If you were able to attend our launch event at UCEA Convention we very much hope you enjoyed it. If you didn’t attend – we would still be delighted if you contributed to the project’s future development.
Please use this Blog to share your thoughts about the issues raised at the Convention session, and any other issues raised through this site. The aim of the Blog is to continue the dialogue that started today, and to help turn that dialogue into practical action – tangible steps that help develop collaborative projects involving colleagues in different countries.
What that looks like in reality will depend on how we all want to develop it. There are no pre-determined route maps, but rather we are hoping that our next steps will be decided by those who wish to get involved. So please give us your thoughts and ideas by adding Comments to the Posts on this Blog. As ideas develop we will add new Posts so that multiple projects can develop.
Finally, please keep in touch by using the ‘subscribe’ feature to ensure that you receive notice of all the new activity on this site.
Thank you to all for coming to the BELMAS UCEA symposium.
I am looking forward to learning more about your international research projects.
I am particularly interested in research that you are doing about leadership preparation, and leadership development.
With best wishes,
Alison
Dr Alison Taysum
Postgraduate Tutor (EdD)
Thank you for the stimulating session. Although I am not well read in the area, it seems that many countries are expanding their notions of formalized principal preparation. I hope that they will avoid two pitfalls I think we have fallen into in the USA:
1) Leadership is the principalship (leadership infuses the work of adults in schools – and should infuse the work of students as well).
2) Leadership is founded on management theory. An alternative to this is the idea that leadership should be founded on learning theory, but it still seems to come from a perspective of managing the learning. I hope other countries will consider ethics and relationships as the foundations of leadership.
Thanks for the opportunity to share,
Frederick
I would also like to thank for the active and inspiring workshop. I was at a UCEA conference for the first time and had never heard about BELMAS. So, I learnt a lot, and hopefully met people with whom to collaborate also in the future. I will most likely come to UCEA conferences also in the future if I can and it would be nice to attend the BELMAS conference next summer, too.
In my own institute at the university of Jyvaskyla Finland, we have been involved with principal preparation for thirteen years and I do totally agree with Frederick Buskey’s thoughts. Learning must be in the centre and leadership is everybody’s issue.
Thank you all and take care,
Mika
The blog already is serving its purpose – engaging colleagues in discussing their ideas about international research and development on school leadership. I’d agree with Frederick’s comments regarding the growing trend to provide formal preparation experiences for aspiring leaders. While this has been the norm in the USA for years, other countries, such as England, Scotland, and South Africa, have accreditation programs aspirants must complete to be eligible for principalships.
For those who have not attended BELMAS, it is well worth your time. I attended last year’s conference and was very impressed with the level of dialogue, collegiality, and international presence. I’m looking forward to next year’s conference.
Bruce Barnett
University of Texas at San Antonio
Dear all
Thanks for contributions so far. I went from Anaheim to San Francisco, so am only returning today. When I am back Bruce and I will compile a list of the action points/suggestions that emerged from the group discussions. We also plan to upload sound recordings of the panellists’ presentations . . . technology willing!
Regards
Howard
I bow down humbly in the presence of such greatsens.
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