2012 UCEA Convention

Building Professional Community on Social Media for Educational Leadership Practitioners: A Social Network Analysis. Yinying Wang, University of Cincinnati
The purpose of this study was to share overarching strategies of using social media to build an online community for students, alumni, and faculty in a principal preparation program. Grounded in the theoretical framework of network theory of social capital, social network analysis was performed to examine the professional connections in the online community. This proposal concludes with findings that can be applied to similar social media initiatives.

Digital Inequities in K-12 Virtual Education: Implications for Educational Leaders and Policymakers. Yinying Wang, University of Cincinnati; Janet Decker, University of Cincinati
The increasing popularity of virtual education is benefiting some students; however, some schools may not be providing an inequitable access to all student subgroups. The researchers drew on literature review, and identified digital inequities in Ohio’s virtual schools through the data collected from Ohio Department of Education. The potential legal claims were then raised if public virtual schools fail to provide equitable virtual education to all students.

Dispositions of Technology-Savvy Superintendents. Jayson Richardson, University of Kentucky; Nick Sauers, University of Kentucky; Scott McLeod, University of Kentucky
In an effort to better understand school district leaders’ technology awareness and knowledge, we interviewed superintendents who had been recognized nationally for their technology integration and implementation work. The researchers found that these leaders are risk-takers who embrace change, personally model the use of technology, understand the human side of technology adoption, focus on professional development of all stakeholders, have a sense of urgency to change schools, and hold a fluid yet future-ready leadership vision.

Sustaining Improved Learning and Shared Leadership through Technology-Enriched Learning Communities. Leslie Ann Williams, University of Oklahoma; Linda Atkinson, University of Oklahoma; Jean Cate, University of Oklahoma
The traditional structures common in today’s schools limit teacher and student learning and leadership. This longitudinal, project evaluation provided empirical evidence of relationships between professional learning communities and technology integration to provide capacity building opportunities for improved practices and sustainability. Findings from a sample of 138 schools, impacting nearly 50,000 students and over 4000 teachers, indicated synergistic relationships between learning community development and technology integration that supported systemic school change and improved student success.