The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders

Leading for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting
Douglas Fisher - San Diego State University, USA
Nancy Frey - San Diego State University, USA
Dominique Smith - Health Sciences High and Middle College, USA
John Hattie - The University of Melbourne, Australia
The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders
September 2020 | 152 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781071839867
Available from January 0001
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ISBN: 9781071839843
Available from January 0001

Description

Effective school leadership is effective leadership, regardless of where it occurs

In March 2020, there was no manual for leading schools and school systems during a pandemic. School leaders had to figure things out as the crisis unfolded. But starting now, leaders have the opportunity to prepare for leading schools through distance learning with purpose and intent—using what works best to accelerate students’ learning all the while maintaining an indelible focus on equity.

Harnessing the insights and experience of renowned educators Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie, The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders applies the wisdom and evidence of the VISIBLE LEARNING® research to understand what works best. Spanning topics from school climate at a distance, leader credibility, care for self and colleagues, instructional leadership teams, stakeholder advisory groups, and virtual visibility, this comprehensive playbook details the research- and evidence-based strategies school leaders can mobilize to lead the delivery of high-impact learning in an online, virtual, and distributed environment.

This powerful guide includes:

  • Actionable insights and hands-on steps for each module to help school leaders realize the evidence-based leadership practices that result in meaningful learning in a distance environment
  • Discussion of equity challenges associated with distance learning, along with examples of how leaders can work to ensure that equity gains that have been realized are not lost.
  • Analysis of the mindsets that empower leaders to manage change, rather than technology
  • Space to write and reflect on current practices and plan future leadership strategies
  • The mindframes for distance learning that serve leaders well in any instructional setting and will position schools after the pandemic to come back better than they were before 

The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders is the essential hands-on guide to leading school and school systems from a distance and delivering on the promise of equitable, quality learning experiences for students.

To purchase from an Authorized Corwin Distributor click here.

 

Contents

Introduction

  • Chapter 1. School Climate at a Distance
  • Take Care of Yourself
  • Take Care of Your Colleagues
  • Leader Credibility
  • Instructional Leadership Teams
  • Stakeholder Advisory Groups
  • Virtual Visibility
  • The Feel of School
  • Chapter 2. Professional Learning at a Distance
  • Learning Beliefs at a Distance
  • Collaborative Inquiry Cycles
  • Input Training
  • Safe Practice
  • Virtual Learning Walks
  • Microteaching in Distance Learning
  • Personalized Professional Learning
  • Social Presence
  • Parent Education and Support
  • Chapter 3. Instructional Leadership at a Distance
  • Revisit School Goals in Light of Distance Learning
  • Align Goals to Expectations
  • Clarify Teacher Expectations
  • Ensure Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies
  • Use a Distance Learning Instructional Framework
  • Demonstrating in Distance Learning
  • Collaborating in Distance Learning
  • Coaching and Facilitating in Distance Learning
  • Practicing in Distance Learning
  • Chapter 4. Mindframes for Leaders From a Distance
  • I am an evaluator of my impact on teacher and student learning.
  • I see assessment as informing my impact and next steps.
  • I collaborate with my peers and my teachers about my conceptions of progress and my impact.
  • I am a change agent and I believe all teachers and students can improve.
  • I strive for challenge rather than merely doing my best.
  • I give and help students and teachers understand feedback and I interpret and act on feedback given to me.
  • I engage as much in dialogue as in monologue.
  • I explicitly inform teachers and students what successful impact looks like from the outset.
  • I build relationships and trust so that learning can occur in a place where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others.
  • I focus on learning and the language of learning.

References

References

Index

Index

About the Authors

About the Authors

Additional materials

Description

Effective school leadership is effective leadership, regardless of where it occurs

In March 2020, there was no manual for leading schools and school systems during a pandemic. School leaders had to figure things out as the crisis unfolded. But starting now, leaders have the opportunity to prepare for leading schools through distance learning with purpose and intent—using what works best to accelerate students’ learning all the while maintaining an indelible focus on equity.

Harnessing the insights and experience of renowned educators Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie, The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders applies the wisdom and evidence of the VISIBLE LEARNING® research to understand what works best. Spanning topics from school climate at a distance, leader credibility, care for self and colleagues, instructional leadership teams, stakeholder advisory groups, and virtual visibility, this comprehensive playbook details the research- and evidence-based strategies school leaders can mobilize to lead the delivery of high-impact learning in an online, virtual, and distributed environment.

This powerful guide includes:

  • Actionable insights and hands-on steps for each module to help school leaders realize the evidence-based leadership practices that result in meaningful learning in a distance environment
  • Discussion of equity challenges associated with distance learning, along with examples of how leaders can work to ensure that equity gains that have been realized are not lost.
  • Analysis of the mindsets that empower leaders to manage change, rather than technology
  • Space to write and reflect on current practices and plan future leadership strategies
  • The mindframes for distance learning that serve leaders well in any instructional setting and will position schools after the pandemic to come back better than they were before 

The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders is the essential hands-on guide to leading school and school systems from a distance and delivering on the promise of equitable, quality learning experiences for students.

To purchase from an Authorized Corwin Distributor click here.

 

Contents

Introduction

  • Chapter 1. School Climate at a Distance
  • Take Care of Yourself
  • Take Care of Your Colleagues
  • Leader Credibility
  • Instructional Leadership Teams
  • Stakeholder Advisory Groups
  • Virtual Visibility
  • The Feel of School
  • Chapter 2. Professional Learning at a Distance
  • Learning Beliefs at a Distance
  • Collaborative Inquiry Cycles
  • Input Training
  • Safe Practice
  • Virtual Learning Walks
  • Microteaching in Distance Learning
  • Personalized Professional Learning
  • Social Presence
  • Parent Education and Support
  • Chapter 3. Instructional Leadership at a Distance
  • Revisit School Goals in Light of Distance Learning
  • Align Goals to Expectations
  • Clarify Teacher Expectations
  • Ensure Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies
  • Use a Distance Learning Instructional Framework
  • Demonstrating in Distance Learning
  • Collaborating in Distance Learning
  • Coaching and Facilitating in Distance Learning
  • Practicing in Distance Learning
  • Chapter 4. Mindframes for Leaders From a Distance
  • I am an evaluator of my impact on teacher and student learning.
  • I see assessment as informing my impact and next steps.
  • I collaborate with my peers and my teachers about my conceptions of progress and my impact.
  • I am a change agent and I believe all teachers and students can improve.
  • I strive for challenge rather than merely doing my best.
  • I give and help students and teachers understand feedback and I interpret and act on feedback given to me.
  • I engage as much in dialogue as in monologue.
  • I explicitly inform teachers and students what successful impact looks like from the outset.
  • I build relationships and trust so that learning can occur in a place where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others.
  • I focus on learning and the language of learning.

References

References

Index

Index

About the Authors

About the Authors

Additional materials

SAGE Publishing Logo

The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders

Leading for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting

Douglas Fisher , Nancy Frey , Dominique Smith , John Hattie
Cancel Print

September 2020 | 152 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781071839843 $40.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781071839867 $37.00

Effective school leadership is effective leadership, regardless of where it occurs

In March 2020, there was no manual for leading schools and school systems during a pandemic. School leaders had to figure things out as the crisis unfolded. But starting now, leaders have the opportunity to prepare for leading schools through distance learning with purpose and intent—using what works best to accelerate students’ learning all the while maintaining an indelible focus on equity.

Harnessing the insights and experience of renowned educators Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie, The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders applies the wisdom and evidence of the VISIBLE LEARNING® research to understand what works best. Spanning topics from school climate at a distance, leader credibility, care for self and colleagues, instructional leadership teams, stakeholder advisory groups, and virtual visibility, this comprehensive playbook details the research- and evidence-based strategies school leaders can mobilize to lead the delivery of high-impact learning in an online, virtual, and distributed environment.

This powerful guide includes:

  • Actionable insights and hands-on steps for each module to help school leaders realize the evidence-based leadership practices that result in meaningful learning in a distance environment
  • Discussion of equity challenges associated with distance learning, along with examples of how leaders can work to ensure that equity gains that have been realized are not lost.
  • Analysis of the mindsets that empower leaders to manage change, rather than technology
  • Space to write and reflect on current practices and plan future leadership strategies
  • The mindframes for distance learning that serve leaders well in any instructional setting and will position schools after the pandemic to come back better than they were before 

The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders is the essential hands-on guide to leading school and school systems from a distance and delivering on the promise of equitable, quality learning experiences for students.

To purchase from an Authorized Corwin Distributor click here.

 

Table Of Contents:

  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1. School Climate at a Distance
  • Take Care of Yourself
  • Take Care of Your Colleagues
  • Leader Credibility
  • Instructional Leadership Teams
  • Stakeholder Advisory Groups
  • Virtual Visibility
  • The Feel of School
  • Chapter 2. Professional Learning at a Distance
  • Learning Beliefs at a Distance
  • Collaborative Inquiry Cycles
  • Input Training
  • Safe Practice
  • Virtual Learning Walks
  • Microteaching in Distance Learning
  • Personalized Professional Learning
  • Social Presence
  • Parent Education and Support
  • Chapter 3. Instructional Leadership at a Distance
  • Revisit School Goals in Light of Distance Learning
  • Align Goals to Expectations
  • Clarify Teacher Expectations
  • Ensure Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies
  • Use a Distance Learning Instructional Framework
  • Demonstrating in Distance Learning
  • Collaborating in Distance Learning
  • Coaching and Facilitating in Distance Learning
  • Practicing in Distance Learning
  • Chapter 4. Mindframes for Leaders From a Distance
  • I am an evaluator of my impact on teacher and student learning.
  • I see assessment as informing my impact and next steps.
  • I collaborate with my peers and my teachers about my conceptions of progress and my impact.
  • I am a change agent and I believe all teachers and students can improve.
  • I strive for challenge rather than merely doing my best.
  • I give and help students and teachers understand feedback and I interpret and act on feedback given to me.
  • I engage as much in dialogue as in monologue.
  • I explicitly inform teachers and students what successful impact looks like from the outset.
  • I build relationships and trust so that learning can occur in a place where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others.
  • I focus on learning and the language of learning.
  • References
  • Index
  • About the Authors

Recent Product Reviews:

Research has highlighted the role of instructional leadership on teacher efficacy and effectiveness. Strong, positive instructional leadership has a significant impact on both teaching and learning in our brick and mortar classrooms. Furthermore, teaching and learning at a distance is no exception. Fisher, Frey, Smith, and Hattie have provided a practical, user-friendly playbook that supports school leaders as they strive to leverage their leadership skills in what is called the “new normal.” But my main take-away from this playbook is that the ideas within these pages will enhance instructional leadership well beyond distance learning and allow school leaders to extend the reach of their impact to any setting at any time. This playbook will enhance leading for engagement and impact for years to come.
John Almarode, Associate Professor and Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Author, Great Teaching by Design and The Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction
Learning can happen from a distance -- especially when leaders support teachers, students, and parents, also from a distance. This essential guide offers practical steps for leaders to foster a sense of community and lead professional learning with teachers. With resources like this, we just might all emerge from this crisis as better educators than we were before.
Julie Stern, International Consultant and Educator, Author, Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding, Learning That Transfers, and Visible Learning® for Social Studies
As schools transition into a new way of operating, The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders helps us to dot our Is and cross our Ts as we move into learning, leading, and continuously growing in a virtual setting. Not only does the playbook ensure a well-rounded view of our current situation, it provides leaders an opportunity to pause and carefully develop plans of action based on guided reflection. Fisher, Frey, Smith, and Hattie have created a playbook that will enable leaders to persevere through today's challenges and keep the focus on student learning.
Connie Hamilton, Speaker and Education Consultant, Author, Hacking Questions and Hacking Homework
The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders is an essential companion for any leader (whether school or district) who is looking for measured, actionable, and practical insights. Fisher, Frey, Smith, and Hattie have created a resource that supports leaders as they navigate through the uncharted territory of leading from a distance. By including stories from the field balanced with research based strategies and insights, this book should be used by all leaders regardless of whether they are leading face to face or virtually.
Vince Bustamante, Consultant and Instructional Coach, Co-Author, Great Teaching by Design
With The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders, Fisher, Frey, Smith and Hattie have created an accessible and thorough guide for educators addressing the complex needs of all members of their school communities in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an extensive evidence base and the authors’ real-world experience, this thoughtful and practical guide addresses the most common concerns and questions of school leaders in the new era of distance learning, and reframes these challenges as opportunities to deepen educational practice and connected leadership, while compassionately supporting staff and students. This book arrives just in time to be an invaluable resource for educators and school communities across the country looking to uphold high standards for teaching and provide students with quality educational experiences, even when it is at a distance.
Martha Staeheli, Instructor, Program for Recovery and Community Health

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