Resources For School Administrators
School administrators are always on the search for new perspectives on old lessons. From education reform to technology changes within schools, administrators are tasked with shaping the way in which students, teachers and parents all interact with each other. Below are some great sites leading the charge that administrators should be paying close attention to.
School Administrator Life
The site aims to provide valuable information for current and aspiring school administrators. Often content for administrators is restricted or only available behind login pages of private or pay sites. School Administrator Life provides open resources to local leaders with lots of useful features.
Features of the site include a blog aspect that highlights key issues happening across the school administrator profession (presented unbiasedly). The search and reference sections of School Administrator Life allow for easily finding and further researching a range of topics. Another nice resource is the “School Directory” that shows a current list of schools in the U.S. offering degrees and certifications.
Dangerously Irrelevant
This wonderfully written blog addresses leadership issues as it relates to K-12 technology. The author, Dr. Scott McLeod, is the founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He is an expert when it comes to technology leadership and the blog presents the most up-to-date information available on the subject.
Posts from Dangerously Irrelevant are occasionally picked up by The Huffington Post. McLeod argues that until K-12 leaders know how to sustain technology initiatives, students and their schools will continue to be underserved.
While the blog highlights the latest issues, it also provides an archive of past posts, which are searchable. Dangerously Irrelevant is a wealth of knowledge and also a good spot to get involved with relevant conversations. Many of the blog posts are followed by lively comments and debates from readers across the country.
You’ll also find links to other resources including podcasts, videos, book recommendations and research. Simply put, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you probably aren’t looking hard enough.
Practical Theory
When Chris Lehmann speaks, you should listen. Fortunately his blog Practical Theory provides Lehmann the space to speak about education reform. He was recently honored by the White House as a “Champion of Change” and also named one of the “30 Most Influential People in EdTech” by Technology & Learning Magazine.
His work with technology integration is at the forefront of the technology movement. Practical Theory is an opportunity to gain perspective on technology and education from an individual who’s seen its development both as a teacher and a principal. Content includes videos and photos that support education reform, as well as links to relevant subject matter and upcoming speaking events.
Educational Discourse
Educational Discourse is an interesting perspective from a K-12 principal who’s spent much of his career going into schools and trying to fix existing problems. It looks at the use of technology and social media in trying to engage parents and students.
Equally important, teachers are struggling to embrace technology as well. The author argues that teachers are faced with a student body that changes regularly with each student presenting a unique set of challenges. Teachers are spending so much time focusing on student changes that technology takes a back seat in the process. The blog seems to be more text-based and sticks to the issues rather than trying to provide graphs, charts or videos to make arguments.
Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?
This is another nice blog about technology and education, this time by middle school principal Scott Elias. The topics vary, but gaining a perspective by a first-year principal can prove beneficial to anyone interested in school administration.
Elias seems to focus his efforts on changing the way his school interacts and communicates via technology integration. The blog is not, however, strictly technology driven. Rather, Elias speaks about countless issues facing a new principal, including layoffs, training and everyday nuances of running a middle school.
Content, although not regularly updated, is very informative. The technology posts are nicely done and seem to speak about what works and doesn’t work, rather than just providing an overview. The conversational tone of Elias leaves you hoping he’ll write more and more.
The Principal and Interest
Dave Sherman, an elementary school principal in a north suburb of Chicago, created this blog to write about school issues he sees occurring both at his school and on a local, state and national level. He questions how students and schools can be judged by once-a-year administered standardized tests. Sherman acknowledges the difficulty teachers are faced with in preparing students for these exams while trying to lead the way in creating new teaching innovations.
The Principal and Interest is a good read. Sherman mixes in important concepts with general life observations as well. While one post will talk about engaging students, the next will speak about a funny experience taking his 16-year-old daughter to get her driver’s license.
