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Chamberlain and Beyond: Building Collaborative Teams
• Research connects collaboration to teaching and learning
• Chamberlain process/background • Elements of the effective collaborative
team• Most beneficial practices and
difficulties • Discussion of a start-up process for
other schools
Tuesday, April 23, 9:45-10:40 a.m. Room 101, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
Research shows that professional learning communities do positively
impact teaching and learning.
How important is the professional learning community model? What makes the model effective? What is essential in developing the professional learning community?
How important is collaborative school culture or professional learning community?
• Two leading researchers in the field of educational leadership, Rick DuFour and Michael Fullan, argue that a professional learning community model is the best vehicle for school improvement.
What makes the professional learning community model effective?
Four researchers, Hopkins, Fullan,
DuFour, and Robbins, offer insight into the
issue of effectiveness of learning
communities.
What makes the professional learning community model effective?
– a focus on learning– a collaborative culture – collective inquiry into
best practice – an action orientation – continuous improvement – focus on results
Continuous improvement
• This can be compared to the difference between taught curriculum and learned curriculum. – Professional
development is what is taught.
– Professional learning community is what is learned.
Continuous improvementPLC for educators is
much like an effective classroom.
There is opportunity to – learn theory – engage in dialog – practice new ideas – get feedback – differentiate learning – assess learning – be accountable for
learning
Focus on resultsOne of the difficulties
educators have with PLC is to move beyond the book studies and get to transparent teaching. Educators and schools are willing to engage in some safe PLC, but are reluctant to move to the deprivatization of teaching and learning.
Tim Mitchell, Superintendent
Chamberlain process/background
The Three C’s of The Three C’s of Community BuildingCommunity Building
CConfrontonfront the Brutal Facts the Brutal Facts
CCommunicationommunication (Effective)(Effective)
CCollaborationollaboration
CommunicationCommunication
““I wonder how many I wonder how many children’s lives would be children’s lives would be
saved if we educators saved if we educators disclosed what we knew disclosed what we knew
to each other"to each other"Roland Barth (2001)Roland Barth (2001)
CollaborationCollaboration
““The ability to collaborate—on both a The ability to collaborate—on both a large and small scale—is one of the large and small scale—is one of the
core requisites of post modern core requisites of post modern society…In short, without society…In short, without
collaborative skills and relationships it collaborative skills and relationships it is not possible to learn and to continue is not possible to learn and to continue to learn as much as you need in order to learn as much as you need in order
to be an agent for social improvement”to be an agent for social improvement”
Fullan (1993)Fullan (1993)
Characteristics of Characteristics of Professional Professional
Learning CommunitiesLearning CommunitiesShared mission, vision, values, goalsShared mission, vision, values, goalsCollaborative teams focused on Collaborative teams focused on
student learningstudent learningCollective inquiry into “best Collective inquiry into “best
practice” and our “current reality”practice” and our “current reality”Action orientation/experimentationAction orientation/experimentationCommitment to continuous Commitment to continuous
improvementimprovementResults orientationResults orientation
MaryLou McGirr, TIE partner
Outcome:
To gain knowledge and information whileengaging in activities to prepare for joint planning, team teaching, and collaborative coaching to ensuresuccessful partnerships will exist that affect the academic achievement of students.
Structure and format•August, 2005
–Outcome: Understand people are our greatest asset!–4 critical questions
•February, 2006–Benchmark–4 essential questions
•August, 2006–Outcome: To deepen communication and facilitation skills–4 critical questions
Structure and format
• February, 2007– Outcome: To understand the power of Cognitive
CoachingSM in team work.– 4 critical questions
• August, 2007– Outcome: To continue developing the knowledge of
the staff to deepen their skills for successful collaboration which will ultimately affect the academic achievement of students.
– 4 critical questions
Four Critical Questions for a Professional Learning Community:• What do we want each student to learn?
• How will we know when each student has learned it?
• How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?
• How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have clearly achieved the intended outcomes?
Most beneficial practices and difficulties
Tami Schwartz and Jeff Tveit, teachers
Q and A
• Discussion of a start-up process for other schools
• “Successful organizations do not experience fewer problems, they deal with them differently.”
What is essential in developing the professional learning community?
• Fullan writes that recent development has changed from what makes PLC work to how to establish a PLC.
Essential factor is change itself
• Fullan contends that change is even more difficult than people think.
• Robert Marzano (2005) contends that education is always experiencing change and change comes in two shapes: first order change and second order change.
• “Successful organizations do not experience fewer problems, they deal with them differently.”
Bibliography• Bens, Ingrid (2005). Facilitating with ease: Core skills for
facilitators, team leaders and members, managers, consultants, and trainers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• DuFour, Richard, DuFour, Rebecca, Eaker, Robert, and Many, Thomas (2006). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
• Fullan, Michael. (November 2004). Leading professional learning. The school administrator. (pp. 10-14).
• Hopkins, Gary. (2006). Teachers teaching teachers: Professional development that works. Education World. Downloaded 9.11.06. www.education-world.com/
• Richardson, Joan (1999). Norms put the ‘Golden Rule’ into proctice for groups. National Staff Development Council. www.nsdc.org.
• Robbins, P. & Alvy, H (2004). The new principal’s fieldbook: Strategies for success. Arlington, VA: ASCD.
