Capacity Building for Facilitators of Learning Teams using a Collaborative Inquiry Process

SS/L-18SIISB, Facilitating Learning Teams Using the Professional Learning Cycle, 2013 11

Capacity Building for Facilitators of Learning Teams using a

Collaborative Inquiry ProcessAdobe Connect for Facilitators of Learning Teams

January, 2013

Student Success/Learning to 18 Strategic Implementation, Innovation and Support Branch

Local: 416-212-8013Toll-free: 1-866-633-1033Conference ID: 3863204(#)Adobe Connect Link: http://conn-o.osapac.org/r2ph9a96jml

http://conn-o.osapac.org/r2ph9a96jml



Minds On


Minds On

Use the chat pod to note ways that teacher professional learning has changed over the last several years.


PRESENT PAST

Professional Learning Cycle Resources


Professional Learning Cycle Resources

Other Resources Available2011 and 2012 Learning Modules for administrators and facilitators

The modules include slide presentations, handouts and facilitator notes.www.edugains.ca


http://www.edugains.ca/

I have facilitated learning teams using a Professional Learning Cycle:1.not yet2.as a shared responsibility with others3.a few times4.many times

My experience with the PL Cycle DVD and Facilitator’s Guide is best described as:1. developing awareness2. have used one or two clips/activities with teams3. have used several clips/activities with teams4. regularly use clips /activities and integrate with other materials


PollPoll

I have facilitated learning teams using a Professional Learning Cycle:

1.Teacher teams2.Principal teams3.School leader teams4.Board leader teams


Session MaterialsSession MaterialsSlide SummaryProfessional Learning Cycle DVD, 2011 Facilitator’s GuideHandout 1: Complexity of InstructionHandout 2: Professional Learning Cycle (School Level)Handout 3: Professional Learning Cycle (Board Level)Handout 4: Artefact – School Leader Team learning logHandout 5: School-level Leadership practices Handout 6: System-level Leadership practices Handout 7: Challenges of Practice Handout 8: Name That BiasHandout 9: Give One Get OneHandout 10: Collaborative Inquiry Continuum


AgendaAgenda

Minds OnMinds On Teacher Learning – Past and Present Poll Welcome and Introductions Purpose and Context

ActionThinking About Learning at All Levels School leader learning Board leader learning Facilitating Learning at All Levels Barriers - Biases and Challenges Strategies

Consolidation• Reflection and Next Steps


Session Learning Goals

Board teams will build their capacity to understand and facilitate collaborative inquiry at multi-levels (e.g., classroom, school and board) that:•engages learning teams in addressing the learning needs of students and educators •identifies, investigates and addresses challenges of practice in responding to the learning needs of students and educators •uses evidence of learning and practice to determine the impact of work

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E-ProtocolsE-Protocols

• Use signals (bottom left hand corner) • Use “Raise hand” to volunteer to speak• Identify yourself before speaking• Use the CHAT Pod to communicate with

the whole group or privately with a colleague by selecting from the drop down menu

• Mute your phone or polycom when not speaking to the large group (*6)

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IntroductionsIntroductions• Name of Board, SSL and Key Communicator• Type and size of team


What is Collaborative Inquiry?What is Collaborative Inquiry?

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… a way of ensuring that collaboration goes beyond casual story swapping and becomes true, intentional joint work that results in new understandings that will move practice forward

Katz, Earl & Jaafar, (2009). Building and Connecting Learning Communities, p.74.


School Effectiveness FrameworkSchool Effectiveness Frameworkhttp://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/Framework_english.pdf


School Effectiveness FrameworkSchool Effectiveness Framework

School and Classroom Leadership• 2.4 Job-embedded and inquiry-based

professional learning builds capacity, informs instructional practice and contributes to a culture of learning

COLLABORATIVE INQUIRYDriven by Student Learning Needs

Professional Learning

Cycle

•Teaching-Learning Critical Pathway

•Action Research•CILM

15SS/L-18SIISB, Facilitating Learning Teams Using the Professional Learning Cycle, 2013


Professional Learning CyclePLANPLAN• examine student data and work to identify areas

of need and ways to address them• determine/access professional learning that

addresses educator needs to impact practice /differentiate to reach all students

ACTACT• Implement and adjust instruction; engage in

professional learning, share practiceOBSERVEOBSERVE• share practice /student work to monitor impact

on student learning needs; adjust instruction as needed

REFLECTREFLECT• examine student data and work to determine

impact, lessons learned, next steps for student and educator learning

STUDENT LEARNING

EDUCATOR LEARNING

Student need Teacher learning need

Simply knowing the areas in which students are struggling is not enough for teachers to be able to teach differently. . . .

Changing teaching means changing the understanding that underlies the teaching. . . .

If (teachers) don’t learn something new, then they don’t have any basis on which to make a change in their classroom practice. . . .

So learning something new creates the impetus to change the way they are teaching the concept. Katz, 2013


DI PLS External Evaluation Recommendations

1. Focus on facilitating a deep understanding of DI as a pedagogical framework

2. Focus on promoting deeper implementation of DI in secondary schools

3. Consider a range of professional learning approaches to promote and foster DI implementation


Challenges of Implementing Effective Instruction

Challenge #1 •Addressing the complexity of instructionChallenge #2

•Challenging beliefs to address the knowing – doing gapChallenge #3

•Supporting multi - level professional learning


Addressing the ChallengesAddressing the ChallengesImplementing Effective Instruction

Discussion Paper:• Introduction• Area of Challenge 1• Area of Challenge 2• Area of Challenge 3

[Areas of Challenge are aligned with DI PLS Evaluation Recommendations 1-3]


1. Addressing the Complexity of Instruction


HANDOUT 1

2. Challenging Beliefs to address the Knowing-Doing Gap


Existing Beliefs Practice New Beliefs

COLLABORATIVE INQUIRY

3. Supporting Multi-level Professional Learning

Coherence Making• Alignment is about

structures; coherence is about mindsets.

• System coherence is about shared mindsets.

(Fullan, 2012)



AgendaAgenda

Minds On Teacher learning – Past and Present Poll Welcome and Introductions Purpose and Context

ActionActionThinking About Learning at All Levels School leader learning Board leader learning Facilitating Learning at All Levels Barriers - Biases and Challenges Strategies


Facilitator Role

The facilitator . . . • leads the processes used in a meeting, •choreographs the energy within the group, •maintains a focus on one topic and one process at a time.

Adapted from:Garmston and Wellman, The Adaptive School, p.27


Facilitating Your Team

Determine roles: (1) facilitator (2) timer and (3) recorder

Facilitator:•Focuses group on topic and processTimer:•Manages times so that all can contributeRecorder:•Notes connections and questions raised by board team members


Multi Level Learning

Pre –Viewing

• What does the term ‘Learning Organization’ mean to you?

During Viewing

• What does it look like? sound like?


video


Multi-level Learning


MULTI-LEVEL INQUIRY


BIPSA

CLASSROOMInquiry(PLAN)

Classroom Instruction

(ACT)

Evidence of impact(OBSERVE)

REFLECT

REFLECT

REFLECT

SCHOOLInquiry(PLAN)

Leadership & Support

(ACT)


BOARDInquiry(PLAN)

Leadership & Support

(ACT)


Multi-level InquiryCapacity is a power—a ‘habit of mind’ focused on engaging in and sustaining the learning of people at all levels of the educational system for the collective purpose of enhancing student learning in its broadest sense.

Stoll (2009).Capacity building for school improvement or creating capacity for learning? A changing landscape. Journal of Educational Change.

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SIPSA

SS/L-18SIISB, Facilitating Learning Teams Using the Professional Learning Cycle, 2013

School Leader Team Inquiry


HANDOUT 21.Review the guiding questions for each phase of the school leader team inquiry.

2.How do they differ from the board leader team inquiry questions? HANDOUT 3

“Everybody has a class… with a needs-based learning focus!”

• What do teachers need to learn to support what students need to learn?

• What do leaders need to learn to support what teachers need to learn to support what students need to learn?

S. Katz, OFIP presentation, Fall, 2012


MULTI-LEVEL INQUIRY/LEARNING


1. Examine the inquiry work of the school leader team as outlined in their learning log.

2. Code the extent to which the inquiry components were addressed by the school leader team:+ -Thoroughly, S -somewhat, ? -to a limited degree/not sure


HANDOUT 4

Task 1 Summary

To what extent did the school leader learning team:1.Identify, based on evidence, the learning needs of the teacher teams in their schools? 2.provide conditions to support the work and learning of their teacher teams?3.attend to their own learning related to supporting the work and learning of their teacher teams?4.identify, monitor and check for evidence of impact of the conditions that they provided as school leaders?


Task 2: Board Leader Team Inquiry

1. the most immediate learning need(s) of the school learning team

2. what your team needs to learn (e.g., find out about, experience) in order to focus your support

3. how, with whom and where your learning will take place4. what evidence of impact (i.e. meeting the needs of the school

level team) would look like

As a board leader learning team that provides leadership and support for the school level learning team, discuss/determine:


Focused Inquiry at all Levels


Sample Strategies:• Theories of Action: If-

then statements• Inquiry Questions• SMART Goals

• Personalization• Precision• Professional Learning

• Personalization• Precision• Professional Learning

MULTI-LEVEL INQUIRY/LEARNING


Teacher learning/inquiry:-Instructional Practice

School leader learning/inquiry-School Level Leadership Practices

Board leader learning/inquiry- School and System Level Leadership Practices

Complexity of Instruction


Palettes for Multi-level Professional Learning

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Complexity of Instruction

School Level Leadership Practices

System Level Leadership Practices


HANDOUT 5

HANDOUT 6

Palettes for Multi-level Professional Learning



AgendaAgenda


ActionActionThinking About Learning at All Levels School leader learning Board leader learning Facilitating Learning at All Levels Barriers - Biases and Challenges Strategies


Facilitator Role “The crucial point is that our conception of facilitating involves interrupting the status quo of professional learning in order to enable new learning that takes place in the form of permanent changes in thinking and practice.”Katz, 2013

. . facilitation of learning is a role that someone has to intentionally play.

SS/L-18SIISB, Facilitating Learning Teams Using the Professional Learning

Cycle, 201344

Barriers to Professional Learning

Interruption is about intentionally responding to the biases that impede new learning.


…the biases are an innate and integral part of human nature – they can’t be pre-empted by instructional design.

Katz, p.92 & 93, 2013

Cognitive Biases 1. Mental Shortcuts - We don’t think through all the possibilities

2. Confirmation Bias - We focus on confirming our hypotheses, not challenging them

3. Vividness Bias-We pay too much attention to things that are vivid.

4. Illusory Superiority - We consider ourselves to be exceptions

5. Omission Bias - We hesitate to take action in a new direction

6. Imposter Syndrome - We don’t want others to see our vulnerabilities


Name That Bias

Match the learning team member statement to the cognitive bias(es) that it demonstrates.


Name That Bias!

HANDOUT 8

Challenge of Practices

“For the most part, (learning team) members were not engaging in critical reflection necessary to assess existing theories and develop innovative solutions. This is a necessary step before real changes in classroom practice can be made.” (McCormick as cited in Katz, 2010. What are We Learning About Supporting Professional Learning Communities? p. 19)


Challenges of Practice (2012)

In the research, professional learning facilitators identified these challenges when working with teams:•Avoiding the Activity Trap•Acknowledging/ Examining current beliefs about Teaching/Learning •Checking on the Impact •Being Deliberate in New Professional Learning


HANDOUT 7

1. Skim the handout.2. Think of a time when you

experienced one of the challenges of practice as a board, school or teacher learning team.

Cognitive Biases Challenges of Practice

In your experience, how have you seen the cognitive biases prevent teams from succeeding at moving beyond these challenges of practice? Select one challenge to discuss with your team.

• Avoiding the Activity Trap• Acknowledging/Examining current beliefs

about Teaching/Learning • Checking on the Impact • Being Deliberate in New Professional Learning


Facilitation Skill: Questioning

What matters most is that the role (of the facilitator) is intentional and that it is focused on interrupting the default or status quo.

Facilitation must interrupt that avoidance tendency by showing us that discomfort isn’t an unfortunate by-product of new learning; its an essential prerequisite.Katz, 2010. What are We Learning About Supporting Professional Learning Communities? p.28


Facilitation Skill: Facilitation Skill: Questioning

There is great potential for these questions to shift a conversation from simply sharing stories of practice to questioning the reasons for impacts of instructional actions and using classroom-based data to respond to those questions.

(Nelson et al, Leading Deep Conversations in Collaborative Inquiry Groups, 2010, p.177)


The ‘Intention’ behind Intentional Interruptions!

(Use protocols/strategies and questioning to:) •Make preconceptions explicit •Ensure that activities and interventions are rooted in “problems of professional practice” •Recruit contradictory evidence •View mistakes as learning opportunities •Encourage a growth (rather than a fixed) mindset •Ensure that problems of practice are questions that people are curious about •Give people autonomy in time and task

(adapted from Katz, 2013)


Give one, Get One . . .

Think of a time when you have had to make an intentional interruption. What strategy or question have you used?

•Select one or two of the intentions•Review the examples given•Add new ideas in the column on the right•Select one to share with others (chat pod)


HANDOUT 9

Give one Get One . . .



AgendaAgenda


ActionThinking About Learning at All Levels School leader learning Board leader learning Facilitating Learning at All Levels Barriers - Biases and Challenges Strategies

ConsolidationConsolidation• Reflection and Next Steps

Consolidation

Making a Difference

As a facilitator of a learning team at any level, how would you know if you have :

• successfully interrupted a cognitive bias?

• helped a team overcome one of the challenges of practice?

COGNITIVE BIASES• Mental Shortcuts• Confirmation Bias• Vividness• Illusory Superiority• Omission Bias• Imposter Syndrome

CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE• Avoiding the Activity Trap• Acknowledging current beliefs about

Teaching/Learning • Checking on Impact • Being Deliberate in New Professional

Learning


Collaborative Inquiry Continuum

5858

Supporting Conditions

1.Which condition is most in place for a learning team with which you work?

2.Which condition needs to be strengthened?


HANDOUT 10

Next Steps

What are your next steps as a board for facilitating learning teams using the a collaborative inquiry process (e.g., the Professional Learning Cycle?


Please note at least one ‘next step’ in the CHAT POD prior to signing off.


[email protected]@ontario.ca [email protected] [email protected]

Thank you.

Documents

Capacity Building for Facilitators of Learning Teams using a Collaborative Inquiry Process