014225 Leading Learning

Subject Learning Plan

I have worked in three roles where leading learning has been the corner-stone of the roles’ objectives. I recently worked with a New Business Accelerator on the development of short courses and micro-credentials to a business learner (B:B) and a general learner (B:C).

The experience was thwarted from the get-go with me receiving no support, with a manager who barely attended 1:1 meetings and didn’t conduct the mandatory 30, 60 and 90 day reviews. I went on a pre-arranged holiday and came back to experience a series of performance management meetings that ultimately led to my resignation. So leadership, and great leadership (particularly when you’re trying to lead innovation) is something I am really keen to understand and explore – from a personal and professional perspective.

I have prided myself on leading innovative and engaging learning design when working as a VET practitioner and when supporting teams design curriculum both at TAFE and more recently in Higher Education. What I wasn’t prepared for was the dysfunctional, ego-motivated leadership displayed by a number of managers I have had over the past decade.

My learning objectives for this subject are the following:

1. Learning about the theory of practice architectures from the readings and from the sharing by other students. I’m keen to explore and encourage frank and fearless discussion about challenging the status-quo of an individual leader taking charge of the learning trajectory. I have experienced all too often an almost aggressive top-down approach where ideas are quashed and individual creativity is not encouraged. I’m really keen to learn more about contemporary architectures to assist me with my future leading learning opportunities.

2. Learning from the learning leader who I really respect, to get a sense of how they perceive their current leadership. Their role is to inspire TAFE teachers to adopt new and innovative ways of teaching, to not just meet compliance requirements, but to help grow the learning opportunities for the students so their experiences and knowledge are encouraged in peer-to-peer practices and dynamic forums with leaders, colleagues and students.

3. Conduct a meaningful (to both me as the learner and my nominated learning leader) interview using the ITTD technique. I have never interviewed anyone using this technique and I think I’ve chosen someone who will enjoy sharing ‘how to be him’ in the interview. I imagine the data from the transcript will be rich and insightful (and I’m hoping he doesn’t go into academic mode too much; but that’s my job as the interviewer isn’t it!)
I have always leaned into experiential learning as a teacher, an education manager and as a learner. What does this make me think about? What or who’s theory does it link to? What can I do with it? I think Nicolini and Gherardi are inspired academics and I’ve enjoyed reading (and watching) their theories on learning, communication and change. Learning is everywhere and it is layered/textured so I’m keen to hear from a learning leader who may have some examples of how he has applied his learning to create a more nuanced and collaborative approach to upskilling current TAFE practitioners.

4. I want to use the ACID-Do tool more frequently to help me flesh out my understanding of readings and share more confidently with my learning peers.

5. Although I recently lost my job I am keen to critically reflect on my recent experience and perhaps how I could have managed things differently. In saying this I think there also needs to be a culture where there is an appetite for change and a willingness to be open to different ways of doing things – including leading learning.

a. Analyse leading learning practices in students’ own professional context

b. Critically reflect on the implications of students’ own investigations for contemporary leading learning practices

c. Critically reflect on the implications of their investigations for students’ own leading learning practices

d. Communicate using a range of appropriate genres and technologies

Leadership Approaches

Trait approach. If we relied on inherent traits leaders were born with we would be limited in how we train the many managers in the world who were not born with leadership traits. Perhaps it’s limiting to suggest that only people with these inherent traits can be leaders. Are there different types of leadership?
Behavioural approach. Early 20th century we discovered by identifying certain leadership traits we could teach people how to become good leaders. Things like communication, strategic thinking, vision. I’ve see most leaders demonstrate these skills in a more managerial/transactional way.
Situational and Contingency Leadership. Building on behavioural approach but responding to different people’s needs in different contexts. Practising inclusion – dealing with someone who is neuro-diverse or a young leaders getting support to manage an experienced staff member. Diversity in the workplace requires situational and contingency leadership skills.
Transformational, transactional & charismatic
Getting things done we traditionally look to leaders with expertise, charisma and authority. I’m not sure this apexed approach has created the best cultures.

Post-heroic approaches
I’m interested in understanding a more de-centred shifting an emergent context by exploring complexity leadership, Authentic leadership and Distributed leadership.

At the centre of all leadership approaches before post-heroic is the leader themselves – top of the hierarchy, calling the shots, top-down approach.

I’ve worked in some environments that work with a flatter structure but the traditional hierarchical was of doing things always creep in. I was working in a small accelerator team at a university and with only 6 staff the hierarchical dysfunction was apparent – people too preoccupied with their egos and position, and not being transparent and communicative about the department’s vision.

NOTES MODULE 1

The theory of practice architecture is a resource that is at once theoretical for understanding educatio and professional practice; an analytical (or methodological) resource for revealin ways practices are eabled and constrained by the conditions under whivh they occur.  And a transformational resource for finding ways to change education and professional practice, where urrent practices and conditions are untoward i.e. the are unreasonable, unproductive or unsustainable, or the cause of suffering or injustice. 

What is the theory of practice architectures?  Is a contemporary account of social reality that focuses on practice.  It is a practice theory (Schatzki 2001) a term which denotes a broad church of social and cultural theories.

What are the analytical and transformational opportunities afforded by this theory?

Ecologies for practice Kemmis et al2021.

Practice theory provides lenses which make the examination of practices possible, and in doing so enables useful account of how practices happen, how they are mediated and their role in the constitution of social life.  Marked by an interest in the every day world. And that they are situated social and relational.

Ontological – In metaphysics, ontology is the philosophical study of being, as well as related concepts such as existence, becoming, and reality. Ontology addresses questions of how entities are grouped into categories and which of these entities exist on the most fundamental level.

Epistemological approaches – Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics.