Randy Ziegenfuss and Lynn Fuini-Hetten presented at the PASA EdCongress Research Symposium on designing a toolkit for learner-centered leadership. They discussed the importance of moving from a school-centered to learner-centered approach. They identified preliminary themes of how learner-centered leaders promote individual agency, collaboration, culture of learning, and responsiveness to context over prescription. Next steps include identifying additional questions, testing preliminary themes, designing the toolkit, and sharing the work to further the conversation around learner-centered education and leadership.

1. Monday, March 19, 2018 // 1:00–1:35pm // Nittany Lion Inn
PASA EdCongress - Research Symposium
Learner-Centered LeadershipDesigning a Toolkit for
rziegenfuss@salisburysd.orgRandy Ziegenfuss, Ed.D.
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@ziegeran
lfuinihetten@salisburysd.orgLynn Fuini-Hetten
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@lfuinihetten

2. Reflect personally, and then share with a
partner / small group near you:
DesigningaToolkitforLearner-CenteredLeadership
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PASA Ed Congress
What brought you here?
Why is this important to you?
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten

3. DesigningaToolkitforLearner-CenteredLeadership
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PASA Ed Congress
What brought us here?
Why is this important to us?
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten

4. DesigningaToolkitforLearner-CenteredLeadership
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PASA Ed Congress
What do graduates need to
know and be able to do?
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten

5. PASA Ed Congress
What kind of learning environments will best
support the development of skills, bodies of
knowledge and dispositions?
DesigningaToolkitforLearner-CenteredLeadership
05Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten

6. What is action research?
DesigningaToolkitforLearner-CenteredLeadership
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PASA Ed Congress
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
“Action researchers, however, are insider researchers. They
see themselves as part of the context they are investigating,
and ask, individually and collectively, ‘Is my/our work going
as we wish? How do we improve it where necessary?’”
Jean McNiff and Jack Whitehead
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ACTION RESEARCH

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PASA Ed Congress
Action Research Framework
McNiff & Whitehead
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten

8. What is / isn’t learner-centered leadership?
What knowledge, skills, and dispositions do
learner-centered leaders need?
How do we lead in a learner-centered
environment?
DesigningaToolkitforLearner-CenteredLeadership
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PASA Ed Congress
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
[Observe, Reflect]

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PASA Ed Congress
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
Education Reimagined
http://educationreimagined.org
Education Reimagined web site
A Transformational Vision for Education in the US
Practitioner’s Lexicon: What is meant by key terminology?
It’s a Paradigm Shift. So What?
Pioneering Newsletter
[Observe]

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PASA Ed Congress
School-Centered
Learning happens in schools.
Education is done to the learner.
Learners are known by how they compare to their
class averages on standardized tests.
Learners must be compelled to perform.
Focus on having the most effective teaching.
The learner adapts to the standardized system.
All learners follow standard paths at standard paces
and demonstrate mastery in standardized ways.
Effectiveness is achieved through standardization.
Teach to the average learner and
manage exceptions as problems.
Learner-Centered
Learning happens in learners.
Education is done by (and with) the learner.
Learners are known as individuals–each with their
own unique strengths, interests, and goals.
Learners want to learn.
Focus on having the most effective learning.
The system adapt to the unique learner.
Each learner moves on their own path at an
appropriate and adaptable pace.
Effectiveness is achieved through customization.
Every learner is exceptional. The uniqueness of learners
is not a problem but, instead, something to build on.
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
[Observe, Reflect]

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PASA Ed Congress
Podcasts
ShiftYourParadigm.org
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
[Act]

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PASA Ed Congress
Reflective Blog Posts
ShiftYourParadigm.org
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
[Observe, Reflect, Act, Evaluate]

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PASA Ed Congress
Identification of Preliminary Themes
Learner-centered leaders promote…
• individual agency over system agency
• collaboration over isolation (community)
• culture of learning over culture of compliance
• proactive action over reactive action
• responsiveness to context over following prescription
• leadership beyond management
• iteration over perfection (design thinking)
• learner voice/co-learners over hierarchy
• risk friendly over risk adverse
• scaleable learning over scaleable efficiency
• engagement over compliance
• opportunity over threat
• mindsets over skillsets
• edges over core
• growth over complacency
• confrontation over avoidance/side-stepping
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
[Reflect, Evaluate]

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PASA Ed Congress
What’s next?
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
Identify additional questions
Identify models in middle/elementary schools
Test preliminary themes
Design a toolkit for learner-centered leadership
Share the work to elevate and fuel the shifting
conversation around learner-centered education
and learner-centered leadership
[Act, Evaluate, Modify, Move]

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PASA Ed Congress
Call to Action
ShiftYourParadigm.org
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten

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PASA Ed Congress
Randy Ziegenfuss Ed.D. & Lynn Fuini-Hetten
What questions/curiosities do you have?

17. Monday, March 19, 2018 // 1:00–1:35pm // Nittany Lion Inn
PASA EdCongress - Research Symposium
Learner-Centered LeadershipDesigning a Toolkit for
rziegenfuss@salisburysd.orgRandy Ziegenfuss, Ed.D.
//
@ziegeran
lfuinihetten@salisburysd.orgLynn Fuini-Hetten
//
@lfuinihetten