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Artifact

Name (Last, First): Whitener, Sara

Prefix, Number and Title of Course: ELA 6332, Instructional Leadership & Program Improvement

Artifact Objective: To provide evidence that upon course completion the student will be equipped to address critical standards and objectives including the various roles and responsibilities required of the principal/school leader to create a vision of leadership and learning, develop a positive school culture, manage the school as an organization, and interact with the external school environment.

Assessment Tools: 200 points total: Reflective Writing Rubric (Narrative/Essay-100 points) &

Multimedia Technology Rubric (Video Presentation-100 points) Rubrics are included at the end of this document.

Standards (Number Only):

NCATE InTASC 2015 PSEL/ISLLC TILS

3b & 4a 10 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, & 10 A.1, A.5, B.1, & B.3

Completed Artifact:

Save both artifact files in pdf & mp4 formats with file name formatted as follows:

ELA5332or6332_coursestartdate_cohortorILL_Artifact_LastName_FirstName Example: ELA5332_0508_37_ILL43_Artifact_Doe_Jane ELA6332_0508_37_ILL43_Artifact_Doe_Jane (Course #, start date, & cohort or ILL can be found on VCamp.)

Upload artifact narrative/essay pdf file & video mp4 to student portfolio. Copy & paste portfolio links here after uploading:

o Narrative/essay (pdf) link (this form):____________________________________ o Video (mp4) link: ____________________________________________________

Submit both artifact files (narrative/essay which is the pdf of this form and mp4 video presentation) via VCamp complete section and upload to Unit 8 dropbox.

Email both artifact files (narrative/essay pdf & mp4 video presentation file) as attachments to bethel_soe_data@bethelu.edu Make sure you name your files correctly.

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Artifact ELA5332/6332 Instructional Leadership & Program Improvement Application Presentation & Narrative/Essay

Place yourself in a situation where you are applying for an administrative role as a leader of a school/principal or

similar role. You are required submit a short presentation along with your application to the interview

team/committee that provides a brief but clear picture of the leadership you could offer a school (approximately 5

minutes). You need to catch the attention of the interview committee and stand out. Using this course (goals,

objectives, standards, text, and additional research completed during the course) as an information source for your

presentation focus on the six topics below.

Your artifact will be a simple three part process/submission.

1. Create a PowerPoint presentation that covers the 6 topics below. Remember that a PowerPoint presentation

is basic. It should only highlight the main talking points. It is not a full narrative/paper. No one wants to read

a research paper on PowerPoint slides. Your PowerPoint should be no more than 15 slides. (#1-Title, #2-A

Little About You, #3-14-The 6 topics, #15-References). You can add clipart as needed to enhance your

presentation. Be sure to give credit to any clipart in tiny print under the image (not in reference section).

Save your PowerPoint presentation. Remember, the ppt file is your PowerPoint project and can be edited.

This is your work-in-progress format. The PowerPoint is not submitted for a grade.

2. You will submit a reflective narrative/essay (paper) that covers the six topics. You will place the

narrative/essay at the end of this document. The title and headings are included for you. Think of this

reflective narrative as the guide for the speech you would give to accompany the PowerPoint presentation if

you were presenting face-to-face to the interview team/committee, so the length will depend on what you

would like to cover in approximately 5 minutes. A minimum of 4 scholarly sources with full APA references is

required. You may use the course text as one of your sources. At least 3 additional scholarly sources are

necessary to offer support. Sources used during the course are acceptable. Note that the sources should also

be listed on the last slide of your PowerPoint. Assessment Tool: Reflective Writing Rubric-100 points

3. You will use your PowerPoint presentation (#1 above) and the narrative/essay (paper from #2 above) to

record the actual presentation that you would submit to the interview team/committee with your

application. Using Office Mix https://mix.office.com/en-us/Home with your PowerPoint add audio recordings

of yourself speaking to the interview committee/team as you progress through the PowerPoint presentation

slides. Even though the reflective narrative/essay is a paper, speak as though you are selling yourself for the

vacancy. Do not feel as though you have to include your references in the audio recordings if it is awkward.

(Optional: You also have the option of actually recording video of yourself speaking using your device

camera. Video will be appear in the corner of your PowerPoint slides if you choose this option.) Save your

PowerPoint project (.ppt file). This will save your added recordings. Remember, it is a work-in-progress file,

so you can always go back and edit if needed. Preview your recording, and when you are satisfied with the

final saved version “Export to Video”. When selecting your video size “Internet & Video 480p” is suggested.

Rename your file using the format listed above. Assessment Tool-Multimedia Technology Rubric-100 points

Note: Office Mix is a simple free add-on to PowerPoint that allows you to record your voice (and video from

your device’s camera if you choose) as you walk through your PowerPoint slides. You can also annotate

(draw) on the slides as you record. It is very simple to use, and this experience will also prove to be an

opportunity for you to see how quickly and easily you can enhance PPT presentations you may already have.

Most recent versions of PowerPoint include Office Mix. It is also available as a free add-on.

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Download Office Mix from this link: https://mix.office.com/en-us/Home

Office Mix short tutorials are available here: https://mix.office.com/gallery/category/how-to

6 Topics to Include in PowerPoint/Office Mix Presentation & Narrative/Essay

From chapter 1 of your text reread the quote and introduction (page 3) and the short summary (page 20).

What would you share from chapter 1 that would provide a clear picture of your leadership style?

From chapter 2 of your text reread the introductory paragraph (page 23) and the summary (page 35). What

would you share from the concepts in chapter 2 about the learning community and the leader’s role?

From chapter 3 of your text reread the introductory paragraph (page 38) and the summary (page 54).

Decision-making reflects your philosophy in action. Share concepts from unit 3 that will serve to guide your

decision-making processes in a leadership role. You may even choose to share a brief example in this section.

From chapter 4 of your text reread the introductory paragraph (page 56) and the summary (page 83). Share

what you view as some of the most important steps in identifying a need for improvement, planning, goals,

expectations, implementation, and your role as the leader in the transformation/improvement. Remember

to make this personal.

From Chapter 5 of your text reread the introduction (page 90) and the summary (page 105). Share your ideas

about the importance of school culture and how you might address your staff to set the stage for your

school (or district level department, like ELL, or ESS/Sp.Ed.).

From your text reread page 325 and the introduction to The School & Community in chapter 15 (pages 327 &

328). Reread the summary (pages 354 & 355). Share one or two ideas that you have for marketing your

school and building good relations.

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Narrative

Candidate Introduction

My name is Sara Whitener, and I am an innovative thinker with six years of teaching and leading

experience in multiple school settings. In the six years since my undergraduate degree, I have worked for two

different school systems in Ohio and Tennessee, and have gained experience in schools that range from rural,

to magnet, to urban. I earned my Master’s Degree in 2014 in the area of Curriculum & Instruction, because I

feel that to be an effective principal, you must first be a sound instructional leader that others can model

themselves after.

My family is important to me. I live with my husband, Dusty, in Cleveland, Tennessee. Our daughter,

Harper, just turned one in July. Having her has helped me frame my school decision-making reference to,

“What would I want this to look like for my daughter?”

My Leadership Style

My leadership style is multi-faceted; to elaborate, I borrow William D. Parker’s (2013) metaphors of

being an On-Duty Coach, Chief Communicator, & Servant Leader. First, to gain the support from

stakeholders, the school leader needs to be visible, hands-on, and available with students and teachers. This

creates buy-in and a sense of community within the school. Second, communication is key. Establishing a

solid managerial communication system will build a framework that allows for transformational actions to

occur. Lastly, it is my goal to facilitate growth and excellence within my school, ultimately raising

expectations for my staff, students, and surrounding community. Serving others and growing together is the

ultimate goal for my leadership. In order for our school to function as a brain, rather than as a machine, we

must build a solid foundation that begins with my values, beliefs, and thought-processes (Ubben, Hughes, &

Norris, 2016, p. 8). I set the tone for every stakeholder in our building, and I do not carry that responsibility’s

weight lightly.

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The Learning Community & the School Leader/Principal’s Role

Schools should be viewed as learning communities for everyone involved; from students to teachers

to parents and community members. Everyone should share the collective goals of growing and learning

together. Roth (2014) defines learning communities as “people with similar interests, but often varied

backgrounds, coming together to learn from each other and pushing toward a common goal, which may

range from the very small…to the very large” (p. 210). It is the responsibility of the school principal to

establish and communicate such goals and implement opportunities where action steps can be taken to meet

them. The principal becomes a servant leader while facilitating these opportunities for others to grow into

leadership roles (Ubben, Hughes, & Norris, 2016, p. 35). Empowering others will lead to a high-performance

organization where everyone plays a crucial role in helping students succeed.

Decision-Making

In order to be an effective school leader, my values must be clear and established in my mind, in

order for them to be seen and felt as the standard for the rest of the staff and students to follow. Solidified

values lead to justified and considerate decision-making that has taken into account all elements of an issue.

Consistent decision-making, that follows the ethics of justice, care, and critique, will lead to my credibility as

the school’s leader (Ubben, Hughes, & Norris, 2016, p. 38). Herrmann characterizes decision-making as a

“whole-brained” process that must balance the analytical, fact-driven left brain with the thoughtful and

personal right brain (Ubben, et. Al, p. 39). Thoughtful decision-making will be the manifestation of my

personal beliefs and values, leading the way for the rest of the school’s stakeholders to follow. I must learn to

balance “the tension…between a principal’s professional and personal values” that will affect my decision-

making (Meyer, Macmillan, & Northfield, 2009, p. 22).

The School Improvement Process

High standards and expectations for my school will ultimately lead to change initiatives that will

require thoughtful plans of action. Plans of action should not only focus on the end result, but also the

importance of the process to get there. Before any meaningful change initiatives can occur within a school,

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its mission/vision must be collectively created, shared, and solidified into practice. This process begins with

the collection of baseline data, followed by the collaborative creation of school beliefs and goals, and adding

objectives and expectations for student learning (Ubben, et. al., p. 57). Once this foundation has been created

and implemented, it paves the way for problem-solving work groups, writing-consensus teams, action

planning and project management groups, and reflective mapping, feedback, and critiques. When a solid

foundation has been established with the mission/vision and its components, the school’s climate lends itself

to developing these highly effective problem-solving groups. All of our schools’ issues have the possibility

of being solved in-house if we create a culture that allow for problem identifying and problem solving.

The Importance of School Culture

Schools should be safe, orderly, and be an example to students of what life can be. Schools should be

characterized by cultures of support, acceptance, care, and learning. Staffs should view their co-workers as

family. Demir (2015) states that, “If the norms and values in a school aim to strengthen learning and

continuous student development, all members of the school culture will focus on learning; teachers will be

expected to participate and teacher leaders will be seen as positive models in the teaching profession” (p.

623). Principals should be charged with leading these efforts by example. If norms and expectations are

clarified for staff and students from the start, the school is more likely to develop a positive learning culture

over the course of the school year. If students and staff do not enjoy their everyday environment, they will

not learn anything. Establishing rapport, solid relationships, and cultures of care and support are prerequisites

to then developing an academic culture of learning.

Marketing My School

In today’s society, a social media presence for schools is a must. Establishing a Facebook page,

Instagram account, and Twitter handle would be some of the first steps that I would take in marketing my

school online. Flooding social media with positive pictures, quotes, and articles conveys a meaningful

message to any stakeholder that views our accounts. Second, reaching out to community members,

resources, and businesses is a crucial component of marketing a school. Making people aware that the school

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is the neighborhood representation is powerful. Lastly, having a school presence in local groups such as

Kiwanis, neighborhood associations, churches, and youth centers is important. Contact needs to be made and

maintained with these organizations in order to embed the school within the local community.

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References

Demir, K. (2015). The Effect of Organizational Trust on the Culture of Teacher Leadership in Primary

Schools. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(3), 621-634. doi:10.12738/estp.2015.3.2337

Meyer, M. J., Macmillan, R. B., & Northfield, S. K. (2009). The use of Conscience and Discretion as

Constructs in Principals' Difficult or Conflicted Decision-Making Dealings during Principal

Succession Events. International Studies in Educational Administration (Commonwealth Council For

Educational Administration & Management (CCEAM)), 37(3), 20-36.

Roth, S. M. (2014). Improving Teaching Effectiveness and Student Learning Through the Use of Faculty

Learning Communities. Kinesiology Review, 3(4), 209-216.

Ubben, G.C., Hughes, L.W., & Norris, C.J. (2016). The Principal: Creative Leadership for Excellence in

Schools. Pearson Education, Inc.

W.D. Parker. (2013). 7 hats principals must be prepared to wear. [Blog]. Retrieved from

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/9870.

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