Welcome May! I can hardly believe the spring semes-ter is over and summer classes have already be-gun. Time has just flown by! Last June, I wrote how the EDLE program received a grant from Mason’s Of-fice of Distance

Education to design and implement our courses for on-line delivery. Here we are, one year later, and our first on-line cohort is almost halfway through the program, our Fall 2015 on-line cohort is full, and due to high demand, we are considering future cohort options as well. For this edition of the news-letter, I asked our EDLE faculty to share their expe-riences with on-line design. As you will read, we quickly realized that simply taking what we do in our classrooms and transferring it to the on-line environment would not work. Not only did we need to learn how to master Blackboard, we needed to understand distance education pedagogy and ap-ply it to our course content. In other words, we would continue to be “life-long learners.”

One of our goals for developing a fully on-line pro-gram was to broaden our impact beyond Northern Virginia and to give us a national presence. While this has certainly happened, we’ve recently admit-ted several international applicants as well, includ-ing candidates from Iraq and Scotland. We have also continued to explore other opportunities in international school leadership. While our Greece initiative has been postponed until Summer 2016, in collaboration with Dr. Shahrokhi and the Center for International Education, we are in negotiations with the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman Univer-sity in Saudi Arabia to offer a hybrid Masters in Education Leadership starting Fall 2016.

In faculty news, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Sonya Horsford has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor. Dr. Horsford has been an incredible asset to our program since she joined us in 2013 and we are thrilled to have her as part of our tenured faculty.

Several of our faculty attended this year’s AERA (American Educational Research Association) con-ference in Chicago to present their research and

attend sessions. Dr. Horsford presented two papers: Researching School Re-segregation in the Post–Civil

Rights Era: Implications for Theory, Policy, and Praxis and Losing in Las Vegas: The Politics of School De-

segregation, Leadership, and Reform in the West (AERA Presidential Session). Dr. Bauer and Dr. Smith conducted a roundtable session entitled Theorizing in

and about Educational Organizations, describing some organizational theory implications of their cur-rent study of PLCs in a large mid-Atlantic school dis-trict. Dr. Smith also chaired a paper session called Effective Instructional Leadership: Aligning the Roles

of Teachers and Principals, which involved the presentation and discussion of five papers ranging from a qualitative study of the leadership one instruc-tional coach who returned to the classroom to a SEM analysis of teacher perceptions of "leadership for learning" based on their responses to selected items in the national School and Staffing Survey (SASS). Dr. Shahrokhi took part in a mini course called Embed-

ding Evaluations in Everyday Activities: Conducting

Opportunistic Experiments in Schools and Districts.

Next year, AERA will be held in Washington, DC from April 8 – April 12. As the largest education conference in the United States, we encourage our current candi-dates and recent graduates to attend. It is a wonder-ful professional learning experience! We also hope our doctoral students will consider submitting a re-search proposal. For more information please visit: http://www.aera.net/EventsMeetings/AnnualMeeting/tabid/10208/Default.aspx

As my second year as Academic Coordinator comes to a close, I would like to express my appreciation to the EDLE faculty and staff for their continued support. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, for the first time in many years, the EDLE program is at capacity. Our fall cohorts, campus, and on-line classes are all full. This has meant a very hectic admissions season, with faculty and staff putting in extra hours to inter-view candidates and process applications. We have also taken on several new and exciting challenges to grow and expand our program, with many people going above and beyond expected workloads to en-sure our success. None of these initiatives would be possible without their time and unwavering commit-ment to the program.

On behalf of the EDLE faculty and staff, we wish you a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you again in Fall 2015!

Greetings from the EDLE Academic Program Coordinator

INSIDE THIS ISSUT ISSUE

Greetings from the EDLE

Coordinator

1

The Online Perspective

2

Graduates on the Move

4

EDLE 2015 Spring Graduates

4

Fall 2015 Conference

4

Cohort News 4

EDLE Program Winner

5

Congratulations to Kelly Nickerson

5

Join VAESP 5

CEHD Core 6

Volume , Issue

Spring 2015

Education Leadership

Geo

rge

Mas

on

Univ

ersi

ty

Anne-Marie Balzano

EDLE Program Coordinator

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

Summer II registration deadline for cohort students: June 8th, 2015.

Upcoming SLLA Prep Session on June 12th. Register early, space is limited.

Check out Mason Online for more EDLE information.

Designing our courses for on-line delivery has been an ongoing and exciting process. Our course designer, Ying-Ying Kuo, has been instrumental in our learning of on-line pedagogy. Dr. Kuo, along with the EDLE faculty, share their perspectives of the journey thus far.

Ying-Ying Kuo is an in-

structional designer who

has worked on web-

based instructional de-

sign since attaining an

Ed.D. in Technology Edu-

cation at West Virginia

University (WVU) in

2003. She believes that

instructional design

should support educa-

tors to build a good foun-

dation in either hybrid or fully online envi-

ronments. Building an online course is just

like building a house that should be robust

enough to support both students in learn-

ing and instructors in teaching. She is also

very enthusiastic about research that can

provide evidence to promote course design

and the quality of teaching and learning.

The EDLE faculty has made tremendous progress over the past year, but their growth is not only because of me. I feel it has been a “domino effect.” After we ex-plored different facets of online teaching and learning during our many workshops, trainings, and meetings, it has been won-derful to watch the faculty collaborate and learn from each other. This is a terrific team. We have shown a successful exam-ple of a good partnership between the in-structors and instructional designers. We have all learned from each other. I am very proud of the EDLE faculty. Their growth in knowledge, capability, and efficacy has been my biggest motivator. I am honored to work with such a fabulous team. I envi-sion the EDLE program will soon be scaled up to include more online students and will become one of the most popular programs in the nation.

Several years ago when the EDLE faculty first broached the idea of putting our program on-line, I was one of the biggest opponents. As someone who thrives on classroom interaction with my students, I couldn’t imagine how this would happen in the on-line environment. This

The Online Perspective Page 2

surely the Online version of EDLE 616 began to reveal itself…

Collaboration and

learning at the high-

est level-that’s the way I see it! I view

the support of col-

leagues as incredibly

beneficial to the DE

course design pro-

cess. Whether the

focus of our meetings

is on current or fu-

ture courses, there

are always connections to strengthening

teaching and learning. Moving to the DE

platform has clearly prompted reflective

practice in all aspects of all of our cours-

es.

Although the term "on-line learning" describes what we hope our stu-dents will gain through distance education, it also captures accurately my experience as a fac-ulty member entering the on-line space. There is, of course, the pro-cess of learning about the on-line tools central to designing and facili-

tating a fully on-line course – how to navi-gate Blackboard, capture screen shots, edit coughing out of a video lecture, and facilitate an engaging on-line discussion board. Upon reflection, the most challeng-ing and rewarding experiences for me came from the careful planning and stu-dent-centered design considerations on-line courses demand. Creating an on-line learning environment where students are actively engaged with the content and one another's learning is no easy task. Alt-hough our focus is always on our students, I found that the phrase "on-line learning" reflects not only what we desire for our students, but what we too gain as faculty.

is why experience is the best teacher. Designing and teaching EDLE 690 taught me how to connect with students in new and meaningful ways . We engage through small group blogs, whole class discussion boards, video projects, and even the occa-sional Skype meeting. And unlike the face to face classroom, where I manage discus-sions in the moment (and not all students are able to participate), in the on-line envi-ronment, I now have a written record of every student's thinking. This is critical evidence that will guide adjustments of the course in the future. Reading through their final reflections, there was no doubt that each person took away a deep under-standing of the purpose of root cause analysis, collaboration, and research in preparation for their School Improvement Projects. From a program standpoint, it is exciting to know that we can teach and learn in different environments, and still maintain a high level of engagement and rigor.

There’s a saying [ascribed to the Theos-ophists] that asserts: when the disciple is

ready the Master will

appear. I was reminded of its import recently when EDLE’s version of topsy-turvy day [aka Online Learning] ‘appeared’. Except it didn’t last just one day,

but for many many days. Teachers revert-ed to learners…no, make that beginning learners, and we grappled [sometimes with great difficulty] with the first steps of acquiring new ways of thinking about con-tent and instructional delivery of our pro-gram courses. At times, I was painfully reminded about the Chinese story of the centipede, who was happy, quite, until a toad asked “Pray, which leg goes after which?” My interior monolog went some-thing like this: I really know how to teach

this…I think I know how to teach this…How do I teach this? Ying-Ying, our course designer [and Master] was remarkably patient with us, allowing us the freedom to discover those seemingly elusive princi-ples for ourselves. Weeks passed. New ideas, new ways of teaching familiar con-tent. And then, one afternoon, I realized that the essential question for learning Online courses was exactly the same course question for EDLE 616—What is/

should be the purpose of Curriculum [for

Online Learning]. That discovery prompted more and more questions, and slowly but

Above: Ying-

Ying Kuo

Above: Alan

Sturrock

Above: Sonya

Horsford

Above: Beverly

Woody

Above: Anne-

Marie Balzano

Continued.. Page 3

As a kid on summer vacation, my parents would pile my two brothers and me into the station wagon, hook our camper on the back bumper, and drive around the country. During those yearly jaunts Dad drove and Mom was the tour guide; the three of us usu-ally engaged in noisy

parallel play in the backseat. However, at the end of the day we worked together to set up camp. Steve, Ron, and I were tasked with collecting rocks suitable to put under the jacks to level the camper. Off we’d go into the woods to select rocks and then bring them back to the campsite for test review. Some of the rocks were deemed a good fit, others were discarded. We would repeat the process until we got it right and the camper was level. As I consider my thoughts regarding the DE design process, in many ways I’m remind-ed of those summer trips.

During this technological journey my col-leagues and I have engaged in an iterative process of individual lesson development followed by collaborative review, very simi-lar to the manner in which my brothers and I worked to identify the right sizes and shapes of rocks. It has involved some trial and error, but overall, learning to navigate the Blackboard landscape has been an enjoyable activity resulting in a quality product. Working with a skilled instruc-tional designer – who both drives and guides – I am developing the school law course, EDLE612.

This course is structured around one es-sential question. How do we prepare school leaders to make decisions that are both "right" and "reasonable," balance the rights of the many with those of the few, while serving in multiple intersecting roles? The complexities of this question provide the organizational framework for the school law curriculum which is broken into four units. As I began to develop the content for each unit I also considered the practicalities and realities of leading schools. Leadership is not a path one travels alone, and to prepare our candi-dates, I have packed the curriculum with activities facilitating the practice of com-munication, collaboration, coordination, creative problem-solving and critical think-ing. While I anticipate that our online can-

didates will find the course challenging, I am confident that they will “enjoy the ride.”

Arthur C. Clarke wrote, “Any suffi-ciently advanced technology is indis-tinguishable from magic.” Anyone who knows me (and cer-tainly students who have had a class with me) under-stands that “magical” isn’t the most obvious way to describe my skill set.

Yet, with sufficient instruction, cajoling, and a faculty full of role models who tack-led the task with enthusiasm, openness to learning, and good humor, even I am able to design an online course. Who knew?

Magical is actually a very good descriptor for our faculty’s experience designing our online program. Allow me to explain.

The EDLE faculty continuously reviews, discusses and refines our curriculum. This has been going on for years. Nothing is set in stone. We study our teaching and stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the field. But wrapping our heads around online instruction has caused us to look at content and teaching methods very differ-ently; as we teach our students, we had to first “unfreeze” or let go of our current perspectives before we could learn new ways of doing things. Our conversations have been stimulating, and as we work to create online experiences that are engag-ing and navigable by students who we will never meet face-to-face, we have discov-ered many ways to enrich our F2F work. [Get that – F2F means “face to face.” Again, who knew?]

The central tenet of our program is that leaders promote positive change and en-list the support of many in the process. I am proud to say that our work in creating the online program models this well. Each course has been designed by one lead faculty member with the support of a small team, AND each and every experi-ence has been examined and affirmed by the whole faculty. Our learning has been enhanced and guided by the support of Ying-Ying Kuo, a course designer on the Mason Distance Education staff, and we have been supported by a grant from the university. And naturally, each course de-sign is guided by a thorough action plan,

evaluation process, and we field test and conduct a consequence analysis. Hey, are we taking EDLE 690?

Having approached the prospect of an online version of EDLE 618 (Supervision and Evaluation of Instruc-tion) with great trepi-dation, I am pleased to say that I am now a reluctant proponent of online learning. The support of Ying-Ying Kuo has been terrific, and with her assis-tance I am in the pro-

cess of conducting an analysis of the essential components of the course so they can be mastered in an online environ-ment. The face-to-face version of EDLE 618 contains a great deal of group work, with role playing activities and analysis of video teaching lessons. Although the course is still a work in progress, I can con-fidently say that the online version will be highly an interactive, and definitely not be “sit and get.” The nature of the course is still evolving, but there will be fewer con-tent lectures using presentation software and a great deal of interactive learn-ing. I’m looking forward to the journey into the online environment.

I have learned how rudi-mentary are my technolo-gy skills. I learned, as well, by observing the work of my colleagues that distance learning, if approached creatively, can yield relatively high interest activities that elicit application, analy-sis, evaluation and syn-thesis responses from students.

Above: Rob

Smith

Above: Regina

Biggs

Above: Scott

Bauer

Above: Richard

Moniuszko

EDLE Graduates on the Move Page 4

have been implementing new ways at Catoc-tin to provide both for our staff.

Dr. Upperman and Dr. Pamas relayed many issues and stories from their principalships that I have experienced myself. Both profes-sors provided words of advice that I have thought about and used as I have gone through similar staff and parent is-sues. Having professors who are current or former principals is certainly one of the greatest attributes of the EDLE program.

Our collective record/portfolio was my favor-ite assignment. I really enjoyed the freedom to pursue experiences at different levels. In doing so I was able to form new relation-ships and connect with leaders at various levels. I was lucky enough to have worked with three great leaders and experi-ence meaningful and applicable work that I am now thankful for doing.

It would have been great if our Law Class had incorporated much of the Virginia and LCPS policies that we basically have to learn to know as APs. Often times I have to refer to policy about leave, teacher evaluation, student attendance, IEPs, etc.....if the Law Class could be personal-ized more to the state and even county that we work in, it would be of greater assistance!

In what ways do you feel the EDLE pro-

gram helped you shape your leadership?

Which courses/assignments in particular

did you find most helpful and why?

Benjamin Chiet finished the EDLE program in Summer 2012. He currently holds the posi-tion of Assistant Principal at Catoctin Ele-mentary School.

As an administrator, I love being in class-rooms and observing what works best for all of our students. I love seeing a teach-er help a student master a skill, and see that student pleased with his/her suc-cess. I enjoy highlighting teachers' best practices through providing feedback. In this new position, I enjoy supporting teachers; something you are unable to do on such a big scale when you are in the teacher role. As a former teacher, I felt that it would have been nice to re-ceive feedback more often; and it would have been nice to feel appreciated. I

What aspects of your new postion do

you enjoy the most?

Above: Benjamin Chiet

EDLE 2015 Spring Graduates

This year’s EDLE Leader Launch

conference will take place on Saturday, October 24th, 2015 in

Merten Hall from 8:30am – 12:30pm. The focus of the con-ference will be to prepare our current candidates and recent graduates for the Spring 2016

hiring season. Topics will include interviewing, resume writing, and networking. We hope to see you

there!

What is the one thing you wished you

knew before entering administration?

“I really enjoyed the freedom to pursue experiences at different levels. In doing so I was able to form new relationships and con-nect with leaders at various lev-els. I was lucky enough to have worked with three great leaders and experience meaningful and applicable work that I am now thankful for doing. ”

- Benjamin Chiet

The EDLE department would like to congratulate all of our Spring 2015 graduates. The 48th an-nual Commencement ceremony took place on

May 16, 2015 at the Patriot Center. On behalf of the faculty and staff, we wish you the best of luck in all your future professional endeavors!

Cohort News The EDLE program is proud of the valuable partnerships we have built with our surrounding school districts and the role we play in advancing the leadership capacity of our partners. The success of this year is a great example of our fruitful collaboration with our partners. As a result, we have successfully recruited four cohorts for summer and fall of 2015. The Fairfax 11 cohort in partnership with FCPS will begin this summer. Our partnership with Arlington Public Schools and Alexandria City Schools has resulted in two cohorts to be rolled out between summer and fall of 2015. Finally, our Prince William 21 cohort will begin in fall 2015. Information regarding spring 2016 cohorts will be posted in the fall newsletter and on the EDLE website.

For more information on up-coming cohorts contact Dr. Farnoosh Shahrokhi at fshahrok@gmu.edu. Above: Farnoosh

Shahrokhi

EDLE Conference Panelists Fall 2014

Mark your calendars for the EDLE Conference!

EDLE 2015 Program Winner: Nicole McDermott Page 5

At each of my EDLE classes, at the first session, we were always asked to say something about ourselves –

what we currently do and what we hope to do in the future. I would listen to most of my classmates talk about

their teacher roles and how they hope to be a principal, assistant principal or director of student activities

sometime in the future. When it was my turn, I tried to explain as succinctly as possible that I was in the oppo-

site situation: I am in my tenth year leading Pinecrest School in Annandale – a small private preschool through

sixth grade school – and I am not sure what I want to do once I get my master’s degree and after Pinecrest. This is still true as I am about to graduate with my M.Ed. I know for sure though that I am a stronger and smart-

er leader as a result of my EDLE classes and experiences. I took three years to complete the program, and I

enjoyed it very much. I especially enjoyed the opportunities to learn from professors and fellow classmates

through interactive and engaging discussions, and I would like to specifically acknowledge Dr. Upperman and

Dr. Balzano for modeling in their classrooms positive culture and high expectations for achievement. They are

mentors and role models, and I feel grateful to have connected with them through this experience. I also appre-

ciate Dr. Sturrock, Dr. Bauer and Dr. Banbury for their contributions to my experience. I was very surprised to receive the email that I

was the 2015 College of Education and Human Development Education Leadership Award recipient, and I am honored by this recog-

nition. It took me a long time to decide to go back to school to get my master’s degree, and I feel so fortunate for the positive and

meaningful experience I had in this program. I graduate from George Mason University a more confident, more empowered, and

more centered school leader thanks to the EDLE faculty.

Above: Nicole

McDermott

Join VAESP

My name is Andrew Buchheit and I am the principal of T. Clay Wood Elementary School. I am also the Northern Zone Representative

for the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP). I would like to encourage you to consider joining VAESP as an

aspiring administrator for the upcoming school year. Membership in VAESP also automatically includes membership in the National

Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). There are many other benefits for joining VAESP including

networking with colleagues, Monthly Principal Magazines and Electronic newsletters, professional development

and conferences as well as legal benefits, accidental death insurance and access to Principal's Help-

line. Please consider joining VAESP and help advocate and support our profession, our schools, our students

and Public education. The more administrators who join; the stronger our voice in supporting important pro-

grams and the needs of our students, staff and schools. Please see the VAESP website - http://www.vaesp.org

for more information. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at buchhear@pwcs.edu

Kelly Nickerson, Assistant Principal of Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Woodbridge, VA was selected as Virginia’s 2015 National Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year (NOAP). The 2015 award marks the fourth year that the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in collaboration with the Virginia Asso-ciation of Elementary School Principals (VAESP) has presented this prestigious award. Mrs. Nickerson received her award at a surprise presentation in front of school staff, community members and her family on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. In addition to her husband Mathew and her sister Wendy DeLay, others in attendance at the award program were: Dr. Steven Walts, Prince William County Public Schools Superintendent, Deputy Superinten-dent, Rae E. Darlington, Associate Superintendent, Todd Erickson, Martin Luther King Jr. Principal, Amy Larsen, former Martin Luther King Jr. Principal, Laura Pumphrey, VAESP Executive Director, Jim Baldwin, VAESP Northern Zone Director, Andrew Buchheit.

Mrs. Nickerson was nominated and selected through a statewide search process conducted by VAESP. She holds a Bachelors Degree and Special Education Certification from George Mason University. She earned her Master’s in Educational Leadership from George Mason University as well. She has served as assistant principal at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School since 2010. Prior to her current assignment, she as an administrative intern at Loch Lomond and Cedar Point elementary and she taught as a special educa-tion teacher at Montclair Elementary. This spring, Mrs. Nickerson will be honored with well-deserved recognition at the Annual VAESP Conference in Norfolk, Virginia.

Mrs. Nickerson is actively involved in her school, her division and her community. With enormous knowledge of instruction and learn-ing styles, she has been an invaluable resource to the staff and school for differentiation of instruction. She leads staff development on Response to Intervention, monitoring student growth and progress. Her dedication to students, her profession and her community is evident in all that she does.

Above: Kelly

Nickerson

Congratulations to Kelly Nickerson, EDLE Graduate 2008

Press release from VAESP

CEHD Core Values

In the context of an enduring college-

level and university-level commit-

ment to teaching, research and ser-

vice, the College of Education and

Human Development also holds the

following core values:

Collaboration

Collaboration is an important human

activity that involves shared respon-

sibility in promoting healthy, pro-

ductive lives and educational success.

We commit ourselves to work toward

these goals in genuine partnerships

with individuals, families, communi-

ty agencies, schools, businesses,

foundations, and other groups at the

local, regional, national and interna-

tional levels.

Ethical Leadership

In all professions represented by the

college, leadership is an essential

component denoting ability and will-

ingness to help lead professional

practice to higher levels. We commit

ourselves to practice ethical leader-

ship through deliberate and system-

atic attention to the ethical principles

that guide all leaders in a moral soci-

ety.

Innovation

We have a history of creating dynamic,

innovative programs and we are dedi-

cated to continue creating innovative

approaches in all areas of our work.

We commit ourselves to seeking new

ways to advance knowledge, solve

problems, improve our professional

practice and expand on our successes.

Research-Based Practice

The best practice in any discipline is

based upon sound research and profes-

sional judgment. We commit ourselves

to basing our instruction, scholarship

and policy recommendations on well-

established principles that, wherever

possible, emerge from research and

reflection on its implications for pro-

fessional practice.

Social Justice

Social justice embodies essential prin-

ciples of equity and access to all oppor-

tunities in society, in accordance with

democratic principles and respect for

all persons and points of view. We

commit ourselves to promoting equity,

opportunity, and social justice through

the college's operations and its mis-

sions related to teaching, research, and

service.

George Mason University EDLE Program Office

Thompson Hall Suite 1300 4400 University Drive, MSN 4C2

Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 703-993-3633 Fax: 703-993-3643

Dr. Anne-Marie Balzano EDLE Academic Coordinator

Phone: 703-993-5699 alohse@gmu.edu

Dr. Farnoosh Shahrokhi EDLE Outreach Coordinator

Phone: 703-993-2009 fshahrok@gmu.edu

EDLE Vision

The Education Leadership Program is dedicated to improving the quality of

pre-K-12 education through teaching, research and service. Candidates and practicing administrators engage in course work devoted to experiential

learning, professional growth opportunities, and doctoral research

that informs practice. We educate exceptional leaders who act with integrity as they work to improve

schools.

E D U C A T I O N L E A D E R S HI P P R O G R A M C ON T A C T

I N F O R M A TI O N