Graduate Studies in Education

Do the Most Effective School Leaders Use Good Distance Learning Skills?

Let’s make this a spectacular semester! This class is intended to add to the knowledge base and help develop the skills you will need as a school leader or administrator. To do this, we each have to do our part. As we learn from each other this semester, if there is something you need from your professor, please let him or her know. If the request will promote, and not diminish, your learning experience, we’ll do our best to fulfill it.

As an adult, professional learner in an electronic learning environment, you will need to engage in the learning process as never before. Many of the skills that will help you in this class can also help you be more effective as a school leader or administrator. Here are some tips to help with your success in this class:

1. Explore the classroom.
Much time has gone into preparing this classroom to be fully equipped with the resources you need. Take the time now to click every link and find out what is here and where it is. It will save you valuable time later. Being proactive, researching, and finding information for yourself is an important skill for both the electronic classroom and school administrators. Among the things you’ll find in this classroom is a search feature that can help you find what you are looking for. Go find it!

2. Read thoroughly, reflectively and completely.
Skimming and speed reading techniques are invaluable to administrators. Whatever your reading speed, make sure that you are reading for details both in this class and on the job. As you read, be sure to think about what you are reading. Also, if you don’t read all the way to the end, you’ll miss something. It will be obvious to your teacher, classmates and probably your boss as well.

3. Communicate with details and specifics.
In a regular classroom, a teacher understands questions like ‘What is the next assignment?’ or ‘I didn’t understand the first question. Can you clarify?’ Because of all the unspoken information that teachers are continuously processing, details in a face to face classroom are not as critical as they are in communicating at a distant. In this classroom and others like it, the teacher will not know what assignment you finished last, so the response would be speeded up tremendously if the question were posed something like this: ‘I have just finished everything in Module 4, and have submitted assignments 1, 2 and 3. Should I do assignment 4 or take assessment 3 next?’ Regarding the second example, assessments are built from a randomly generated question base, so the teacher will not know which question you had. Asking, ‘On Assessment 6, Question 1, it asked about 94-142. I didn’t understand the question. Can you clarify?’ would be much better.

4. Display professional dispositions.
Learning at a distance as an adult professional is like working as a campus administrator in many ways. Your teacher and your classmates are like the Central Administration of the school district. They will know you most often by the quality of your written work. To be known as an effective administrator, leader, and educator, make sure your written products:

- use correct spelling and grammar,
- are courteous and professional in tone, and
- are submitted on time.

5.     Follow directions and format very closely.
As a school leader or administrator, you may be responsible for reporting information. Many times, the information will be requested in a specific format. One example is grant applications. If the format is not followed exactly, your chances of receiving the grant are greatly reduced. In the SUU Educational Leadership program, a specific format is used for Artifact Assignments. Follow it exactly! Another reason these assignments are important is that they are a key piece in the accreditation documentation of the program and will help you become familiar with national educational leadership standards. Get in the habit now of following directions exactly – it will earn you a good deal of respect in your career.

Thank you for being cognizant of the differences you will encounter in this learning environment and best wishes to you for a successful semester. 

Katy Herbold, May 2007