Working At The Edge

Make School Different: Digital leadership & Transformation

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How passionate are educators?

By Randy Ziegenfuss

This may seem like a cynical post, but I’ve run across several resources the past few days that  have me reflecting on my own passion as an educational leader and wondering how passionate we are as a profession. You may have seen Ken Robinson’s first TED talk – Do Schools Kill Creativty? In this talk, […]

Filed Under: Leadership, Learning, Teaching

Single Best Idea for Reforming K-12 Education

By Randy Ziegenfuss

A recent Forbes article of the same title by Steven Denning resonated with me. It emphasized the role of leadership (at all levels), particularly in moving the focus of our actions as leaders away from “the system” and back to the learners. In addition, the current focus on the system does not take into account […]

Filed Under: Leadership

What’s your frame?

By Randy Ziegenfuss

What’s your frame?

As a school leader, you make an incredible amount of decisions – both instructional and operational –  in a day, a week, a month, a school year, and certainly over an entire career. Why do you do what you do? Do you reflect on what values and beliefs are at your core as a school […]

Filed Under: Leadership

The Role of Leadership in 21st Century Education

By Randy Ziegenfuss

A new video on the less-discussed role of leadership in 21st century education. We agree learning is different today and teachers must change the delivery of instruction. What about leadership? How should effective educational leadership look different in the 21st century? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsan9hjWSPg&w=369&h=210]

Filed Under: Leadership

Mass Customized Learning

By Randy Ziegenfuss

I attended a one-day workshop presented by Chuck Schwan and Bea McGarvey on their recent book: Inevitable:  Mass Customized Learning – Learning in the Age of Empowerment. It was an interesting day and fun to be among like-minded educators thinking about possible reforms in education – ones that actually make sense. In the book and […]

Filed Under: Leadership, Learning, Teaching

Leadership Best Practices

By Randy Ziegenfuss

Leadership Best Practices

I’m listening to Susan Scott’s recent book, Fierce Leadership. She has an enjoyable writing style. One of her analogies was something to the effect of – I’m paraphrasing – Are your best leadership practices like eating peas with a knife? Then maybe you need to rethink those practices. I can see I’m going to enjoy […]

Filed Under: Leadership

Sir Ken Robinson interview with Michael Hyatt

By Randy Ziegenfuss

You may have seen Sir Ken Robinson’s two TED talks: Do Schools Kill Creativity? and Bring on the Learning Revolution! Earlier this year, Sir Ken spoke at the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, focusing on creativity, imagination and leadership. Michael Hyatt interviewed Sir Ken after his talk. Here are some of my notes and thoughts. Creativity & Innovation […]

Filed Under: Leadership

Mental Complexity

By Randy Ziegenfuss

I have been working my way through Kegan and Lahey’s Immunity to Change and think it is an important construct for us school leaders to wrap our collective heads around. Plateaus of Mental Complexity (Kegan and Lahey, 2009. Immunity to Change. p.16.) Mental complexity can change over the course of the lifespan and generally gets […]

Filed Under: Leadership

A Vision of Teachers for Today and Beyond

By Randy Ziegenfuss

via Quantum Progress I think this short video from Dan Meyer contains so much to help us think about redefining a vision for connected teaching in the 21st century. Some questions worth asking: Do we have leaders ready and able to take us into the future? Are the ideas included in Dan’s video even on […]

Filed Under: Leadership, Teaching

The Innovation Struggle

By Randy Ziegenfuss

Innovation was the focus of the latest Educon 2.3 conference. Since I tend to look at everything through the lens of leadership, I was wondering where leadership and innovation overlap. One of the (what seemed to be) most re-tweeted tweets came from Bill Ferriter: “Note to principals: If you want me to innovate, you’ve got […]

Filed Under: Leadership, Learning, Teaching

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About Working At The Edge:

My name is Randy Ziegenfuss, and I'm a retired public school superintendent and a life-long educator with over 34 years experience developing a passion for teaching, learning, leadership and technology. <read more...>

I first came across the phrase working at the edge while learning about the work of Marzano, et al. School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results. In this work, the researchers define 21 responsibilities of the school leader, one being change agent. A change agent is defined as one who is, "...willing to challenge school practices that have been in place for a long time and promoting the value of working at the edge of one's competence."

Randy Ziegenfuss, Ed.D.

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