Elements of a Vision Statement

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT A BID FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND EDUCATION TERMS AND CONCEPTS. ALL DIRECTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED AND NO PLAGARIASM. MY SCHOOL USES SOFTWARE TO DETECT COPIED MATERIAL.

Co-Creating a Vision

This assignment is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to meet the following objectives: Analyze data (i.e. surveys, observation) representing the diverse interests, viewpoints. Also, it is your opportunity to continue to demonstrate your ability to meet the following objectives: Describe the resources that will be needed to implement the school vision, Explain how to utilize the resources supporting implementation and maintenance of proposed programs or activities, ensuring the vision is in concert with school culture (needs, interest), Describe the resources that will be needed to implement the school vision, and Select the technologies that facilitate the development and dissemination of the school's vision. Additionally, this assignment is your opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the Course Learning Outcomes One, Two, Four, and Five and demonstrates your mastery of the MAED Program Learning Outcomes Two, Five, Six, Eight, and Nine.

Often when we think of sharing knowledge we think of using professional learning communities (PLC). A PLC according to Williams, Brien, Sprague, & Sullivan (2008) "...is being used to mean any number of things, such as extending classroom practice into the community; bringing community personnel into the school to enhance the curriculum and learning tasks for students; or engaging students, teachers, and administrators simultaneously in learning"(p.12). When creating a shared vision, the opportunity to build relationships between community and faculty stakeholders is afforded. By collaborating through the mode of a PLC, an even greater opportunity to make far-reaching improvement occurs. In this assignment you will work in groups (previously assigned by your instructor) as a mock PLC to create a document that in Week Five you will use to present to all school stakeholders.

Instructions

Your instructor will put you into groups of three to five for this assignment. You will find your groups in the Working Collaboratively discussion in which you will complete some activities related to supporting this assignment (the discussion and assignment are graded separately). In your groups, decide who will complete each topic listed with these assignment instructions below. Next, write your section of the project as follows:

Content

• Project Topic Document: Post your section of the document in the Working Collaboratively discussion no later than Friday (Day Four) AND submit your document for evaluation in this assignment. The document for submission to the assignment area will include a title and reference page. Additionally, include a page in which you outline the information for the group's topic (Technology, Resources, Data, or Ethical Considerations), as well as who within the group completed each topic. The document should not be missing any components.

• Topic: Clearly note which section you completed from the topics provided in the course guide (Technology, Resources, Data or Ethical Considerations). Discuss the chosen topic by completing all section requirements as outlined in the course guide. Make sure to relate the topic chosen to the creation of a school vision. My portion is technology. Please include technologies that facilitate the development and dissemination of the school's vision.

• Peer Evaluation: Complete the Peer Evaluation form designating scores for all group members and submit along with the assignment. Discuss what went well and what could have been improved upon.

Written Communication

• Page Requirement: Two to three pages including title and reference pages.

• Source Requirement: Include two scholarly resources in addition to the required articles and text.

• Syntax and Grammar: Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors, and is very easy to understand.

• APA Requirement: Use APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.

Instructor Guidance

This is an activity-packed week while you work in groups with class peers in a mock PLC.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Let's take a moment to review and reflect on our learning expectations.

• Select technologies that facilitate the development and dissemination of the school's vision.

• Describe resources that will be needed to implement the school vision.

• Utilize resources supporting implementation and maintenance of proposed programs or activities, ensuring the vision is in concert with school culture (needs, interests).

• Analyze data (i.e. surveys, observation) representing the diverse interests, viewpoints, and needs of stakeholders

OVERVIEW

In the past few weeks, you have been preparing a justification in creating a new vision to your school board and school stakeholders. Additionally, we discussed who benefits from involvement and planning activities necessary for a successful collaboration on the school vision. Review the Week 4 page for full instructions for each assessment and consider the guidance below as well as you prepare for this week's activity.

Discussion 1: The Implementing Work Groups discussion has us exploring how you can put the people identified as stakeholders in Week 3 to work on the school vision through effective groups to ensure the vision is in concert with the school.

Discussion 2: The Working Collaboratively discussion has you posting your mock PLC group to create roles and responsibilities, identify the mode of communication you will use in your group and attach your portion of the assignment as well as the group agreement document.

Assignment: The assignment Co-Creating a Vision you will work in groups (previously assigned by your instructor) as a mock PLC to create a document that in Week 5 you will use to present to all school stakeholders.

INTELLECTUAL ELABORATION

Professional Learning Community

A professional learning community (PLC) might consist of a group of teachers, administrators, and other sometimes school stakeholders working together on a particular initiative related to the school. The function of a PLC may vary, but universally a PLC consists of a small number of people, usually between 5-15 (DuFour &Eaker, 2010). Typically a PLC meets over a long period of time, normally a year, and everyone works together helping each member reach a goal of learning or completing an initiative. During Week 4, this week, you will collaborate in a mock PLC with each member selecting one of the four topics to discuss as it relates to a school vision and then sharing with the group their findings. The problem to solve is gathering scholarly information about each topic and the use of this jigsaw approach will work well for solving it in your groups.

The purpose of working in a mock PLC is to get you thinking about how you will work at a school in creating a vision statement with all the school stakeholders you identified in week 3, which typically can be a part of the PLC you will actually establish or may have established in your current school work setting or a future setting. When we invite stakeholders into the school, we must have a plan to keep them on track. If a stakeholder feels time is being wasted, that person is more likely to self-remove from the collaboration.

Consequently, as a leader it will be your role to develop activities to ensure that all stakeholders feel valued and appreciated for their ideas in the school vision project. The questions that are relevant at this juncture are: What activities do we create to ensure that the process of creating a school vision is done in a quick timely matter? How do we help the stakeholders feel valued in the process?
Designing Work Groups

Designing a work group is not without challenges. We are wise to consider a variety of factors before placing stakeholders in sub-groups. According to Davis (2009), there are three steps leaders can consider before designing a work group to ensure it is effective.

According to Davis (2009), the first step is to think about how the groups will be formed. What will you use as criteria to place stakeholders in a group? Will it be their background, demographics, skill set? Effective groups are varied with common interests and associations to increase the sharing of information.

Davis (2009) noted after determining how groups will be formed has been considered, we benefit from thinking about how to ensure stakeholders are productively collaborating toward the established goals. Having a chart or timeline that clearly outlines the steps, roles and responsibilities is a common way to track and help ensure the group remains on task. What other solutions can you think of for ensuring the group remains on task?

Finally, according to Davis (2009), when creating a work group we benefit from thinking about how the group will communicate outside of the planned meeting times. One item that can keep the work moving forward is the incorporation of technologies for asynchronous and synchronous communication. Think about the different forms of technology that can be used not only to disseminate information to the whole group, but also to sub-groups so the work on the vision continues forward, between meetings. Solutions might include email, a blog, or even a website or wiki site for content management and group levels of access.

Feeling Valued

Now that you have decided how to create a work group and separated that work group into sub groups, the next step is to ensure that all stakeholders feel valued in the process of creating the vision.

According to Sheldon and Van Voorhis (2004) feeling valued as a parent in the school is difficult. We all come to the school with different backgrounds and experiences. Some of these experiences can be good, but more often than not, parents may feel undervalued. One way to curb this feeling, according to Sheldon and Van Voorhis (2004), is to distribute engaging informational packets from the school about things that need to be done at the school, such as the need to create a school vision. When parents can identify and see that they are needed in a school, they are more likely to join in as a valued member of the school community (Comer & Haynes, 2012).

Think about times you have volunteered. Did you feel valued and your skills put to good use? If so how did the leadership help you feel this way, what activities did you do that helped in your feelings of value? If you did not feel valued, why? What transpired that made you feel your time was wasted at the volunteering event?

References

Comer, J., & Haynes, M. (2012, January). Parent involvement in schools: An ecological approach. Elementary School Journal, 91, 271-278.

Davis, B.G. (2009). Tools for teaching (2nd ed). (pp. 190-221). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

DuFour, R., &Eaker, R. (2010). Professional learning communities at work. Solution Tree Press, Bloomington, IA.

Sheldon S.B. & Van Voorhis F.L. (2004). Partnership programs in U.S. schools: Their development and relationship to family involvement outcomes. School effectiveness and school improvement, 15(2), 125-148.

Additional References

Barkely, E.F., Cross, K.P. & Howell Major, C. (2005). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bruffee, K.A. (1998). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Epstein, J.L. (1995). School, family, community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(n9), 701-713.

Michaelsen, L.K., Knight, A.B. & Fink, L.D. (Eds.) (2004). Team-based learning: A transformative use of small groups in college teaching. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Recommended Resources

1. Gabriel, J., & Farmer, P. (2009). How to help your school thrive without breaking the bank. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

2. Marzano, R., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

3. Williams, R., Brien, K., Sprague, C., & Sullivan, G. (2008, June). Professional learning communities: Developing a school-level readiness instrument. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 74, 1-17. Retrieved from the ERIC database in the Ashford University Library.