• I am a teacher.
• My current post is Executive Director of Education and Children’s Services for  East Lothian Council.
• I’ve been a principal teacher, university lecturer, depute headteacher, headteacher and head of education.  Other jobs have included operating theatre orderly, night watchman and bricklayer’s labourer.
• E-mail - dledingham@eastlothian.gov.uk

I’ve been keeping this learning log since August 2005. It started of simply as a means recording what I was up to on a day-to-day basis. Since then it’s grown into something which has had, and is having, a profound effect upon my professional practice.

A “Learning Log” can be captured in a relatively simple tri-colon:

“Where you’ve been; where you are; and where you’re going”.

I’m not talking here of travel in any sort of geographical sense, but more about the journey which relates to opinions, ideas and perceptions.

A Learning Log imposes a discipline upon the reflective process, which, although it may be going on informally, or tacitly, all of the time, can often be lost in the ‘clutter’ which forms much of our daily, weekly and monthly work.

The Learning Log gives me that brief - and ever more valuable, opportunity to step outside and look back upon my practice and direction of travel.

The reflective power of the on-line Learning Log is magnified when the contribution of others’ comments is taken into consideration. The Learning Log therefore provides an invaluable strategic map, in that enables me to retrace my steps and see where I’ve come from, identify where I am at any one point in time and, hopefully, enables me to explore the future in a relatively safe environment.

The other, incredibly useful role for the Learning Log is that it enables me to see connections between various things that I’m doing that might not be apparent if they were contained within their normal silos.  For me it’s this connecting function that helps me to make sense of some the very disparate things that I do in my day-to-day work.

If this seems focused upon the personal benefits of keeping a learning log then that has been deliberate - the benefit of a Learning Log to other people is very much dependent upon the reader’s perception - whilst at the same time modelling the kind of transparency which I believe should be characteristic of modern public service systems.

A Blog or a Learning Log?

When attempting to decide whether a blog is a learning log I’d suggest the following questions - if you can answer in the affirmative then it’s more likely to be a learning log:

1. Does the person reflect upon their own experiences?
2. Does the person reflect upon their own effectiveness?
3. Does the person explore a range of issues connected to their learning focus?
4. Does the person demonstrate a capacity to make use of others’ blogs/logs to enhance their own thinking?
5. Does the person engage with those who comment on their Log?
6. Does the person demonstrate a capacity to link back to previous posts to show progress in their thinking?
7. Does the person refer to research or other evidence to support their perspectives?
8. Does the person have a capacity to explore alternatives to current practice?
9. Does the person introduce readers to new resources?
10. Does the person demonstrate a shift in their thinking over a period of time which would indicate that learning is taking place?

My aspirations:

I’ll start off with the notion of hierarchy in organisations. An over-emphasis on hierarchy has a debilitating influence upon an organisation. If people can only do things because they are given approval by their leader then there exists an in-built limit to the potential of the organisation.

Hierarchies are important structural elements of a successful organisation – enabling clear lines of responsibility and accountability. However, hierarchy must not signify any implication that the opinion of someone further up the hierarchy is likely to be “better” than anyone lower down. 

Such an approach values the potential contribution made by everyone in the organisation and encourages ‘real’ participation. In this sense we are attempting to create a culture which shares responsibility for success.

I believe that by encouraging participation we are tapping into people’s intrinsic desire to do something fulfilling in their working lives. Such an enabling culture connects with the values of duty, service and commitment which underpin every person who works in education, although sometimes lurking beneath the observable behaviour of some people.

Such an organisation has faith in people and trusts that by providing such an environment that people will respond in kind.

A common characteristic of an overly hierarchical organisation is the way in which it handles information i.e. “knowledge is power”. The culture to which we aspire is one where all information – aside from personally confidential information – is shared with everyone, and, more importantly, where leaders are prepared to engage in dialogue about that information. Through dialogue we shape our future together.

This idea of shaping our future together provides a foundation for success by recognising that together we achieve much more than if we were to do it by ourselves.  The development of a community of people who value and care for each other regardless of position is a fundamental element what we seek to build.

Yet such a culture cannot be created overnight, it requires patience, stamina and a capacity to see long-term consequences for short term actions.

Within such a culture everyone is accountable for the success of the organisation. The aim is to move away from the dominant definition of accountability as liability and blame - towards an understanding which sees accountability as personal commitment, where people can operate at a level far beyond any negative line of consequence which can paralyse and destroy creativity and personal satisfaction.

By adopting an appreciative approach towards people, ideas and practice we build an optimistic and enthusiastic culture where anything is possible. If such a mentality is combined with a reflective and ‘critical’ eye - where ideas and opinions are open to dialogue and improvement -then an exceptionally powerful momentum can be created - a momentum which is characterised by a determination to do things “well”.

For such a culture to be introduced, developed and sustained the leader must ensure that their behaviour reflects the values which have been outlined above. It is this need for consistency which provides the greatest leadership challenge, for the temptations to make quick changes for personal benefit; relying upon hierarchy to push things through; denigrating others;  dismissing alternative opinions; and adopting a management-centric perspective towards the change process are difficult to resist.

If I have a professional dream it is to create a working environment where people are confident to take decisions for themselves knowing that they are trusted to take action on behalf of the needs of all children - as opposed to waiting from orders from “above”.