Power Over - Power To: Looking at leadership with MDTAs.

The Manaiakalani Digital Teachers Academy is a programme running within the Tamaki Cluster of schools in the development of digitally capable teachers at BT level.  The Manaiakalani Education Trust has teamed up with Auckland University to work together in producing a practical/theory based beginning teacher PLD model to strengthen the output of new teachers into digitally immersed learning environments.  This is the first year of the programme, and while there are teething issues to be ironed out, the bones of the vision are extremely promising.
This semester, I am involved in the 'Introduction to Educational Leadership' paper with John Roder at AU.  I am currently working on my second assignment which is based around the different types and stages of leadership with a focus on 'Power'.  I have found that throughout my readings, I am constantly reflecting back on the MDTA programme and have decided that this will be the context of my assignment.  The purpose of my assignment is not so much to critique the programme itself, but to investigate the 'Powers' afforded to the key stakeholders and the affects this has on all involved.  I will be examining power in terms of leadership, empowering, disempowering, power over vs power to and ideas beyond the binary of power - i.e shared power/distributed power.

So, with this direction in mind, I am critically reflecting through questioning and have framed a number of questions: where does the balance of leadership lie within the programme?  With the mentor, with the schools SMT, within Manaiakalani, with lecturers at AU?  How much 'power' do the MDTAs have with regard to the development of the programme?  How much real autonomy do the MDTAs have in their day to day running of a classroom?  What power plays are at work between the stakeholders at the chalkface?  What styles of leadership are more dominant as the programme roles out?...(this is just a taste - I have many more questions, the list is added to every time I read a new article!)
I will be using a number of articles in reference to my findings including Sergiovanni, Bromfenbremmer, Lingard, Fullen, Timperly and Robertson to name a few.   I think this will be a great opportunity for me to reflect on 'how' this programme has been led and to examine my role as a school leader within the programme. In a change context...what would I do differently - isn't hindsight a great thing!

Now....where's that article I was reading....