A leader engages in career-long professional learning and ongoing critical reflection to identify opportunities for improving leadership, teaching, and learning.
Years ago during an interview with a potential teacher for my staff, I was inspired by the portfolio she had prepared and presented. I was motivated to create my own print portfolio. I've since been inspired to create this ePortfolio. In part it allows me to better understand the stressors that interns might feel in the required production of their own ePortfolios. It also demonstrates my investment in continued learning.
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Until recently, the Alberta Teachers' Association conducted an intensive summer leadership academy. It was originally held at Devon, Alberta before moving to Banff. I was pleased to participate, first as a delegate in 2008 and 2009, and then as one of six facilitators in 2010 and again in 2014. The first week-long keynote in 2010 was Robert Marzano, while the 2014 acedemy featured Todd Whitaker. Facilitators worked under the direction of Educational Leadership Academy director Konni deGoeij. These were long days where every moment was filled with a focus on leadership characteristics and strategies, team-building with our cohorts, and plumbing the depths of our own core educational beliefs.
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I co-chaired two A.I.S.I. working groups in 2001 - 2003, and again in 2006 - 2009. The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement provided funding for smaller groups within a school jurisdiction to conduct research and develop projects over 3 years with a focus on improving student achievement. On each occasion, our groups were comprised of secondary ELA teachers in the jurisdiction. Our first A.I.S.I. group focused on developing resources for the then-new film study unit. The second A.I.S.I. round focused on alternative secondary ELA assessment strategies. The image below is a DVD cover for one of the two DVDs we prepared that consists of movie clips illustrating a variety of technical elements employed in film.