Personal Brand - EDUC 638-D01 Module 6 Vlog 4

Personal branding is a concept first introduced by Tom Peters in his 1997 Fast Company article, “The brand called you” (Gaffney, 2014; Gander, 2014; Sheninger, 2014).  Though branding has been used for millennia to differentiate consumer products, the use of this concept to differentiate individuals within the marketplace was new at the time and has become increasingly important with the growth of individuals’ online presence and the proliferation of social media.  Though some may not wish to concentrate on branding and managing their online image, it has become virtually impossible to avoid creating a personal brand within the digital age web 2.0 (Kheder, 2014).  When used effectively, taking the time to develop and manage a personal brand can pay off by presenting a presence that enables one to stand out from the crowd in any field of work.  In this current digital era, the image and information presented to others when they do an online search for an individual will typically be a crucial part of the first impression other professionals receive.  Developing, monitoring and maintaining this image, or brand, requires ongoing attention and reflexivity (Kheder 2014; Sheninger 2014).

For me, the one word that I use in summarizing my personal brand is mindful.  This word, meaning to be conscious or aware, is a goal in all I do.  In my faith and my work, I try to use this approach to guide my actions and remember that it is important to do everything as for the Lord, and not for man (Colossians 3:23, ESV).  In my work, this is the approach I take to think about the care and education of the whole child.  When teaching content, supporting students, and interacting with families, I am mindful of the results of my actions in being a reflection of Christ, helping students to grow, being inclusive, supporting the family culture of our classroom and the community at large.  As I look to the future and the path God has chosen for me, I am mindful of where my continued education and professional pursuits are leading me, and how I can serve Him and minister to others through my work.  In my personal interests and interactions, I am mindful of how they reflect on my Christian witness and example.

In working now to develop a personal brand and look toward the future, it will be important to increase my visibility both online and in real time (Sheninger, 2014).  In order to do this, it will be important to continue to interact through social media such as Twitter in professional learning networks and to branch out to become active and visible in professional communities online as well as though real time contact in professional communities in my area (Sheninger 2014).  Since recently beginning to do this, it has been amazing to see the new connections that have arisen throughout the world in response to posts and comments I have shared.  For instance, two new contacts that have arisen are product developers in Europe and Australia who have are interested in projects I mentioned within my classroom.  Another powerful tool in communicating my brand is to blog frequently with high quality work and gain exposure for the work with the stakeholders within my school and district, as well as a broader audience.  This will be done through links on my classroom website, in addition to social media such as Twitter posts.  It will be exciting to see where several years of mindful attention to this project will lead.

References:

Gaffney, T. (2014). Leadership insights: developing your personal brand. American

Nurse Today, 9(7), 17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=vic_liberty&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA378103833&sid=summon&asid=83b6de13aee03d99b98b538445f4f447

Gander, M. (2014). Managing your personal brand. Perspectives: Policy and practice

in higher education, 18(3), 99-102. Retrieved from

http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/doi/full/10.1080/13603108.2014.913538?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Khedher, M. (2015). A brand for everyone: Guidelines for personal brand managing. 

Journal of Global Business Issues, 9(1), 19-27. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1711197915?accountid=12085

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

EDUC 638-D01 DB3 Module 4 - Sheninger's 6 Elements Driving Change

 Transcript:

            When leading change of any kind, one of the greatest challenges is getting everyone involved on board and working together.  Sheninger (2014) describes six elements that are important and that he utilized in leading organizational change to transform his school into the leading model that it is today.  These elements are summarized as; Connectedness, Vision, Value, Support, Professional Development, and Embracement.

            Sheninger (2014) begins with connectedness and explains that it was the starting point in his transformation as a technology leader.  This has always been the place to begin.  In the past, through collaborative learning groups in the classic conferencing style and now through technologically linked global professional learning networks.  As a district leader, this connectedness allows stakeholders to share information instantly and to learn from each other without boundaries created by meeting times and distance.  By starting with this process for himself, Sheninger showed authentic leadership in the way Alavi and Gill describe (2016).  He acted accordingly and was true to himself and his vision by learning and using the technology he wanted others to delve into.  This also served as an example of his core values in action.  In district leadership leading by example in this way, rather than mandating, is powerful.

            Creating a unified vision is a crucial step in the early process of complex change.  As Sheninger (2014) states, “The seeds for change will only germinate if a coherent vision is established”.   In leading district change, this can be quite challenging because the stakeholders are often spread over a large area and working in different environments with different objectives.  To build this vision, it is important to include the stakeholders in developing the plan and seeing why the change is needed.  This is an area where data can play an important role.  Through the use of data, areas of need can be identified and the change can be designed to address these areas.

            By using data in this way, leaders can also build in value for the change.  Finding ways that all stakeholders can use technology to address a need for improvement will attach value to the process.  Because most educators have experienced change that has followed the most recent trends, only to be abandoned for the next trend soon after, it is also important to plan for incremental implementation that can be used to measure proof-of-concepts before leveling up (Toh, 2016).  This is especially important because there is often a hesitation to take on technology integration in sweeping reforms based upon the challenges of large, sweeping changes and the experiences that have failed to transform teaching and learning in the past (Toh, 2016).

            Implementing change in logical, manageable phases can also increase the support available to educators during the process.  Sheninger (2014) mentions taking three-and-a-half-years to implement technology into twenty classrooms.  In many cases, infrastructure must be upgraded in order to accommodate the technology being integrated.  Designing a plan that allows users to learn at a reasonable pace and ensure that the systems needed are able to support the use of new technology will build confidence in the system as well as the process.

            To support complex technology changes that last, it is also imperative to provide adequate and ongoing professional development.  Using educators with experience with the systems being implemented and empowering them as leaders is invaluable.  Ensuring that the implementation is integrated in manageable stages that allow time for learning is another key element is this phase.  Utilizing the connectivity of social media will enable stakeholders to support each other on an ongoing basis as well. 

            Approaching professional development in this way will allow users to embrace the technology and become comfortable and creative with it together.  They will have time to collaborate and find creative ways to solve problems related to their established vision and goals in the project and will be encouraged by small successes.  Through the ongoing use of data, the goals can be reassessed and adjusted as needed as well.

References:

Alavi S. B., Gill C., (2016).  Leading change authentically: How authentic leaders

Influence follower responses to complex change, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 24(2), 157-171, doi: 10.1177/1548051816664681

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

Toh Y.J., (2016). Leading sustainable pedagogical reform with technology for student-

Centered learning: A complexity perspective, Journal of Educational Change, 17(2), 145-169, doi:10.1007/s10833-016-9273-9