Comprehensive Exam: ISTC 711
Running head: COMPREHENSIVE EXAM ISTC 711
Comprehensive Exam
ISTC 711: Innovation, Change, and Organizational Structures
Portia Pusey
Towson University
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Comprehensive Exam: ISTC 711
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Comprehensive Exam
This paper summarizes and reflects on the online book discussion I moderated in Blackboard1
of The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (Fullan, 2007). This work represents the final requirement
for the portfolio element I chose to complete for my comprehensive exam for Innovation, Change,
and Organizational Structures (ISTC 711).
Fullan writes in The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (2007), Leading in a Culture of Change:
Personal Action Guide and Workbook (2004), and Leadership and Sustainability: System Thinkers in Action
(2005) that we all should be leaders who create future leaders to affect sustainable change. I believe
that Fullan’s (2007) description of change could also describe learning. “Real change … represents a
serious personal and collective experience characterized by ambivalence and uncertainty; and if the
change works out, it can result in a sense of mastery, accomplishment, and professional growth” (p.
23). I was inspired by Fullan’s (2004, 2005, 2007) writing on leadership and change; as I moderated
the online book discussion I tried to put Fullan’s ideas on leadership and change into practice. I will
incorporate my implementation of Fullan’s (2004, 2005, 2007) views on leadership and change as I
write about the online discussion and the implications it had for my professional practice. In this
paper I will

State the objectives for the book discussion,

Describe my expectations for the book discussion,

Explain how the discussion met the objectives and expectations,

Summarize the discussion,

Reflect on the discussion, and

Connect this discussion to my professional practice.
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Discussion Objectives
The sixteen day book discussion of The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (Fullan, 2007)
was the first assignment for ISTC 711; the book discussion began after the first day of class
(Wednesday, January, 30, 2008) and ended two Fridays later (Friday, February 15, 2008). This
learning experience not only served as an introduction to the course but also was the foundation
for the assignments that will follow. Exploring theories of leadership and change will benefit
class members as they complete the balance of the assignments for the course. These
assignments included: creating and analyzing organization structures and charts, developing an
organizational vision and purpose, dissecting a case study for educational change in groups, and
creating a learning community development plan (D.R. Wizer, personal communication, Spring
2008).
When I wrote the objective for the book discussion, I considered the function of the book
discussion within the gestalt of ISTC 711. The book discussion objectives, therefore,
incorporated the stated objectives for the course. The objectives stated in the instructor’s course
syllabus for ISTC 711 were
Students will gain

Advanced knowledge and critical analysis of organizational learning, emerging
technologies and leadership theories;

Skills in synthesis and understanding the complex nature of organizational change and
applying these skills to human development and training enterprises; and

Abilities to analyze navigate and plan for personal, leadership, and organizational
changes associated with learning and technology. (D. R. Wizer, personal communication,
Spring 2008)
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The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (Fullan, 2007) incorporates the course objectives
including: organizational learning, leadership theories, organizational change, and human
development and training enterprises; not included in this book is the role of technology. I saw an
opportunity to meet the course objectives and to extend the class’ thinking about this book by
including the role of technology in the discussion.
In addition to the role of technology in innovation and change, the context of the book
presented another opportunity for my objective to extend the class members’ thinking beyond the
actual text. The book was written for a K-12 audience; however, four out of the five members of the
class worked in higher education. As the moderator of this discussion, I felt that my objective
should guide the discussion participants to read the book critically to analyze the theory beyond the
context of the book. I felt the discussion participants should evaluate the underlying theory of the
book for use in their own contexts and in their future contexts as leaders in the field of instructional
technology. My objective for the discussion merges the course objectives that include leadership
theories, organizational change, and human development and training enterprises with the role of
instructional technology and innovation while requiring class members to think past their current
employment and learning situations.
Objective: Each learner will problem solve in the collaborative online discussion to evaluate
Fullan’s insights on the change process and leadership for his/her current context and for
his/her future context as a leader in the field of instructional technology.
Expectations for the Book Discussion
The class members of ISTC 711 are doctoral students; I expected that the online discussion
would be active and scholarly. Specifically, I had the following expectations that the class members
would
Comprehensive Exam: ISTC 711
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Participate on a consistent basis by reading and responding to other class members’
posts;

Participate in a discussion among the class group and not directly with me;

Provide well reasoned ideas;

Write with the minimum of grammatical and spelling errors;

Work collaboratively to meet the objective of the book discussion;

Cite examples from the The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (Fullan, 2007); and

Augment the discussion by introducing scholarly works on the topics of innovation,
technology, and change.
Meeting the Objectives and Expectations
My objective, that each learner will apply Fullan’s insights on the change process and
leadership to his/her current context and to his/her future context as a leader in the field of
instructional technology, had two conditions. The first condition was that the learners apply Fullan’s
insights to their current context. The class members easily met this objective as they discussed the
first prompt which began the Blackboard discussion -- “Is this book useful to you in your work as a
technology/education leader? Please, indicate examples of portions [including ideas] that are useful.
Also, cite areas of the book that could be enhanced for your work as a leader” (D. R. Wizer,
personal communication, October 22, 2006).
The class members incorporated Fullan’s (2007) “elements of successful change” (p. 44) into
their discussion of the responsibilities of leadership and the role of technology in their current
contexts. For example, the class members cited examples of successful organizational change such as
Baltimore County Public School’s (BCPS) Blueprint for Progress (2007) and Towson University’s
implementation of the Blackboard system for teaching. The class members discussed how the
Blueprint for Progress (BCPS, 2007), which specifies the Baltimore County Public School’s vision,
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mission, and goals, was a good example of the results that came from respecting the views of all
stakeholders and putting a plan into action.
The Blueprint for Progress (BCPS, 2007), which was “socially based and action oriented”
(Fullan, 2007, p. 44), reminded some of the class members working in Towson University’s College
of Health Professionals of a change in the review process at their university. In this case the
department consulted all the stakeholders before implementing the new policy. One class member
described the positive feelings that resulted from seeing her input reflected in the new policy. This
was different from the stress and frustration described by class members in other examples when
change was forced upon them without an explanation or justification.
Fullan (2007) writes that successful change is a challenging process that effective leaders
consider in their plan. An example discussed by the class members of successful change that initially
caused stress was the implementation of Blackboard at Towson University. While the conversion
from course packets to Blackboard initially caused apprehension, the success of this organizational
change was attributed to preparation before and during the change. The University built the capacity
of the stakeholders during the change process. Several class members cited the careful planning, the
support, and the training offered by the University as the reason that Blackboard successfully
changed their teaching practice.
These examples of the implementation of Blackboard, a new review process, and the
Blueprint for Progress (BCPS, 2007) typify the responses to the first prompt that discuss Fullan’s views
in the context of the class members’ current contexts. This met the first condition of my objective.
The second condition of my objective required that the learners apply Fullan’s insights to his/her
future context. The second prompt which was written to initiate this discussion said
As a future leader in the field of instructional technology, discuss the implications of Fullan’s
The New Meaning of Educational Change with regard to the role of technology in organizational
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change and innovation. What is missing from the book? What contribution to change can
technology make? (P. K. Pusey, personal communication, February 6, 2008)
Matthew, (For a description of each class member and his/her goals as an instructional
technology professional see Appendix A.) an instructor from the College of Heath Professionals,
met this objective very well by discussing the necessity of revising teaching and working methods to
meet the capabilities of future technological innovations. His thoughts on the unpredictable
consequences an organization would face after the introduction of new technologies prompted a
discussion on the complex nature of change.
As the class members were problem solving in their learning community they shared ideas
about their roles as future leaders to improve the organization’s capacity to meet the challenges that
would necessarily result from future technological innovations. One solution to capacity building
that was discussed was collaborative learning. The class members hypothesized about what
collaborative learning could look like in an organization. One of the suggestions was to use
technology to create online communities of practice to build an organization’s capacity for
sustainable change.
By applying the themes of Fullan’s (2007) book to their current and future contexts, the class
members met my objective for the book discussion. The class members also met six of the seven
expectations that I had for the discussion. The seventh expectation -- Augment the discussion by
introducing scholarly works on the topics of innovation, technology, and change – was not met and
warrants a discussion. At the end of the first week of discussion, my analysis of the book discussion
revealed that the class members were not including additional scholarly research in their posts.
I attempted to resolve this challenge in my summary of the first week’s discussion. In this
summary I related the themes of the discussion to a book on leadership by the same author, Leading
in a Culture of Change: Personal Action Guide and Workbook (Fullan, 2004). This model of the type of
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post I expected was not successful in eliciting the addition of more scholarly research in the
discussion. Therefore, towards the end of the second and last week of discussion, I specifically
inquired about complementary studies. In my post I asked, “Have you read any studies that discuss
the implementation of a technological innovation that initiated organizational change? Perhaps the
implementation included some of the factors associated with the initiation of change that Fullan
writes about” (P. K. Pusey, personal communication, February 13, 2008). I received a response from
only one class member. She wrote, “As of yet, I have not looked at any studies following
the implementation of a technological innovation that initiated organizational change. But on
another note, yet slightly related, I have looked at studies which link cell-phone usage to brain
cancer/tumors” (C. McFadden, personal communication, February 14, 2008). This post neither
linked to the Fullan (2007) book, nor supplemented the ongoing discussion about the role of
technology in organizational change. Furthermore, the post did not include the citations to the
studies she referenced.
I hypothesized about the reasons my expectation of posts that included supplementary
scholarly works was not being realized; these hypotheses included

The class members did not have time to research and read additional scholarly works.

The class members were not familiar with the course content. It is possible that they had not
had enough experience in the instructional technology Ed. D program or they had not read
enough of the course materials to feel confident with the subject matter.

The class members felt that a book discussion should only include references from the book.

I did not specifically ask for supplementary materials or I asked for them too late.

The expectation was unreasonable.
I believe it is reasonable to expect that doctoral students should support their online
contributions to a discussion board with related scholarly work. From my role as moderator, I have
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learned that this expectation may not be shared among doctoral students. Therefore, in future
prompts, I might include the following sentence, “Your discussion should include support from the
text and from other scholarly works related to the topic.”
Discussion Summary
The content of the online discussion closely followed the major themes of The New Meaning of
Educational Change which were outlined in Fullan’s list of ten “Elements of Successful Change” (2007,
p. 44). In fact, several of the class members mentioned this list in their posts. This list serves the
organizer for the summary of the discussion.
1. Define closing the gap as the overarching goal.
2. Attend initially to the three basics.
3. Be driven by tapping into people’s basic dignity and sense of respect.
4. Ensure that the best people are working on the problem.
5. Recognize that all successful strategies are socially based and action oriented – change by
doing rather than change by elaborate planning.
6. Assume that lack of capacity is the initial problem and then work on it continuously.
7. Stay the course through continuity of good direction by leveraging leadership.
8. Build internal accountability linked to external accountability.
9. Establish conditions for the evolution of positive pressure.
10. Use the previous nine strategies to build public confidence. (Fullan, 2007, p. 44)
1. Define closing the gap as the overarching goal. This theme was most greatly reflected in the
second prompt discussion when the class members wrote about the role of instructional
technology in organizational change. Matthew defined instructional technology as
“…improving education (teaching and learning) through improved knowledge, processes,
and methods” (M. Rothbard, personal communication, February 12, 2008). Several of the
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class members described gaps in knowledge, processes, methods, and access in their posts.
Many posts addressed gaps in teacher knowledge, not only gaps in knowledge of effective
ways to integrate technology into teaching practice but also in knowledge of the actual
function of the programs installed on the computers. Other class members described gaps in
college students’ knowledge such as college students’ lack of familiarity with specific
technologies. The discussion about the gap in college students’ access to computers included
posts about the problem of requiring assignments that use technology due to the gap in
access to adequate quality computers to complete these assignments. Class members also
considered a possible gap in the expectations of teachers when relating to the way college
students accessed information. They hypothesized that college students may use technology
differently than instructors expect or do. So, while college students were using Google and
Facebook to access information for research, instructors expect them to use journal
databases.
2. Attend initially to the three basics. Fullan (2007) described the three basics (“literacy,
numeracy and the well-being of students” (p. 45)) as, “The essential foundations [italics added]
for living in the knowledge economy of the 21st century” (p. 48). While the three basics do
not directly apply to the objectives of the book discussion -- the role of technology in
organizational change -- the definition of a basic as a foundation does. In the online discussion
providing access to reliable technology and providing adequate training to use the
technology was the foundation for achieving the goal of effective use of technology for
organizational change and innovation.
3. Be driven by tapping into people’s basic dignity and sense of respect. The class members
discussed that successful change involves tapping into the professional expertise of those
affected by change. Many of the class members wrote that effective change comes from
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including input from all stakeholders; this demonstrates respect for the stakeholders’
knowledge and skills. They also discussed the importance of respecting those affected by
change by explaining why the change is necessary.
4. Ensure that the best people are working on the problem. Matthew wrote that tasks are often
assigned based on seniority or to whomever volunteered to do the job. To counter this
problem, Jennifer wrote about looking for the leaders in her organization to help support
and sustain change.
5. Recognize that all successful strategies are socially based and action oriented – change by
doing rather than change by elaborate planning. A good deal of the discussion centered on
the social nature of change. While some of the class members described collaborative work
that lead to successful outcomes, others lamented the lack of collaboration in their work
environment. It was suggested that the creation of an online community for teachers to
share their experiences and to problem solve could improve teaching skills and professional
knowledge. It is interesting to note here that none of the class members mentioned lack of
change due to extensive over-planning and no action. If anything, it seemed that most of the
class members’ work contexts involved too much action oriented change. However, there
was one successful example of well-planned, action-oriented change. The Blackboard
implementation, as described by Lynne, indicated adequate planning to support this specific
innovation.
6. Assume that lack of capacity is the initial problem and then work on it continuously. This
was another subject of vigorous conversation. Lack of capacity appeared to be the source of
much of the frustration (and stress) that was felt when change was implemented. Three of
Newman and King’s (2004) five elements of capacity appeared regularly in the discussion:
staff knowledge, skills, and expectations; professional community; and resources. The class
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members discussed the need for proper training for our educators; they recognized the value
of collaborative learning; and they called for more time to master the skills necessary for
change. In addition Kathleen suggested that instructors also need to improve students’
capacity to use technology as a learning tool because often times students do not “value the
relevance of the assignment” (K. Gould, personal communication, February 11, 2008).
7. Stay the course through continuity of good direction by leveraging leadership. Fullan’s (2007;
2005) message that educators should all be leaders who should mentor future leaders was
clear in the posts. The class members discussed that by becoming a leader they can help
others become leaders to facilitate “deep and lasting ‘cultural’ change” (C. McFadden,
personal communication, February 4, 2008). The online discussion indicated that -- whether
through Baltimore County Public School’s formal process of identifying and training leaders;
through the informal process of creating a learning community; or through their daily
practice as instructors -- as leaders, the class members have a responsibility to mentor more
leaders.
8. Build internal accountability linked to external accountability. I believe that this element ties
directly into the discussion about learning communities. Opening professional practice to
discussion in a learning community generates accountability to the members of that
community. If that discussion is among peers in a department, then internal accountability
applies. However, if the discussion is open to a larger audience online then a greater level of
external accountability applies.
9. Establish conditions for the evolution of positive pressure. Fullan (2007) writes, “The
evolution of positive pressure means taking all the excuses off the table. As we add resources,
new capacities, … and reduce the distracters .… there is no legitimate reason left to be
unsuccessful” (p. 61). As educators, the class members discussed the importance of
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improving their ability to contribute to the improved capacity of their organization and their
community. They discussed providing adequate technical and support resources, improving
their skills and knowledge, and participating in the change process. The class members
expressed a goal of being a leader that creates new leaders to sustain their efforts. And they
discussed the moral imperative of their job as a motivational factor. All these elements
contribute to creating conditions of positive pressure.
10. Use the previous nine strategies to build public confidence. How will one know when
he/she has become a successful leader who has built public confidence? Fullan (2007)
suggests it is when one sees his/her goals become a reality. In the context of the book
discussion perhaps it is when the class members see their students’ achievement improve;
when the technical resources their students use provide scholarly information; or when
colleagues they have mentored share resources and skills with them. According to the online
discussion, this is the confidence that the class members work toward in their daily role as
leaders in the field of instructional technology.
Discussion Reflection
Moderating this discussion about The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (Fullan, 2007) was
an opportunity to demonstrate my capabilities as a leader in the field of Instructional Technology.
So, I returned to Fullan’s (2004) writing on leadership from Leading in a Culture of Change: A Personal
Action Guide and Workbook to guide me. In this work, Fullan creates a “Framework for Leadership”
(p. 3) where the five components of leadership – moral purpose, understanding change, building
relationships, creating and sharing knowledge, and making coherence – operate in the context of
enthusiasm, energy, and hope to build internal and external commitment so that “more good things
happen” (p. 3).
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As my work as moderator was only a small portion of the work that was accomplished in
ISTC 711, I chose only one element of leadership, relationship building, as my primary focus. I felt
my role as a relationship builder would be the most beneficial to the overall outcomes for ISTC 711.
The online book discussion of The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (Fullan, 2007) began the first
week of class. It was the first assignment of ISTC 711 and was the first opportunity for the class to
work together. Several more assignments in ISTC 711 are collaborative projects; therefore, this book
discussion establishes the foundation for the working relationships that will continue throughout the
semester. My concentration on relationship building to fulfill the objective of the book discussion
would not only help facilitate a discussion that would support the collaborative learning process but
also build a foundation for effective collaborative learning to meet the objectives of ISTC711.
Fullan (2007) writes the following about relationship building, “A core strategy, then, must
be to improve relationships. All successful change initiatives develop collaboration where there was
none before. When relationships develop, trust increases, as do other measures of social capital and
social cohesion” (p. 52). This social capital is the key to collaborative learning, “Solutions come
through the development of shared meaning. The interface between individual and collective meaning
and action in everyday situations is where change stands or fails” (Fullan, 2007, p. 9). In my case the
word “change” represented the change in learning that would take place during the relationship
building process I facilitated though collaborative learning environment I created.
To assist me in building relationships I turned to a source that Fullan (2004) cited in Leading in a
Culture of Change: A Personal Action Guide and Workbook. In the chapter on building relationships,
Fullan includes Kouzes and Posner’s (1999) list of seven elements that contribute to successful
relationship building.
1. Setting clear standards
2. Expecting the best
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3. Paying attention
4. Personal recognition
5. Telling the story
6. Celebrating together
7. Setting the example (p. 11)
While I moderated the online book discussion I made a conscious effort to implement every
element of this list. The most obvious efforts for relationship building appeared in my two summary
posts. At the end of the first week, I posted a summary of the first discussion; at the end of the
assigned period, I posted a summary of the entire sixteen days’ work. In each of these posts, in order
to show each member that they had made a valuable contribution to our collaborative learning, I
included quotes and ideas from every class member to highlight their contribution. In all my posts I
tried to tell the story of our collaborative learning organized around the major themes of Fullan
(2004, 2007) and Newmann and King’s (2004)2 writings in order to celebrate the shared meaning
that the class members were creating. In every post I tried to model analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation skills to set the example for the quality of post I was expecting from the class members.
Another area where I felt that I could set the example is by providing additional resources. In my
analysis of the discussion, I saw that there were very few posts that included outside resources. I
introduced additional readings and web resources that contributed to our conversation.
I believe that by using Kouzes and Posner’s (1999) list to promote relationships in the discussion
group, I also facilitated trust between the class members. In turn, I believe that the trust facilitated
improved collaborative learning. The class members demonstrated their trust in one another by
sharing the challenges they and their colleagues feel when faced with organizational change. The
other class members responded by problem solving and innovating ideas to soften the effects of
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change and to build leadership skills. Jennifer’s response to Kathleen is representative of the
relationships that developed during the discussion.
Kathy, I agree with your comment “it is necessary for the entire organization to embrace
the change” before the change can actually be successful. This year BCPS [Baltimore County
Public Schools] put into place an outstanding new assessment system. I truly believe in the
idea behind it and how it works, however, I still have teachers who have not bought into
it. When it was first implemented they were angry and stressed; common emotions that are
seen when change is expected. As time has gone on I have seen some of them begin to come
around and have actually come to me with their reality of how the program is going to help
them to become better teachers (p. 123). Fullan states that we are to “assume that effective
change takes time” (p.123) that is hard for fast paced person to understand! (J. Mullenax,
personal communication, January 30, 2008)
Just as in this example, during the online discussion, class members referred to each other by
name and shared personal experiences to suggest solutions inspired by the Fullan (2007) book. This
characteristic post represents the common trust and respect for professional skills that was evident
in the discussion. In this post a class member who works in the K-12 environment offers an
experience from her context which was inspired by Fullan’s (2007) writings to suggest a solution to a
problem another class member was having in the higher education context. By sharing challenges
and solutions inspired by Fullan’s writing (2007) across contexts the class members built
relationships that helped them to learned collaboratively about leadership and change.
By building relationships, I believe I facilitated the successful realization of my learning
objective: Each learner will problem solve in the collaborative online discussion to interpret Fullan’s
insights on the change process and leadership for his/her current context and for his/her future
context as a leader in the field of instructional technology. I believe that the class members worked
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together to develop a shared meaning of change and the role of technology in that change. The
discussion for the meaning of change and the role of technology in change occurred not only in the
class members’ present contexts but also in their future contexts and the contexts of their classmates.
While I attempted to practice all five of Fullan’s (2004) elements of a successful leader, I believe my
focus on relationship building made an impact on the outcome of the discussion. It is my hope that
the relationships that were created through the learning community that was established during this
initial work for ISTC 711 will also make a contribution to the successful completion of the course
objectives.
Connections to Professional Practice
Once I complete my degree I plan on using my specialization, professional development with
instructional technology, to promote learning about the safe, secure, and legal use of internet capable
computers. In order to be effective, it is important that I exemplify the best research-supported
leadership qualities and practice the most effective instructional design methods. I have discussed in
depth the leadership element of relationship building I practiced during the online discussion in the
reflection section; therefore, in this section I will focus on the instructional design model I used to
create the learning environment and the lessons I learned that I will employ in my professional
practice.
To create the learning environment for this course, I chose the Recursive, Reflective Design
and Development (R2D2) (Willis, 1995) instructional design model. This model has three focal
points: define, design and develop, and disseminate. In the R2D2 model the instructional designer
defines the learning goals that are appropriate for the context and learners while they are designing
and developing the learning experience. This process is recursive rather than linear. Therefore,
during the process of defining, designing and developing, and even though the dissemination phase,
the instructional designer reflects on the learning environment they are developing and revises the
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focal points as necessary. “The emphasis is on the current context – a complex and changing
situation that must be understood in order to make good professional decisions. Reflective practice
involves gaining greater insight into both the context and the influence of your work on that
context” (Willis, 1995). During the book discussion, the reflective process permitted me to introduce
material, resources, and ask questions appropriate for the individual learners as I learned about them
and their context.
R2D2 was an effective instructional design model for moderating the book discussion. “In the
R2D2 model, the instructional design process is viewed as a learning process in which learning leads
to improvements in the instructional material under development” (Willis, 1995). Reflective practice
was especially important in this discussion due to the incongruity of context of the learners and the
context of the book. The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (Fullan, 2007), discusses change in the
context of K-12 schools. However, four out of the five learners in this book discussion work in
higher education. As I learned about the discussion participants, their contexts, and the meaning the
book had for them personally I brought in additional readings and web-based content to clarify and
extend the conversation.
To effectively implement R2D2, “formative evaluation is critical. [The instructional designer
must] invest the most assessment effort in formative evaluations because they are the ones that
provide feedback you can use to improve the product” (Willis, 1995). This design model is ideal for
an asynchronous online discussion because the instructor has the time to assess the discussion and
thoughtfully make contributions to meet the individual learner’s needs.
My experience as moderator gave me the opportunity to try R2D2 in a context different than the
one described in Willis’ (1995) research. Willis used R2D2 to develop a multimedia learning tool.
However, as I think about the application of the R2D2 in my professional practice, I would consider
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it a valuable tool for asynchronous learning. The focus on formative assessment ensures that the
learning environment remains relevant to the participants.
I believe I can apply the lessons I learned from the relationship building I realized in the book
discussion. The lessons I learned from building a learning environment using the R2D2 (Willis, 1995)
model will support collaborative learning environments in my professional practice. By creating
learning environments that are relevant and meet the needs of teaching professionals while
promoting trust between the participants I can promote organizational change that will affect the
safe, secure, and legal use of internet capable computers.
Organizational change requires the leadership and innovative thinking that stem from building a
trusting relationship. Fullan (2007) includes Bryk an Schneider’s (2002) research to illustrate that
trust, “facilitates teacher’s efforts to be innovative in the classroom and to reach out to parents,
fosters problem solving, undergirds a system of group accountability and creates a moral resource
for improvement due to the ‘development of strong personal attachments to the organization and
beliefs in its mission’ (p.117)” (p. 143). I will try to promote trust in my professional practice by
employing the leadership theories of Fullan (2004, 2005, 2007) and Kouzes and Posner (1999) and
by following the instructional design model by Willis (1995). While these theories do not hold
exclusive reign over the creation of effective learning environments they are among the many tools
that I can employ as a professional developer. As the moderator of the online book discussion of
The NEW Meaning of Educational Change it was valuable to use these theories which are among the
many I will utilize in my professional practice.
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References
Baltimore County Public Schools (2007). Blueprint for Progress. Retrieved February 15, 2007 from
http://www.bcps.org/offices/super/pdf/Blueprint-for-Progress.pdf
Fullan, M. (2004). Leading in a culture of change: Personal action guide and workbook. San Francisco: JosseyBass.
Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership & sustainability: System thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change (4th ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.
Kouzes, J.M., and Posner, B.Z. (1999). Encouraging the heart: A leader’s guide to rewarding and recognizing
others. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Newmann, F. M., & King, M. B. (2004). Key link: Successful professional development must
consider school capacity. Journal of Staff Development, 25(1), 26-30.
Willis, J. (1995). A recursive, reflective instructional design model based on constructivistinterpretivist theory. Educational Technology, 35 (6), 5-23.
Comprehensive Exam: ISTC 711
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Appendix A
Description of Class Members and Professional Goals
Lynne Murphy is a program coordinator for the occupational therapy undergraduate
program. She is pursuing the ISTC Ed. D to become a better teacher and to have more options
in leadership and administration. Her research interests include making teaching practice more
relevant in medical settings, and integrating technology into fieldwork to keep students
connected to learning.
Carrie McFadden has been teaching for 9 years in physiology and nutrition. Her purpose for
her ISTC Ed. D is to become a better teacher. Her professional goals are to tie exercise science
in with real life and to incorporate technology into exercise science.
Kathleen Gould is a dietitian who has been teaching at Towson for 3 years. Her work in the
ISTC Ed. D program has helped her to think about how technology can fit into her teaching
and how she can change her teaching practice.
Matthew Rothbard is a clinical assistant professor in athletic training. His Ed. D degree will
provide him with more leadership and administrative opportunities. While he does not have any
research interests, the work he has done in the program has helped him to improve his teaching
methods.
Jennifer Mullenax has been an assistant principal in a Maryland elementary school for two
years and is working towards becoming a superintendent after getting her degree. She is
interested in changing the profile of schools to meet the needs of students
Comprehensive Exam: ISTC 711
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Footnotes
1
Blackboard is online learning environment used at Towson University. One of the features of
Blackboard is an online discussion board or forum. These forums are only accessible to enrolled
class members. More information about Blackboard is available at
http://www.blackboard.com/us/index.bb .
2
A major theme of Fullan (2007) is capacity building. However, his description comes late in the
book, is three pages long, and includes 10 bullet points. Newmann and King (2004) summarize
capacity in five elements and include all of Fullan’s (2007) bullet points. I framed a discussion
summary around the Newmann and King list to simplify and clarify the concept of capacity building.