Published by SAGE Publications

Understanding organizational learning is vital for today's school systems as they face complex, constantly changing challenges. This much-needed book about organizational learning is unique in the field of education because it applies concepts and examples of organizational learning to K-12 settings instead of relying on examples from business and industry. It provides strong theory to practice interconnections as it responds to four key questions:

• What is organizational learning?
• Why is organizational learning important for schools and school systems?
• How do schools and school systems foster organizational learning?
• How can school systems move forward?

Synthesizing both original and contemporary ideas, the book defines organizational learning, provides its theoretical foundations, and identifies six interrelated conditions that foster organizational learning in schools and school systems:

• prioritizing learning,
• fostering inquiry,
• facilitating the dissemination of knowledge,
• practicing democratic principles,
• attending to human relationships, and
• providing for members' self-fulfillment.

Teachers and administrators are familiar with some aspects of these conditions such as collaboration, democratic values, distributed leadership, and professional learning communities. However, these aspects are rarely drawn together systemically or linked to a theory of organizational learning. This book is distinctive in that it connects everyday practices in school systems to a holistic framework that helps practitioners understand how their thinking and behaviors influence learning, their work environment, collegial interactions, decision making, and innovation.

Conceptually rich thanks to the blending of a wide variety of theories, ideas, and literatures, the content of this book helps practitioners develop a deep understanding of organizational learning. Their new understandings of sensemaking, tacit knowledge, learning to learn, defensive behaviors, and leadership will assist them in thinking and working strategically and collectively as they balance continuity with change and respond proactively instead of reactively.

Skillfully written, this reader-friendly book brings complex theoretical concepts to life with numerous practical examples. An on-going case study illustrates the application of organizational learning in schools and school systems. Practitioners have ample opportunities to digest and apply content and ideas to their own settings thanks to strong pedagogy including a series of essential questions, activities for getting started, areas for inquiry, and reflective journal questions. Taken together, the rich content and extensive pedagogical materials help practitioners understand how organizational learning can provide a powerful path for schools wanting to continuously improve learning, teaching, and leading.

Vivienne Collinson Vivienne Collinson (Ph.D., The Ohio State University) has worked as a professional educator for more that 35 years. Certified as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, she served in numerous roles at the K-12 level for 20 years before beginning to teach principals and teachers at the graduate level in both Canada and the United States, most recently at Michigan State University. Vivienne's work, research, and service have frequently taken her to Europe and Asia as well where she has guest lectured or given workshops ranging from organizational learning to curriculum relevance to the influence of teachers' values on their instruction. She continues to serve as co-chair of a European network for continuing professional development for teachers and leaders in schools. Her research and publications focus on exemplary teachers and organizational learning, as well as the professional, staff, and organization development necessary for teachers and leaders to create an environment that supports learning for all within school systems. Also by this author: Reading Students - Teachers' Ways of Knowing Available from Corwin Press.

Tanya Fedoruk Cook Tanya Fedoruk Cook received her undergraduate degree in economics cum laude from Harvard University. She started her career as a consultant with a company that provided strategic planning and innovative business analysis to Fortune 500 and major international corporations. She subsequently worked independently to develop school and nonprofit partnerships and to provide strategic advice to schools, a school system, and several nonprofit organizations. Tanya served as Assistant Director of the Youth Service Leadership Institute and Director of Training for Youth Service America (YSA) where she helped a national council of adolescents and college students develop their skills, vision, and leadership for community service and service-learning organizations. During her tenure at YSA, she also designed and ran a model leadership and management development program for young professionals, created and funded a program to develop social entrepreneurs, collaborated with the Arkansas Department of Education to train youth councils, and worked with the District of Columbia Mayor's Youth Advisory Council to provide leadership training. Tanya earned an M.A. degree from the University of Maryland in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration. While there, she provided classroom support to middle school teachers in Baltimore as part of a technology challenge grant.

Related Publications By These Authors

Collinson, V. (1996). Reaching students: Teachers' ways of knowing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Collinson, V. (1996, February). Staff development through inquiry: Opening a Pandora's box of teacher beliefs. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, St. Louis, MO.

Collinson, V. (2000). Staff development by any other name: Changing words or changing practices? The Educational Forum, 64(2), 124-132.

Collinson, V. (2004). Teachers caught in acts of leading, learning, and teaching. Teacher Education & Practice, 17(4), 363-385.

Collinson, V. (in press). Leading by learning: New directions in the 21st century. Journal of Educational Administration.

Collinson, V., & Cook, T.F. (2001). "I don't have enough time": Teachers' interpretations of time as a key to learning and school change. Journal of Educational Administration, 39(3), 266-281.

Collinson, V., & Cook, T.F. (2004a). Collaborating to learn computer technology: A challenge for teachers and leaders. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 3(2), 111-133.

Collinson, V., & Cook, T.F. (2004b). Learning to share, sharing to learn: Fostering organizational learning through teachers' dissemination of knowledge. Journal of Educational Administration, 42(3), 312-332.

Collinson, V., Cook, T.F., & Conley, S. (2006). Organizational learning in schools and school systems: Improving learning, teaching, and leading. Theory Into Practice, 45(2), 107-116.

Collinson, V., Killeavy, M., & Stephenson, H. J. (1999). Exemplary teachers: Practicing an ethic of care in England, Ireland, and the U.S.A. Journal for a Just and Caring Education, 5(4), 349-366.

Collinson, V., Killeavy, M., & Stephenson, H.J. (2000). Hope as a factor in teachers' thinking and classroom practice. In C. Day & D. van Veen (Eds.), Educational research in Europe (pp. 21-35). Leuven-Apeldoorn, The Netherlands: Garant.