A "Wiki" as a Planning & Meeting Tool

I must admit that I am a relative novice with social media but I'm an energetic learner and am always looking for tools that can help with some of the management tasks required of principals. Recently I've begun to use a "Wiki" for some of my classes and when I work with groups. Wiki is most often associated with Wikipedia but that is just one form of a wiki. A wiki is a website where any member can edit contributes, like projects that several people share, or for suggesting agenda items for a meeting. Some teachers use wikis in classrooms. While there are many uses, some use a wiki as a tool to have students share their work and gather feedback from others.

I created my classroom wikis at www.wikispaces.com, a site that allows you to create free wikis. They are easy to create and a useful place for a committee or other group to maintain their agendas, minutes and any documents related to the work. You can limit access to the site so that only members can contribute.

I've found wikis to be useful and would enjoy hearing from you about your experience with wikis or other social media tools used by principals.

Supporting Teachers and Staff During Change

As expectations rise for schools, the resources to support them are stable or declining. This combination of forces means that most schools are dealing with significant reorganization and change. Successful leaders understand that the success of any change is directly related to developing the capacity of the people in the organization.

The School Administrators of Iowa identified several strategies that principals can use to support people during these changes. I found them to be a helpful reminder and would be interested in hearing from you about their value.

• Allow people to discuss feelings of loss and the difficulty of "letting go" of familiar programs and practices;
• Identify the needs of individual people and tailor the support based upon need;
• Develop support groups that are problem solving, action-oriented and non-judgmental;
• Be candid about unmet needs and work with people to plan specific ways to meet the need;
• Focus on strengths, skills, and interests of each person;
• Provide opportunity for everyone involved to share their ideas and talents;
• Plan ways for individuals to expand their skills to support the change;
• Identify ways that individuals can work to support one another throughout the change;
• Focus on successes and achievements;
• Give extra support to those who need it;
• Keep communication open and encouraging.

College Preparation Timeline

Principals play a key role in helping students prepare for admission and success in college. The best schools start early to prepare kids for a post-secondary experience and they make sure teachers and other staff, students and their families, and community members all have the information and tools they need to support students take the right courses, gain admission, find financial support and head off to college with the confidence and skills they need to succeed.

At the recent GEAR UP Success Conference at Seventh Mountain Resort in Bend, Howard Johnston and Ron Williamson shared a comprehensive timeline they developed for principals. The timeline is linked to the five core concepts of the Oregon GEAR UP model---relationships, reality of affordability, rigor, relevance, and right classes. The timeline includes links to incredible resources and identifies activities that should take place from 6th grade through high school. College Prep: A Timeline for Leaders is a valuable resource. We'd enjoy hearing from you about the timeline and about how you support your students' preparation for college.

Developing Professional Norms

I'm an absolute believer in the importance of working together when planning and making decisions. One of the things I've found most helpful is to have an agreed upon set of norms that will guide group operations, discussion and decision-making. A good starting point is to look at the seven norms of collaboration suggested by Garmston and Wellman (www.adaptiveschools.com). But some of the most effective norms are those identified by the faculty in a school. At Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, IL they developed their own list of "Professional Behavior Norms" they used for professional development and when meeting with one another.

1. The learning that occurs today belongs to you, and it rests largely with you.
2. Enter into the discussion enthusiastically.
3. Give freely of your experience, but don't dominate the discussion.
4. Confine your discussion to the task assigned.
5. Say what you think . . . be honest.
6. Only one person should talk at a time. Avoid private conversations while someone else is talking.
7. Listen attentively to the presentation and discussion.
8. Be patient with other participants. Appreciate their point-of-view.

The experience in Glen Ellyn was positive. Because they were mutually agreed to, the norms reflected their collective commitment to one another.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways that you've worked to develop norms to guide your work.

Build a Key Communicator Network

I'm constantly reminded about the importance of both sharing and gathering information about your school. One model is the Key Communicator Network developed by the National School Public Relations Association (www.nspra.org). It reminds us that communication is a two-way street and it is important to maintain a network that can help you advocate for your school.

Here are some steps that you can use to build your own network.

1. Bring together a small group of trusted people who know your community and ask them to suggest others who are opinion leaders in your community. Many of them may not work in schools but all interact with other community members.
2. Invite these people to meet with you to discuss your successes, your challenges and your vision for your school.
3. At the meeting describe the objectives of the group. For example, to provide members with honest, object information about your school; for members to share this information with others in the community; to identify questions or concerns that emerge in the community.
4. Establish a way to maintain communication using e-mail, telephone or scheduled meetings.

I hope you enjoy these ideas about building and maintain a network of contacts. Such a group can help share the good news about your school's successes and also help alert you to any issues or concerns in the community. I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways you've used to both share and gather information from your community.

Consensus - "Fist to Five"

Building consensus can be a challenge. While often the preferred way to make decisions, consensus can be fleeting. It doesn't mean that everyone agrees wholeheartedly with the decision, but it does mean that everyone can support the decision. At a minimum, everyone should agree they can live with the decision.

One tool I've found to be useful is "Fist to Five." It can help you seek common ground and is a quick way to assess the support among every participants. Ask every participant to indicate their level of support from a closed fist (no support) to all five fingers (enthusiastic support). Most groups I work with agree that the discussion continues until everyone holds up at least three fingers. Here's the complete set of descriptors adapted from those prepared by Adventure Associates (2009)

Fist	“I need to talk more on the proposal and require changes to support it.”
1 Finger	“I still need to discuss some issues and I will suggest changes that should be made.”
2 Fingers	“I am moderately comfortable with the idea but would like to discuss some minor things.”
3 Fingers	“I’m not in total agreement but feel comfortable to let this idea pass without further discussion.”
4 Fingers	“I think it’s a good idea and will work for it.
5 Fingers	“It’s a great idea and I will be one of those working to implement it.”

I've used "Fist to Five" many times and it is always helpful to gauge the level of support for a decision. I'm convinced that we made a better decision when we worked to build a higher level of support. I'd enjoy hearing from you about how you work with groups to reach agreement. I'd also enjoy learning about your experience using the "Fist to Five" approach.

Trimester Schedules

In recent years many schools have implemented a trimester schedule as a way to provide greater flexibility in their schedule. Trimester schedules divide the school year into three parts with students taking fewer classes each trimester than in a traditional semester schedule. But, over the year, a trimester generally offers students more classes and an opportunity to enrich their educational experience. Trimester schedules also allow for earlier intervention and credit recovery options than other schedules. Trimesters often allow the first trimester to finish prior to winter break and often align with the schedule of nearby colleges, thus easing options for dual enrollment.

As with any scheduling model, trimesters don't solve every problem a school may face with their schedule. But it does provide an innovative way to look at the use of time.

There are lots of resources available on trimester schedules. One is a site devoted just to trimester schedules (www.trimesters.org). The other is a site from a high school that recently adopted the trimester model (www.a2skyline.org/skyline/home/trimesters). Finally, a Research Brief on the trimester schedule is available on the Education Partnerships, Inc. website and on my website (www.ronwilliamson.com).

I'd enjoy the opportunity to learn from you about your experience with trimester schedules and both the benefits and challenges you've encountered.