Leadership

Content that enables educators, edleaders, organizations and families to increase capacity, apply a growth mindset and implement what’s next in learning on behalf of those entrusted to them.

Leadership

Good Work: Meeting Special Needs

Tom Vander Ark

Today I simply want to recognize and thank parents and teachers that work with students with special needs. Nature recently devoted a full issue to the subject of autism. There are some promising organizations attempting to meet special needs. But this blog is mostly a thank you card.

Leadership

Good Work: The Politics of Superintending

Tom Vander Ark

Personalities and strategies are part of a superintendent search, but hiring a superintendent is most often a political decision. And what I came to understand is that the job is inherently about winning hearts, minds, and ultimately votes—it is all about politics.

Leadership

Staff Picks: OER Debate, EdReform

Getting Smart Staff

Tom picks his article on "How EdTech Will Benefit Low Income Students" while Karen follows up with a similar discussion of OER with the article "Radical Openness in Educational Materials: The Next Step in Washington." Sarah highlights a guest blogger's post on Getting Smart that discusses the student-centered, subscription method to education.

Leadership

Good Work: Gift Giving

Tom Vander Ark

Christmas is the gift giving day. Mission–related work is about giving gifts every day—contribution more than extraction. Gift giving, or mission-related work, is never easy and it’s never done--it responds to the most pressing needs in society. It is hard work, but gift-giving is the ultimate reward.

Leadership

Good Work: Vacations

Tom Vander Ark

We all need a rhythm of renewal, emotional, spiritual, physical and intellectual renewal to remain positive and focused, not once a year, but every month, every week, every day. Build positive habits into each day, read, write, play, and reflect. Stay connected to the important people in your life. Go out of your way to met new ones. Watch the sun go down. Stay fresh, stay challenged, and stay excited. If your work does not fit when you try to put it all together, go do something else. Life’s too short not to enjoy what you do.

Leadership

Good Work: Love & Work

Tom Vander Ark

Erik Erikson recalled that Freud was once asked what he thought a normal person should be able to do well. The questioner probably expected a complicated, “deep” answer. But Freud simply said, “Lieben und arbeiten” (to love and to work). It pays to ponder on this simple formula; it grows deeper as you think about it.