Leading Adult Learning: Supporting Adult Development In Our Schools Hardcover

New

Eleanor Drago-Severson

Eleanor Drago-Severson takes hold of an important and neglected truth: students grow best in schools where the adults around them are growing, too. In this nurturing and much-anticipated work, the author shows us exactly how to make this happen. Sound theory, vivid examples, and, best of all, a practice-ready framework-it's all here! Anyone who cares about making our schools better will feel richly rewarded for spending time with this encouraging book' - Robert Kegan, Meehan Professor of Adult Learning and Professional Development Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Coauthor of Immunity to Change 'With this comprehensive and compelling book, Eleanor Drago-Severson establishes herself as a leading authority on authoritative leadership in education' - Howard Gardner, Author of Leading Minds Support the growth and development of all adults-teachers, principals, and superintendents-in your school community! Educators at every level go through different stages of development over the course of their lives and need different kinds of supports and challenges to grow. Leading Adult Learning introduces a model of adult development that helps school and district leaders consciously cultivate teacher, head teacher, and education officer capacities in the educational workplace. Eleanor Drago-Severson's developmental model of learning-oriented school leadership draws from multiple knowledge domains, including adult learning, developmental theory, leadership practice, and organizational collaboration. The book shows head teachers how to foster growth and learning for individuals with different needs and developmental orientations. With a focus on research and application, this volume: - Details four Pillar Practices for growth-teaming, providing leadership roles, collegial inquiry, and mentoring-which can support all adults - Presents extensive research and practical application from head teachers, teachers, Education Officers, and other school leaders from across the nation - Includes application exercises, reflective questions, and lessons from the field to assist you in applying this learning-oriented model to your school and school system Drago-Severson makes a compelling case for deliberately supporting adult development within and across school systems to enhance adults' capacities, school improvement, and student achievement.

1412950716

9781412950718

English

Sage Publications Inc

22 Dec 2009

368

Ellie Drago-Severson is a Professor of Education Leadership and Adult Learning & Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. As a developmental psychologist, her work is inspired by the idea that schools must be places where adults and children can grow. She is dedicated to creating the conditions to achieve this and to helping leaders and educators of all kinds to do the same on behalf of supporting adults and youth. Ellie's work builds bridges between research and practice by supporting teachers, principals, superintendents and other school and district leaders in their professional and personal development and growth. Ellie is author of four recent books: Becoming Adult Learners: Principles and Practices for Effective Development (Teachers College Press, 2004), Helping Teachers Learn: Principal Leadership for Adult Growth and Development (Corwin Press, 2004), Leading Adult Learning: Supporting Adult Development in our Schools (Corwin/Sage, 2009), and Helping Educators Grow: Practices and Strategies for Supporting Leadership Development (Harvard Education Press, 2012). Learning Forward (formerly The National Staff Development Council, NSDC) awarded the Outstanding Staff Development Book of the Year in 2004 to Helping Teachers Learn, and selected Leading Adult Learning as their book for the Fall 2009. Ellie teaches, conducts research and consults to leaders and organizations on professional and personal growth and learning, leadership that supports principal, faculty and school development, capacity building, leadership development, coaching, qualitative research, and mentoring K-12 schools, university contexts, and ABE/ESOL contexts. She is also an internationally certified developmental coach who works with principals, assistant principals, district leaders, and teachers to build internal capacity and achieve goals. She served as lead researcher on the Adult Development Team of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) at Harvard University and as teacher, program designer, program director, and currently as consultant, and professional developer in a variety of educational contexts including K-12 schools, higher education, adult education centers, and ABE/ESOL programs (domestically and internationally). Her work explores the promise of practices that support adult development, leadership development, and capacity building, within schools, districts and across systems. Ellie's work has been recognized by and supported with awards from the Spencer Foundation, the Klingenstein Foundation, and Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) where she served as Lecturer on Education for eight years. While serving at Harvard, Ellie was awarded the 2005 Morningstar Award for Excellence in Teaching. Most recently, she received three outstanding teaching awards from Teachers College. She has earned degrees from Long Island University (BA) and Harvard University (EdM, EdD and Post-Doctoral Fellowship). Ellie grew up in the Bronx, New York and lives in New York City.

Building on the 'pillar practices' of her earlier work and animated with stories, exercises, and illustrations, this book offers both lucid explication of the powerful insights of constructive developmental theory and intensely practical partnership in how to put it all to work on Monday morning. In these hard times, this is a welcome and hopeful blueprint for the reanimation of our schools and the transformation of our communities. -- Laurent A. Parks Daloz, Senior Fellow "There is no greater opportunity for improving public education than to make schools places where adults learn and lead together. In her rich and engaging book, Drago-Severson explores the challenge of this important work and shows us how success is both possible and deeply rewarding." -- Susan Moore Johnson, Pforzheimer Professor of Teaching and Learning "Eleanor Drago-Severson takes hold of an important and neglected truth: students grow best in schools where the adults around them are growing, too. In this nurturing and much-anticipated work, the author shows us exactly how to make this happen. Sound theory, vivid examples, and a practice-ready framework-it's all here! Anyone who cares about making our schools better will feel richly rewarded for spending time with this encouraging book." -- Robert Kegan, Meehan Professor of Adult Learning and Professional Development "As complete a primer for leading adult learning as can be found in print today. Each chapter includes cases and lessons from the field and reflective questions. Eleanor Drago-Severson combines research and practice to create an essential handbook for leaders of adults." -- The School Administrator Magazine, January 2011 "With this comprehensive and compelling book, Eleanor Drago-Severson establishes herself as a leading expert on authoritative leadership in education." -- Howard Gardner, Author of Leading Minds