Additional information
by Gillian Judson (Editor), Meaghan Dougherty (Editor), Scott Brandon (Foreword by)
This comprehensive book provides a theoretical understanding of how imagination contributes to effective leadership, as well as practical tools all educational leaders can employ to cultivate their imaginations and the imaginations of others in their communities. To support these goals, book chapters offer multiple perspectives on what imagination is, why it is essential for educational leaders, and how it can be developed. Contributions by leadership scholars and school-based leaders are organized around three themes: exploring possibilities, poetics of memory, and imagination's role in social justice and equity. Each section opens with a leadership story that shows how a school leader developed and used imagination to create solutions to real problems. Contributors to this volume were invited to read each other's work and share their questions and thoughts. This work can now be used by individuals or within formal or informal learning communities to expand, deepen, and apply concepts. Expanding on Kieran Egan's theory of Imaginative Education, this book will help current and future leaders employ imagination to make sense of and address the day-to-day challenges they encounter.
Book Features:
- Brings together empirical and conceptual research on imagination's varied roles in educational leadership.
- Provides practical strategies and implementable techniques for cultivating leadership imagination.
- Demonstrates what cognitive tools all leaders can use to deepen their understanding of issues, to emotionally and imaginatively engage their school communities, and to support equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Offers easy-to-use activities and guidelines for applying imagination to key leadership processes and practices.
- Includes "Cultivating Curiosity, Conversation, and Imagination" sections at the end of chapters to stimulate individual reflection and collaborative discussion.
Author Biography
Gillian Judson is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. She teaches in Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction programs. Her scholarship looks at imagination's role in leadership and learning (K-post-secondary). Meaghan Dougherty is faculty at Douglas College in the Department of Child and Youth Care. Her research interests include educational leadership, the complex relationship between education and the labor market, relational practice, and teaching and learning encounters.
