by andrew@learnedleadership.org | Oct 30, 2012 | Blog, Guest Blog
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the power branding has on our understanding of companies around the world. When one thinks about companies like Apple Computers, for example, it’s not unusual for people to associate words like hip, trendy, youthful, rich, and educated. This association is by no means an accident, and is another example of the power of effective branding. As proof of this I’m reminded of a story I read this summer about the US-based travel website Orbitz, which would channel visitors using Apple computers to more expensive hotels and vacation packages because it was believed that these users would prefer options that started on the higher end. I believe that few would argue that branding is an important part of any business or organization (heck I’ve even taken a lot of time to think about what brand I’m creating at Learn[ed]Leadership)…but what about a school? As I’ve interviewed various school leaders over the last year, some have seemed to be uncomfortable using the word brand while others have fully accepted it. Either way I believe, whether we realize it or not our schools create a brand in our community for better or for worse. However, unlike multi-national companies that can spend billions on building their brands and reputation, our schools’ brands are built on their standing in the community. I had a chance to speak with Nick Kent the current Assistant HS Principal at Concordia Shanghai, who put it this way: “[I find that when I] try to have conversations with people about marketing & PR of their schools, their immediate inclination is to think...
by andrew@learnedleadership.org | Oct 30, 2012 | The Leadership Project
There’s been a lot written in education theory lately about the power of play and its ability to form students who are creative, inquisitive and thoughtful. In his book Creating Innovators, Tony Wagner highlights this when he notes that the common thread between numerous successful innovators he interviewed was play, passion and purpose. As we begin to see more schools move away from a curricula that has over emphasized high test scores, towards one that focuses on encouraging students to find their passions, it will be critical to find educators who can model this to the students. After my interview with James Dalziel, Head of East Campus at United World College South East Asia in Singapore, it’s clear that he is one of these people. Passionate and purposeful about his work Mr. Dalziel adds “I really see work as play…there’s rarely a day where I wake up and don’t think I can’t wait to get at it. For the most part it’s really energizing and enjoyable.” Situated on two campuses in Singapore, UWCSEA provides values-based education to nearly 5000 students from kindergarten through Grade 12 (ages 4 to 18). UWCSEA is committed to the mission of the UWC movement to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. UWCSEA reflects the diversity of Singapore with an anticipated student population peaking at 5400 by 2015, many of whom come from very different backgrounds. Although managing a large campus poses many challenges it’s obvious that with the leadership of Mr. Dalziel and his colleagues, the UWCSEA East team is focused on taking advantage...
by andrew@learnedleadership.org | Oct 21, 2012 | Blog
The other day as I was looking at the website of an international school, I noticed an interesting statistic listed on its school profile–100% of its teachers are certified. Now that may not seem very interesting since it’s expected or assumed that anyone who wants to be taken seriously in the teaching profession will get a teaching license. After all, don’t we expect the same from many other professions in the world. However, the longer I’ve been in education the less convinced I am that having a license is good indicator of the strength of a teacher. In fact I think it can be argued that a license is only a minimum indication of a teacher’s ability. For example, I know an amazing teacher who for a few years taught MS and HS ESL (including math and science), before being moved to the lower school to teach mainstream grade 4 and 5. She originally went to school for business, but has spent the majority of her career in a classroom. Even though she has no teaching license, she is an excellent teacher (much better than I ever was). She’s become so good because of a combination of mentorship, professional development, and an amazing desire to improve. She’s talked about working towards a license, but has concluded that the time and resources (tuition) required could be better spent on other things. Again, this is not say that a license isn’t valuable, but maybe instead of tying it so closely to university classes, it could alternatively be tied to experience? The military has figured this out giving battlefield commissions to solders...
by andrew@learnedleadership.org | Oct 8, 2012 | The Leadership Project
At the end of each of my interviews, I always make sure to ask the question “What advice do you have for the next generation of international administrators?” The answers have varied from cliché, to practical, to deeply philosophical, but all have served the purpose of providing a small window into a career filled with hard-earned wisdom. However, few have gone as far as Elsa Lamb, Director of the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), to preserve practical and functional lessons for leaders in international education. With Ms. Lamb’s leadership AAIE has created the online Institute for International School Leadership to help provide practical lessons and support for international school heads and leaders. With help from other experienced leaders in international education, including fellow Leadership Project interviewees Harlan Lyso, Monica Greeley, and Sherry Miller, the AAIE institute will be one of the few formal places leaders can get relevant teaching, advice and mentoring for leadership in international schools. (If not specifically quoted, Ms. Lamb’s answers to these questions have been paraphrased) After working overseas for a number of years and in three different countries, does it feel odd to be back in the states? It really depends on the situation. There are some things about living in the states that can be great and certainly things are more convenient “[because] whatever you need, you can find it somewhere…[However], it was harder to come back than it was to go overseas…because when you’re in a school you’re [also] in a community. I came back to the USA never having lived in Florida…so there was no community. The other...
by andrew@learnedleadership.org | Oct 2, 2012 | Leadership News
Earlier this summer I announced the exciting news that Learn[ed]Leadership had been granted the opportunity to host a workshop at the EARCOS Leadership Conference this November in Kuala Lumpur. I’m pleased to update those of you who plan to attend, that in addition to Tim Carr from Jakarta International School and Jim Koerschen from Concordia International School Shanghai, Steve Dare from Hong Kong Academy and Bambi Betts from AISH and the Principal Training Center have also agreed to sit on our leadership panel. As of now the Leadership Symposium workshop will be hosted on Saturday, November 3 at 3:30 in conference room Kedah. Please join us to learn more from these experienced leaders in international education including their challenges, triumphs and other observations, as well as take questions from the audience. More details about the Leadership Symposium can be found here. I look forward to seeing you at the workshop next...
![Learn[ed]Leadership Pages](http://redesign.learnedleadership.org/divi/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Logo3.jpg){kind=logo}
Recent Comments