FESE HandBook v03c 15112023 MEV- COMPLETO - Flipbook - Página 45
LOUISE STOLL / LANGUAGE FOR LEARNING LEADERSHIP
Before further explanations, let me make several points.
» First, the terms in the learning leadership column are generally already 8out there9, even if some are not heard widely or known in
your context. Colleagues have invested time, energy, persistence
and passion to research, write about and engage others in their
theoretical and experiential underpinnings and associated practices. Local, national and global efforts exist to explore and develop
them further. I can never do their work justice; just brieny highlight it as I unite it with other words that personally resonate and
belong in my lexicon even if they do not appear in the table4.
» Second, the list of learning leadership terms is not exhaustive. These are not the only words that could or should be used.
Rather, everyone needs to think carefully about the language they
use, its meaning and the intent words convey to colleagues, children, their parents and the wider public. The only 8rule9 is that the
terms should exemplify learning leadership.
» Third, the simplest phrases often resonate most with practitioners
and policy makers. Certain words or terms may come across as jargon. It is a one balance to convey complex ideas clearly and simply, and to introduce them in ways that help people to understand
them. It is helpful to explore new words that come from outside
with an open mind, to try to understand what they mean and how
they can support learning leadership. A key point to remember is
ownership – language has to belong to members of a community
or system using it; it is they who bring it to life. This may mean
developing your own version of the language that ots within your
community and context. You need to be sure to deone your terms
and be clear how they relate to other words used by colleagues, parents, policy makers, researchers and wider society.
» Finally, context affects language use. People who speak different
languages pay attention to different details and describe them in
diverse ways. Cultures do not always have a word for something in
another language. In a European project around 20 years ago, I was
told that Portugal had no word for 8accountability9. I have also heard
that 8agency9 – a word I use frequently in this paper – does not exist as
a concept in Spain. Similarly, countries I visit sometimes have many
words for a particular English-language word, each with a meaning
4.This also means that I do not cite every reference I know, and I am conscious that there will be others that
I do not know. I have also sometimes chosen to cite an older reference, even if a better-known example has
been written recently. A number of these terms are not new and some have seen a resurgence.
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