Motion Leadership - Michael Fullan (2010)

Motion Leadership is a short book that serves as a complement to Fullan's "All Systems Go" treatise on systemic educational reform.  Motion Leadership provides the "Skinny" on how to become a savvy change leader.  According to Fullan, before one can introduce change it is essential to establish personal relationships through listening, empathizing and developing a rapport with the members of the group with whom you are working.

As the name of the book implies, Motion Leadership, is predicated on action.  Fullan expands upon the "Skinny" metaphor warning against Fat Plans.  He cites Doug Reeves, who wrote in 2009, "the size and prettiness of the plan is inversely related to the quality of action and the impact on student learning."  Fullan urges those interested in systemic education reform to adopt a "Ready, Fire, Aim" approach.  He states that a those involved in the change process should learn about implementation during implementation and stresses that risk-taking is essential to successful learning organizations

Fullan warns that change leaders should avoid overselling reform prior to implementation because communication without action means "practically nothing."  In fact it can  prove counter productive in the beginning of the change process that is generally characterized by an "Implementation Dip."  If the leader has over hyped the reform, this can lead to discouragement among the participants and threaten the overall success of the change initiative.

A key component of the change process is collaboration among all involved.  Fullan states that top-down change doesn't work and bottom-up change hasn't proven successful either.  He contends that peer interaction is the "social glue" that keeps the change process moving forward in a focused and cohesive manner.  Collaboration leads to "Collective Capacity Building," another key component of the change process.

Other elements that are fundamental to the success of a change initiative include transparency and trust.  Transparency refers to the honest sharing of data reflecting practices and results.  Trust, Fullan tells us is built upon two ingredients, integrity and competence.  Those leading the change process must exhibit honesty, reliability and sincerity.  They must also prove that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve the shared goals.

Motion Leadership incorporates many of the same principles that Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, suggested in his book "Change by Design."  These include collaboration, empathy, rapid prototyping and intelligent risk taking.  In Motion Leadership, Fullan describes how these principles can be incorporated into a systemic change model for education.

All Systems Go - Michael Fullan (2010)

Michael Fullan is professor emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.  Fullan consults with political and educational leaders throughout the world.  He is a respected researcher and expert in the area of educational change theory.

In "All Systems Go," Fullan contends that true change in education requires that all systems from state to district to local schools must share the same moral purpose and commitment.  Fundamental to this process is a focus on "collective capacity" building.  Collective capacity yields emotional commitment and technical expertise that exceeds anything possible through the development of individual capacity.

Throughout the book, Fullan provides examples of school systems that have achieved remarkable improvements in student learning by incorporating the tenets of the "All Systems Go" model.  These include school systems in Canada, the United States and Great Britain.

Building collective capacity requires everyone within the system to assume the role of learners.  Members of the system may engage in "collaborative competition," but always are willing to help one another to achieve their shared goals.

Related to building collective capacity is the concept of "Intelligent Accountability."  Unlike the punitive accountability that typifies current educational models, Intelligent Accountability: 1. Relies on incentives rather than punishment, 2. Focuses on capacity building to enable people to achieve the goal, 3. Invests in collective responsibility, 4. Initially, maintains a nonjudgmental perspective, 5. Utilizes a transparent approach to data regarding results, and 6. Intervenes decisively when necessary.

Fullan concludes by reinforcing the fact that focusing on individual capacity, which is the prevalent approach to educational reform today, can never result in systemic change.  The author points to the growing support among policy makers for "merit pay" as an example of an ineffective strategy.  Fullan states categorically that, "no research exists that demonstrates that widespread benefits derive from merit pay." Its focus on individual capacity and its lack of moral purpose make it a poor motivator for change.

Macrowikinomics - Tapscott and Williams (2010)

Macrowikinomics is an expansion on the Authors' first book "Wikinomics," which was published in 2006. In "Wikinomics," the authors described how the social trend toward mass collaboration through the use of web 2.0 and other social media tools was forever changing the way that products and services were designed and produced.  In "Macrowikinomics," the authors observed that this mass collaboration has now expanded to impact every aspect of society.

The authors identify five principles of Macrowikinomics.  These are: 1. Collaboration, 2. Openess, 3. Sharing, 4. Integrity and 5. Interdependence.  Tapscott and Williams provide numerous examples of how successful businesses and other organizations have adopted these five principles to overcome problems, develop innovative products and contribute to the well-being of the world.

The authors suggest ways that governments could use the principles of Wikinomics to engage citizens in solving both domestic and global problems including climate change, rapidly depleting natural resources and health care.  Creating tools that enable individuals to better monitor their personal health could lead to reduced health care costs.  Providing businesses and citizens with tools to better monitor compliance with environmental and trade regulations could reduce the cost of enforcement while increasing regulatory control.  Establishing a commons where companies could share research, educators could share resources and individuals could share needs and solutions could lead to a more efficient and innovative society.

Tapscott and Williams also acknowledge the "Dark Side" of Macrowikinomics.  They note that some in society worry that mass collaboration leads to average, rather than exceptional, performance.  The authors counter this argument with numerous examples of innovative breakthroughs made possible by massive collaboration.

Tapscott and Williams agree that the ubiquitous sharing of personal information on social networking sites presents a legitimate danger and a loss of privacy.  The authors reference a 2010 study by the Pew Institute, however, that found that twenty-year-olds tend to protect their personal information on social networking sites more than older adults.  The authors contend that this demonstrates that the younger generation is adapting to the new collaborative world and taking the measures necessary to protect themselves.

The move to mass collaboration has transformed the way we live and learn.  It has decimated some industries while giving rise to others.  It has definitely changed the way that successful organizations function.

How have schools adjusted to these changes?  How are we preparing our students to succeed and thrive in a world that requires them to both collaborate and compete simultaneously?