it was the best (only?) online option for a spring course and I really wanted to take one. But, wow, am I ever thankful that I did take it! Mike was such a knowledgeable and flexible professor, it would have been impossible to not like the course.

The first assignment for this course required me to work with a partner on an assignment. I had not previously worked virtually with a partner, so that was a bit of a learning piece on top of the content. Luckily, I found a similar-minded partner (keen and type A) and we were one of the first groups to present.

The articles were thought provoking and ensured lots of dialogue among students during our breakout sessions.  As I had never been very "techie", I hadn't given thought to many of the issues around technology.  Learning about the equity and sustainability of resources, the potential for harm and misuse, and how technology has changed our culture really made me reflect deeply.  There was much more to understand about technological change than I had ever imagined, as was well-explained in the article by Neil Postman Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change  This course gave me the opportunity to reflect on my teaching and leadership practices as well as exploring my own identity as it relates to technology.  

Throughout this course, in addition to some of the pedagogical theory, I learned so many new things that excited me: new apps (Padlet, Twiddla, Flipgrid), the meaning of two acronyms: (CAPTCHA and MOOC), how to create a blog and how to generate a meme! 

Another highlight of this course was the practical nature of the learning that I could use and apply in my school building.  I became aware that my lack of fluency in "digital literacy" was affecting how I lead my staff.  I needed to model the way for the teachers.  This meant working with them so they could understand the role that technology can play in the classroom and the lives of our students.  I did not realize the importance of modeling the way for EVERYTHING that I wanted/expected teachers to do.  It is a huge undertaking, but also an important one. 

03:765 Chosen Assignment: Blog

I have included a link to my first blog as my chosen assignment because it was a steep learning curve on how to create one.  I was very pleased with the results and as weeks went on I became more comfortable posting to it.  (It was this learning that lead me to using Blogger for this final assignment.)  I know that it is important to keep practising my technology learnings or I will quickly forget the skills that I have learned.  

02.780 Curriculum Foundations (NET)

Course Description:

This course explores the philosophical, political, and sociological foundations of curricula.  The foundation will lead students to critically examine 21st century curriculum models in relation to their ability to meet the needs of diverse learners.

The course adopts a framework of Schwab's curriculum commonplaces (teacher, learner, subject matter, and milieu) to explore the meaning of curriculum and curriculum making.  Within this framework and through readings, online discussions, and assignments, course participants will examine possibilities and complexities shaped in a deepening understanding and a self-reflexive approach to one's own experiences of curriculum in teaching practice. 

Instructor: Dr. Lynne Driedger-Enns

Fall 2019

Reflection:

I had originally registered to take this course over the summer of 2018, but just as the course began my mother, who lives in New Brunswick, needed to be moved into a nursing home so I needed to go home to support her move and my dad adapting to living alone.  Lynne had graciously offered to help me manage the coursework and my family commitments but after having seen the syllabus, I knew that I would not be able to proficiently manage both so I dropped the course. 

I must admit that as the fall of 2019 arrived I was not looking forward to taking this course.  I knew that it would require deep self-reflections of my teaching practice and I was not looking forward to that.  There are many points in my career where I have wished, years after the fact, that I could have had a "do-over" and I wasn't particularly keen on sharing these thoughts with others.  When I realized that not only did I need to share these moments with my professor, but that I had to share them with my fellow students, I almost dropped the course again.  (It is a required course so that wasn't a real option!)

This course pushed me to my limits in many ways.  In addition to the sharing of personal stories, the idea of writing using personal narratives and narrative inquiry was hard for me to grasp after all my efforts "perfecting" my scholarly writing for my other courses.  How was I supposed to conclude all my writings with questions?  On top of this, the amount of reading required was overwhelming to keep up with.  I was so thankful that I didn't try to accomplish this over a summer.  The discussion forum was a great way to connect with and learn from other students.  I found the most challenging part of the forum was that many people waited until the deadline to post so it gave me very short window to respond to their writing.  

This course enabled me to open my eyes toward different perspectives that I might not have come across otherwise.  The video below helped me understand the importance of relationship and getting to know the story of the people with whom we interact, whether it be staff, students or parents.

One thing that I appreciated about this course was the ever-positive support from Lynne.  Her comments on my work work meaningful and thoughtful.  She was available for help via email or phone conversations and seemed genuinely happy to show me the path, or multiple paths, when I was was lost.  

Although I found the introspective nature of this course to be challenging, I think that it was also the highlight of this course. Being able to examine our own thoughts and feelings is very important when leading.  We must reserve judgment and try to understand the perspective and "story" of the people we lead. 

This course was one where I often reminded myself, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".  It was a huge amount of work and brain power, and I am all the better for it. 

02:780 Chosen Assignment: Narrative Inquiry

My chosen assignment is a narrative inquiry into a knowledge community in transition.  It was a hard look at my experiences as I entered my new school as a principal.  This course helped me understand and articulate my missteps and how I can better support curriculum-making with my school and larger community. 

I chose to include my final assignment in my portfolio because it was so hard to write.  Lynne encouraged us to submit a section at a time so that we could get her feedback.  After I received my first section back, with comments, my heart sunk.  Although all of Lynne's comments were helpful, there were just so many.  "Why is this so hard for me?", I asked myself.  After a short pity-party, I read the comments, spoke to Lynne, and got my head back in the game, and took another shot.  (This following quote I keep in my office helped for this paper.)

When I hit my final "submit" I am pretty sure that I had tears in my eyes. What story would I live to tell about this course?

01.755 Administrative Leadership in Educational Institutions

Course Description:

This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the study of educational leadership.  The following principles have been utilized in the development of this course: 

1. Leadership has been widely researched and widely documented. It is my goal to introduce students to as many aspects, and perspectives of educational leadership as possible. 

2. Individuals within the class will have specific interest areas within the broader context of educational leadership. Therefore, the course components have been organized to honour the interests of individual participants. 

3. Understanding a variety of perspectives enables learners to understand each topic more deeply. Therefore, a strong emphasis has been placed on participant interaction to enable each of us to learn from each other.

Instructor: Dr. Jacqueline Kirk

Winter 2020

Reflection:

This course pushed my to my creative limits!  When I saw that there were many "diagrams" required for this course I was very nervous.  Creativity with diagrams was definitely not in my comfort zone so I knew that I was going to have to push myself, especially when 40% of my mark was riding on it!   I don't even dare to guess the amount of hours that I spent learning new programs where I could create visually appealing diagrams that illustrated each theory.  Sometimes I would get so close to making one but I couldn't get the "pieces" to connect properly so I had to start over in a different program.  This happened more often than I would like to admit.  I thought I would lose my mind, but I did not give up!

Once I found Canva, near the end of the course, I became engrossed in all of the possibilities that it had to offer.  I found myself actually enjoying creating the diagram for Transformational Leadership.  Go figure!  

I thought the book talk was a great way for us to share information with fellow students.  Again, as I had mentioned for another course, the freedom to choose ANY leadership book was a blessing and a curse.  It was nice to have the freedom of choice, but there were so many books from which to choose, the decision-making process became another hurdle for my brain to jump.  I went back and forth between two books for weeks.  I finally decided on the one that had the most impact on me as a leader. 

Learning about the various leadership theories was an important step in understanding who I am as leader and who I aspire to be.  Reflecting on the different styles allowed me to see how my current practices aligned, or did not align, with each of these theories.  I found that I could see examples of many of these theories in my leadership style as many of them share some of the same basic principles.  I was particularly pleased to learn about Situational Leadership  and I had noticed that I seemed to provide differing amounts and types of support to teachers depending on their level of expertise, and it was reassuring that that was okay.  Different situations can call for different approaches.  

The only theory that I didn't fully understand was Systems Theory, and I even presented an article on that topic!  Ugh!  I'm not sure how I got through that evening.  I'm just thankful no one had questions! 

I appreciated the format of this course because almost every week students were presenting articles or book talks.  This made the evenings go by much quicker than other courses when it was just the instructor sharing information.  Being given time to talk in the breakout rooms was also always appreciated.  

I did find this course particularly stressful because the two major assignments were only due at the end of the course.  I like to know that I am on the right track and use the assignment feedback as either reassurance or guidance on how to improve for my next assignment.  Jackie was always flexible and open when it came to how we completed our assignments, probably the most flexible of any course I had taken.  This was a stark contrast to the courses that I took with Marion.  My brain works best under clear, concise guidelines, but I know it is equally important to be a flexible and creative thinker.  This course gave my brain the balance it needed (like it or not!). 

01:755 Chosen Assignment: Theory Diagrams

I chose to include the Theory Diagrams assignment because of the blood (figuratively), sweat (literally), and tears (literally) that went into it.  When I accomplish something that I feel pushed me to my limits, the feeling is indescribable.  I was so proud of my final diagram assignment. This course didn't kill me, and it definitely made me stronger.  

01.769 Educational Administration: Practicum

Course Description:

Pembina Trails School Division (PT) employs two distinct paths within its professional growth model with the intent of best addressing the needs and abilities of both novice and experienced teachers. The professional learning model is designed for all educators, while the performance assessment is designed primarily for teachers who are new to the division or to the profession. The formal assessment process in PT is quite similar to a conventional clinical observation process, which involves a pre-conference, a planning conversation, observations, and a post-observation conversation. This process is required to be completed for teachers who are new to the division.

To complement this performance assessment, I am interested in applying Marshall’s mini-observation system with my 5 new teachers who need to be formally evaluated this year. Marshall’s process involves the principal observing in classrooms often, through regular unannounced visits, for short periods of time. These visits are followed by brief, casual face-to face conversations with the teachers, where key points, questions or clarifications can be shared. These conversations are then followed-up by a concisely written follow-up comment. Marshall refers to mini-observations as “an artful blend of supervision, coaching, and evaluation” (Marshall, 2013, p. 81).

I am also interested in applying the skills and concepts of Learning-focused Interactions, Structured Conversations and Invitational Inquiry by Lipton and Wellman (2013) when meeting with the teachers about my observations. This school has maintained a stable staff for well over a decade so there has been little need for teacher supervision and evaluation. With a third of the staff being new to the school, and division, supportive teacher supervision will be an important factor in maintaining the high standard of excellence that our school provides to our school community.


Campus Supervisor: Dr. Cathryn Smith

Spring 2020

Reflection:

This course turned out to be a very interesting adventure in adaptability. This course began a bit later than anticipated due to a couple of hiccups, but it all ended well. Teacher supervision and evaluation is an important part of my job. After having the opportunity in a previous course to dig into Marshall's approach and comparing it to our divisional approach, I was left knowing that there was room for improvement in how I was assessing new teachers. I needed a more focused approach to supporting teachers - one that worked for them and me and didn't leave us feeling overwhelmed.

Cathryn and I had set out the expectations for me as I would complete the supervision and evaluation requirements for five novice teachers from February to June. I wanted to create templates or checklists that I could share with teachers and used for focused observations and then conversations.

I spent the first several weeks focusing on supporting teachers with classroom management strategies. This seemed to be the biggest challenge for new teachers. I wanted to support them by helping them put in place routines and procedures that would help students be more independent in self-management. Based on prior experience and classroom observations, I had created a classroom management checklist for me to use when I am observing in a classroom. This checklist was shared with teachers in advance so they knew what I was looking for when I was in the room. I was pleasantly surprised at how this simple checklist helped me focus in order to provide specific feedback. This, in turn, led to more learning-focused conversations that dealt with one specific area. I was excited to see where this course would take me! Of course, we had no idea that remote learning would suddenly throw a wrench into this process.

Once remote learning was suddenly required, Cathryn and I discussed whether or not I could continue with my plan, and we decided that it would be possible for me to continue with minor adjustments to allow for virtual learning. It turned out that this online learning opportunity gave me insight into those teachers that I don't think I would have seen in the actual classroom.

It was fascinating to be able to see these five teachers in a different light. Two of the teachers who were having challenges with classroom management were finally thriving in their online teaching practices. Lessons were engaging, well-organized and thoughtfully scaffolded. It was now apparent in their lessons that they loved teaching. Students were engaged and learning. 

                                  

One teacher who appeared to have mastered most aspects of teaching after only one year in the classroom, experienced some insecurities with an online presence. This provided a great opportunity for a learning-focused conversation. One teacher showed no change in status from in-person to on-line teaching.

The most significant learning for me in this course resulted from the change in practice due to the switch to remote learning. Because teachers were working from home, the learning-focused conversations and debriefing discussions needed to be done virtually. With permission, I was able to record these conversations and watch them at a later time. These videos were powerful. I took note of the use of my words, voice and body language. I was able to assess my use of pausing and paraphrasing and watch for improvement as future meetings were recorded. These videos gave me the ability to self-reflect like never before. I could see the things that I missed the during the actual conversation when I was focused on what I was saying - I could now notice the subtle facial expressions in the teachers as I spoke.

I am thankful for the opportunity to grow and develop my supervision and evaluation practices. I believe my learning will allow me to better support teachers as they begin their career in education.

I have attached three of my checklists that I created and used with my novice teachers during this course. The checklists were edited after teacher input. I plan to continue to develop more ways to facilitate formative and supportive supervision.

01:769 Chosen Artifact: Classroom Management Checklist

01:769 Chosen Artifact: Unit Plan Checklist

01:769 Chosen Artifact: Lesson Plan Checklist