EDUC 638 MODULE 4 BLOG
Breaking Points is a comprehensive program for school
improvement written by and published by NAASP (2011) The National Association
of Secondary School Principals. It trains schools and leadership to use
collaborative leadership to personalize environments to give students a sense
of belonging and ownership in the school. It encourages collaborative
instruction, leadership and assessment that identifies essential learning and
skills across all grade levels. It challenges all to relevance and energy.
Shared vision is the keyword for this development and for
effective change in the school. It looks to trained and involved leadership
within the school to effect change and improvement in all the aspects of
learning, individualized with student input into the process. It organizes
abilities and utilizes team communication. Team development of its members is
encouraged to bring about results in understanding team and student strengths
and weaknesses. It imposes a framework of collaborative leadership that involves
all students, teachers and administration. These are taken into account in six
connected steps.
The relationship of Breaking Points to constructivism is
striking as it involves high student participation and student centered
guidance in each student’s learning process and learning style. The
relationships develops student participation, real situations, good
communication, and excitement in the students’ adventure with learning. It brings
all students, teachers, administration and community together for collaborative
improvement and planning for needed changes in the school(s). Collaborative
planning is at the heart of this system.
I think leaders of the district should all take the training
provided and adopt it to the needs of each school or school district.
Personalization is a key as each school meets its challenge
for each student. This seems to be a great tool that could be used in many
schools.
References,
Hall, D. (2008), The Technology director’s guide to
leadership, Eugene, OR: ISTE
NASSP (2011), Breaking
Ranks: The comprehensive framework for school improvement, ISBN-10: 0882103662, ISBN -13 :
978-0882103662: NASSP
NASSP (2006), Breaking
Ranks in the middle strategies for leading middle level reform, NASSP
Hi Verne,
ReplyDeleteExcellent work on this! How might you incorporate these assessments into learning activities in Rwanda?
You stated that shared vision is the keyword for development and for effective change in the school and I truly agree with that statement. Vision is the most important part to not only incorporating technology in the schools but for a person trying to accomplish any goals. Scripture even tells us at Proverbs 29:18a that “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” (King James Version, The Holy Bible). Sheninger even discusses the importance of having a vision, and without truly knowing the why and how in a process; planning will not be successful (2014). You also stated that team development of members is also encouraged to bring about results. Team development is definitely needed in any process, but the use of data will also help when assessing student’s strengths and weaknesses. Data-driven decision making plays a big part in with any complex management process: including academics, planning, policy making and budgeting (Picciano, 2011). Breaking Points utilizes great tools (based from your post) that are very important in regards to student achievement. You stated that Breaking Points involves high student participation as well as student centered guidance. Those factors are truly important in regards to student achievement. Good post!
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Picciano, A.G. (2011). Educational Leadership and planning for technology (5th Ed). Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon
Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital Leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin