9.03.08.Power Of Pl Cs

A Journey Worth TakingWork of the DuFours

PLC TrainingSeptember 3, 2008

Conceptual Framework

• A solid foundation of collaboratively developed and widely shared mission, vision, values and goals.

• Collaborative teams who work interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of learning for all.

• A commitment to continuous improvement and a constant focus on results.

Shift in Focus

• A Shift in the Work of Teachers• From isolation…to collaboration• From each teacher clarifying what students must

learn…to collaborative teams building shared knowledge and understanding about essential learning.

• From each teacher assigning priority to different learning standards…to collaborative teams establishing the priority of respective learning standards.

• From each teacher determining the pacing of the curriculum …to collaborative teams of teachers agreeing on common pacing.

A Shift in the Work of Teachers

• From individual teachers attempting to discover ways to improve results…to collaborative teams of teachers helping each other to improve.

• From privatization of practice…to open sharing of practice• From decisions made on the basis of individual

preferences…to decisions made collectively by building shared knowledge of best practice.

• From “collaboration lite” on matters unrelated to student to student achievement…to collaboration explicitly focused on issues and questions that most impact student achievement.

• From an assumption that these are “my kids, those are your kids”…to an assumption that these are “our kids.”

Collaboration or Coblaboration?

• Collaboration--This is how we do business..

• Polarities-Autonomy vs. Collaboration

Protocols for Reflective Dialog

Phases of group development

FormingFormingFormingForming

StormingStormingStormingStorming

NormingNormingNormingNorming

PerforminPerformingg

PerforminPerformingg

Reflective Practice can be considered

“The practice or act of analyzing our actions, decisions, or products by focusing on our process of achieving them.” (Killion & Todnem) “Deliberate thinking about action, with a view on improvement.” (Loughran)“The practice of periodically stepping back to ponder the meaning of what has recently transpired...probing to a deeper level than the trail and error experience.” (Raelin)

ExperienceExperienceExperienceExperience

LearningLearningLearningLearning

ReflectionReflectionReflectionReflection

Why engage in reflective practice?

Reflective practice increases learning at the individual and organizational level so that educational practice continuously improves and student learning is enhanced.Adults learn, retain, and use what they perceive is relevant to their professional needs Professional Development for All in Inclusive Schools

No one prepares you for the path: some stones are slippery.

Conditions for Powerful Reflection

Trust

Be present

Be open

Listen: with empathy, without judgement

Seek understanding

View Learning as mutual

Honor the person & the process

• Team norms: Protocols or commitments developed by each team to guide members in working together. Norms help team members clarify expectations regarding how they will work together to achieve shared goals.

Theory of action for reflective practice

PausePausePausePause

OpennesOpennesss

OpennesOpennesss

InquiryInquiryInquiryInquiry

ThinkingThinkingThinkingThinking

LearningLearningLearningLearningEnhanced Enhanced Student Student LearningLearning

Enhanced Enhanced Student Student LearningLearning ActionActionActionAction

Reflective Practice to Improve Schools, 2006 Corwin Press

Banner Questions

• Add to the list of banner questions.

Phases of group development

FormingFormingFormingForming

StormingStormingStormingStorming

NormingNormingNormingNorming

PerforminPerformingg

PerforminPerformingg

Expanding thought & inquiry

Ask open questions: intonation, syntax, presuppositionRespond with SPACE:silence [SILENCE IS SOMETIMES THE ANSWER], paraphasing, accepting, clarifying & elaboratingReframe: Apply new frames to widen viewsDialog: Engage in conversations that deepenunderstanding

Reflective Writing Protocol

Describe from your experience…• What is it we expect students to

learn?• How will we know when they have

learned it?• How will we respond when they do

not learn?• How will we respond when they

already know it?

What is a tuning protocol?

• Facilitated, focused conversation

• Formal structure of steps and guidelines

• Case study

• Collegial experience

• A tool to help “tune” our practice

A Definition

A tuning protocol is a “way a teacher presents actual work before a group of thoughtful ‘critical friends’ in a structured reflective discourse aimed at ‘tuning’ the work to higher standards.”– Joe McDonald in “Three Pictures of an

Exhibition (1995)

When is a tuning protocol used?

• Answer questions about student performance

• Inform instruction and assessment

• Explore efficacy of programs, initiatives

• Helps identify effective teaching strategies

• Promotes reflective practice

Why does it work?

• Risk-free way to get at what makes a difference in learning

• Problem-solving approach• Presenters feel good, learn• Work receives serious consideration• Participants learn• Process stimulates a learning community

What a tuning protocol is NOT!

• Opportunity for “one-upmanship”

• Showcase for validation

• Haven for venting about students, parents, administrators, instruction in earlier grades

The Pedigree

• Harvard Project Zero• Coalition of Essential Schools--Joe McDonald, Brown University, 1995• Academy for Educational Development• “There is emerging evidence that some

versions of looking at student work yield benefits for teaching and learning.”

--Little, Gearhart, Curry, and Kafka (2003)

One School’s Story

• Research initiative at the high school

• Use of the tuning protocol

• Contributions of the tuning protocol

Feedback from Teachers

• “To me, the value of this process is learning from other teachers their strategies for improving a lesson.” “…useful and helpful.”

• “Most of our group participated enthusiastically in all steps of the protocol.”

• “During the discussion, people brainstormed, productively building on their colleagues’ comments.”

• “On the whole, this was a very positive experience.” “Well worth the time.”

The warts

• “A couple of the group members appeared shy about participating.”

• “The group seemed tentative at first…”• “…this activity puts us in a vulnerable role.”• “The protocol feels contrived.”• “The presenter got a lot of feedback about what was

wrong but had hoped for more feedback about how to achieve the specific goals he expressed.”

The protocol

• Who?

Groups of 8-11– Facilitator– Presenter– Participants

The procedure

• Presentation (15 min.)

• Clarifying Questions (5 min.)

• Individual Note-taking (5 min.)

• Participant Discussion (15 min.)– Warm and Cool Feedback

• Presenter Reflection (15 min.)

• Debriefing (10 min.)

Guidelines

• Respect the presenter.• Watch time.

– Don’t skip the debriefing segment.

• Keep groups stable.• Contribute to substantive discourse

– Give both warm and cool feedback.– More “cool,” please

Warm and Cool Feedback

Assumptions#1 We all want to get better in the work

we do.#2 We all want to be courteous.#3 In order to accomplish #1, we need to

be thoughtful, insightful, and provocative.

#4 We are in this together

Warm Feedback

• Statements that let the presenter know what is working.– Praise for what is effective– Specific

• “That’s great!” =X• “Good job!” =X

Cool Feedback

• Statements or questions that help the presenter move forward.– What if? I wonder what would happen if…

• Not criticism---critique– Improve the work– Improve the context– Not about the presenter– No “should” or Why didn’t you?”

What can be tuned

• Any written form

• Performance or demonstration on audiotape or videotape

• Artwork

• Computer multi-media presentation

• Display

Selection criteria

• One piece for one student• One piece from several students• Multiple pieces from the same students• Drafts of a single piece from a single

student• One that represents best or worst or

middle• A randomly chosen piece

Focusing Questions

• What does this work tell us about what students know and are able to do?

• Is this piece good enough for students in 6th grade? How can we help this student (and all students) make it good enough?

• How could the instruction that surrounds this work execute a better product?

Importance of Debriefing

• GOAL—Are teachers learning about their students and their practice?

• Presenter discusses how the protocol worked• Participants discuss how the protocol worked• Sample reflection questions:

– What did we learn about student research?– What did we learn about the protocol and ourselves?– Did we actually focus on student work or on other issues?– How could our process be improved?

Quotes “The ability to collaborate—on both a large and small scale—is one of

the core requisites of post modern society.” Fullan

• “The most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement is developing the ability of school personnel to function as professional learning communities.” DuFour & Eaker

• The most crucial questions educators can ask themselves are ‘What do we truly believe about our selves and our students?” and “Do our practices match our beliefs?”

• The moment teachers begin to closely examine their lessons and the results of those lessons, instruction improves and competence increases.

• “Sometimes we forget that the purpose—the real agenda—of a team meeting is not to cover a set of topics, but more importantly to continuously generate solutions to instructional problems in order to get better results.” Mike Schmoker from Results Fieldbook, 2001

Quotes

• “The ability to collaborate—on both a large and small scale—is one of the core requisites of post modern society.” Fullan

• “The most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement is developing the ability of school personnel to function as professional learning communities.” DuFour & Eaker

• The most crucial questions educators can ask themselves are ‘What do we truly believe about our selves and our students?” and “Do our practices match our beliefs?”

• The moment teachers begin to closely examine their lessons and the results of those lessons, instruction improves and competence increases.

• “Sometimes we forget that the purpose—the real agenda—of a team meeting is not to cover a set of topics, but more importantly to continuously generate solutions to instructional problems in order to get better results.” Mike Schmoker from Results Fieldbook, 2001

Works Cited

Easton, Lois. Collaboratively Examining Student Work: Why and How. Oct.2, 2003.

Little, Judith Warren,et al. “Looking at Student Work For Teacher Learning, Teacher Community, and School Reform. Phi Delta Kappan. November 2003.

The world is round and the The world is round and the place that may seem like the place that may seem like the

end may also only be the end may also only be the beginning.beginning.

Ivy baker priest

Whirlwinds Can Get in the Way of Finding Time to Collaborate