Building Relationships and Developing People

“People want to work together. Mutual attraction is high, interpersonal bonds are strong, and relationships are multifaceted because people take the time to know one another in a variety of settings. People are willing to help others and give them a chance to excel. They feel a sense of belonging that makes them more amenable to taking direction from others”. 
(Fullan, 2006, p. 32).

"We typically don't see ourselves as influencers because we fail to see that the common thread running through most of the triumphs and tragedies in our lives is our ability to exert influence". 
(Patterson et al, 2008, p. 7)

Leadership Practices:
Providing support and demonstrating consideration for individual staff members
Stimulating growth in the professional capacities of staff
Modelling the schools values and practices
Building trusting relationships with and among staff, students and parents



Artifacts:
WCDSB 21st Century Conferences and Lifelong Learning Sessions
Co­-planned and facilitated sessions at WCDSB high school locations for staff professional development in the area of innovative teaching practices using Google Apps for Education


Lifelong Learning Series Facilitator 

Co-­planned and facilitated sessions for WCDSB educators including GAFE for Beginners, Google+ Communities and Connections, Social Media and Twitter

WCDSB Innovation Conference
Assisted with the organization and facilitation of conference for WCDSB educators

Reflection:
Sharing my passion for purposeful technology integration has become a part of my identity as a lead learner within our board. Having the opportunity to continually reflect upon my practice and share this with other educators has been a rewarding experience. I have learned a lot about myself as a leader and have stepped outside my comfort zone by further developing my public speaking abilities. 


Artifact:
Co-Presenter at BIT15 Conference

Reflection:
On November 6th, 2015 I co-presented along with Michelle Booth at the Bring IT Together conference in Niagara Falls. This involved planning and implementing a session about the development of reflective professional portfolios using digital tools such as D2L and Blogger.
Please click here for my reflection on this experience.



Artifact:
Math + Coding Symposium ~ University of Western Ontario
Publication: A Pedagogical Framework for Computational Thinking

Reflection
Involved in working group at Western University examining computational thinking and coding within the curriculum
Click here for my personal reflection and links to curated resources.



Artifact:
Presentation at OTRK-12 eLearning Conference
OTRK-12 Blog Reflection
Peek Into Primary ~ Slide Deck



Reflection:
On April 24, 2015 I had the opportunity to present at the On The Rise K-12 eLearning Conference. Within my session, I provided classroom examples of technology integration as it relates to student collaboration and engagement. I facilitated opportunities for participants to engage in hands on learning using various digital tools with the intent to demonstrate how these tools can promote student thinking and learning. Stimulating growth in the capacities of other educators has become a prominent goal in my journey as a leader.

Artifact:


Reflection:
The blog entries linked to above, provide evidence of my continuous professional reflection. This is a critical component of my personal growth as an educator as it challenges me to consider next steps in my own learning and that of my students. Maintaining digital connections with other educators, through blogging and social media, helps broaden my awareness of innovative and effective teaching strategies.


Artifact:
Please click on the image below to view mind map created using Realtime Board.


Reflection:
My recent completion of my Master of Education through Wilfrid Laurier University shows my dedication to learning. The notion of 'lead learner' is one that resonates strongly with me. Although this formal experience is complete, I will continue my professional learning by engaging in virtual and face-to-face experience to move my thinking forward.

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