GSE2x: Leaders of Learning Professor Richard Elmore Modes of Organization Page 1 of 5
GSE2x: Leaders of Learning Professor Richard Elmore Modes of Organization Page 2 of 5
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Credentials (licenses, certifications, and degrees) determine formal authority in the organizational chart. Teachers are organized by level and content. Administrators are located in offices and interact with teachers in classrooms, plus administrators in central offices.
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Districts and states determine what content will be transmitted to learners, administrators ensure teachers follow these standards, teachers instruct according to the standards, and students are responsible for their learning. National, district and local governments control what will be learned, when and why. Student success is determined by evaluations, while teacher and organizational success are determined by student performance and administrator observations.
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Administrators own organizational expertise, while teachers own content expertise. Teachers teach alone, but have collaborative relationships in team-‐based planning. Students work and study together, but are assessed through individual evaluations. Teachers control the content students must master, and their relationships are shaped by expertise and authority. Administrators create the policies teachers must observe, and their relationships are defined by control and authority.
GSE2x: Leaders of Learning Professor Richard Elmore Modes of Organization Page 3 of 5
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Credentialing, organizational structure, and administrative interactions often are similar to Hierarchical Individual organizations. Contributions to and support of the organization’s communal vision also influence structure and authority.
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Transmission of skills, control of content, and evaluation of learning are similar to Hierarchical Individual organizations. Teachers, administrators, and students also are community members and should represent the values and vision of the organization. Methods exist for gathering input from all community members and responding to their contributions. Control over community values is shared and reinforced by all members. Evaluation of students is based on traditional metrics as well as contributions to the school community and the broader community. Teacher and organizational success is based on student performance as well as modeling of organizational norms and contribution to the broader community.
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Similar to a Hierarchical Individual organization, teachers own content expertise, while administrators own organizational expertise. Expertise in expressing and promoting the mission of the organization is shared by all members of the community. Relationships between and among teachers, students, and administrators are defined by the collective vision and purpose of the organization.
GSE2x: Leaders of Learning Professor Richard Elmore Modes of Organization Page 4 of 5
Structure
Process
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There is no one-‐size-‐fits-‐all model for organizations in this quadrant. Instead, structure is dictated by the mission of creating experiences that appeal to target learners. The structure should be able to adapt as the organization changes in size and goals. Roles are determined by the needs of the delivered learning experience.
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Learning is transmitted from the organization to the learners through face-‐to-‐face and/or digital experiences. Organizations decide what learning experiences to create, with the hopes that they will appeal to and engage learners. The learner controls whether she/he wants to engage in these learning experiences. Quality and uniqueness of offerings as well as learner feedback and engagement determine an organization’s success.
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Organizations have expertise in content and skills, plus expertise in creating ways for learners to acquire this information. Learners have the final say in whether the methods and opportunities developed by the organization appeal to them. Differences in expertise are what bring a learner to the experience, rather than formal authority. The organization determines the formal opportunities for interaction between the “learning authority” and the learner as well as the interactions among learners. Learners can create informal opportunities for interaction, using tools outside the official learning experience (Meetups, Facebook groups, etc…).
GSE2x: Leaders of Learning Professor Richard Elmore Modes of Organization Page 5 of 5
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There is no specific structure shared by all Distributed Collective organizations. Structure is determined by the needs and goals of the network. A learning network can be flat or have hierarchical positions that participants rotate through. The structure can have open boundaries that allow learners to enter and leave as they wish, or have requirements for entry and fixed terms of participation.
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Culture
• Learning is transmitted through face-‐to-‐face and digital experiences. The roles of teacher and learner change from experience to experience, or even within a single experience. Participants are responsible for sharing what they know with others, and for agreeing about how the organization will operate. Participants control how they invest their time, energy, and resources. They choose based on the value of the learning and the relationships the organization offers. Success is determined by the organization’s ability to meet the goals and needs of its members and by the continued existence of the organization.
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Expertise is held by members of the organization. They have different types of knowledge and skill, as well as different perspectives on the learning. Some members will contribute more content, skills and experience than others; this varies at different times, depending on the learning goals, and also creates a motivation for members to learn from and teach one another. Relationships among members are built around the organization’s common interest and goals. All members play a role in the organization’s learning. Some members play a larger role in transmitting content or creating learning opportunities, while others play a role in mastering content. This varies, and creates a reason and purpose for the organization and its members to continue their work.