Distributed Leadership Matters: Perspectives, Practicalities, and Potential - Tapa blanda

Críticas

"Leadership is a vision that is not held in the hands of one but in the eyes of all who are part of the system. This book allows us to see through those eyes and know what a collaborative unified environment does to make a school successful." (Tania E. Dymkowski, Instructional Coach K-8)

"The book does make a unique contribution to the field of education because distributed leadership impacts leadership style and can guide leaders in moving away from traditional management techniques. Of great importance is the emphasis on the conscious and intentional application of strategies that reflect distributed leadership." (Kathleen Ellwood, Assistant Principal)

"This is a manageable amount of information to read in a shorter period of time with a high quality of take away ideas for implementation. Will they find the material useful? Yes. It gives insightful examples and information about what DL is and is not and the benefit of DL, particularly in PLC’s.

The author provides an eclectic mix of current research to define and convince readers/educators that distributed leadership is an effective method to raise student achievement levels in innovative ways. The vehicle for this method is the structure and facilitation of PLC’s. The author boldly provides a platform for difficult conversations regarding the challenges of this type of leadership that can impede the process and student achievement. The process provides critical information regarding the pros and cons of DL to help those questioning this methodology to analyze the information in order to make the most informed decision regarding implementation in schools. The author has boldly discussed the often unspoken concerns when the characteristics of effective leadership unravel into ineffective practice."

"Certainly one of the most eminent scholars in the area of distributed leadership in schools, Alma Harris argues persuasively in her book that distributed leadership, in the form of collective expertise, carefully constructed through professional collaboration, can positively influence learning and teaching in schools.  Drawing upon research findings and carefully written so that readers can follow her arguments systematically, this book is a valuable resource to readers hoping to find a reliable guide to link theories in distributed leadership to practices in schools."

"Distributed Leadership signifies the cutting-edge development in the Theory Movement in understanding educational leadership, whereas ‘professional learning community’ is the most recent strand in understanding educational organizations. The book has successfully blended both concepts together and implied that they are the sides of a coin. Most theorists will make use of the full length of a book to delineate about positive and bright sides of theories. It is this book which also expounds on the negative and dark sides of distributed leadership. It is this approach, as in Chinese philosophy, that we call it “Yin and Yang”. The bright and dark sides are actually complementary, not opposing, forces, interacting to form a whole greater than either separate part; in effect, a dynamic system. The book is a must for most academics, researchers, policy makers, school practitioners and students of educational leadership, organizational study and school improvement."

Reseña del editor

Distributed leadership—engaging the many rather than the few in school improvement—has long been a promising theory. But it must be implemented effectively before educators and students can reap the rewards, including improved learner outcomes and stronger organizational performance.

Distributed Leadership Matters offers pragmatic approaches for realizing these benefits. First, Alma Harris shows why harnessing educators’ collective expertise is an improvement strategy worth adopting. Then she details the collaborative processes that make it happen. Insights include:

• How to translate the research on distributed leadership into tangible results for schools
• Methods for building the social capital necessary for sustainable institutional change
• How to distribute leadership widely and wisely through professional collaboration

This book is the educator's guide to improving the learning outcomes of young people, whatever their context and whatever it takes, supporting teachers to be the very best they can be and ensuring that collaborative learning with impact is achievable and sustainable.