Teacher Collaboration for Professional Learning E-Book

Cynthia A. Lassonde

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 329

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Teacher Collaboration for Professional Learning contains the essential information, tools, and examples teachers and school leaders need to create, manage, and sustain successful collaborative groups. Designed to be a hands-on resource, this practical guide shows you how to: * Advocate for collaborative teacher learning * Develop and sustain collaborative research groups * Organize and conduct productive research projects * Address issues of ethics, leadership, and group dynamics * Evaluate and sustain collaborative learning activities Based on data from a major survey, Teacher Collaboration for Professional Learning features extensive case examples from model research communities collaborating within schools, across districts, in partnership with universities, and as online networks. The book also offers a wealth of reproducible templates as well as reflection questions and exercises?invaluable tools for organizing study groups.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Figures

List of Tables

Table of Exhibits

Foreword

Preface

ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

ORGANIZING A STUDY GROUP

THE TONE OF THE BOOK

MOVING FORWARD

Acknowledgements

The Authors

The Contributors

Dedication

PART 1 - Why Support Collaborative Research?

Chapter 1 - Improving Teacher Professional Learning

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS TEACHER RESEARCH?

COLLABORATION AT WORK: OUR EXPERIENCES

THE RATIONALE

OUR SURVEY

THE BENEFITS

Chapter 2 - Initiating Educational Improvements

POSITIVE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATED BY THIS MODEL

POSITIVE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATED BY THIS MODEL

POSITIVE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATED BY THIS MODEL

POSITIVE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATED BY THIS MODEL

POSITIVE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATED BY THIS MODEL

FINAL THOUGHTS

PART 2 - Building a Professional Learning Community

Chapter 3 - Understanding the Inquiry Process

THE STEPS OF THE PROCESS

TEACHER INQUIRY SCRIPT

TEACHER RESEARCH TEMPLATE

TEACHER RESEARCH TIMETABLE

MOVING FORWARD

Chapter 4 - Getting Started

INTRODUCTION

HOW GROUPS DEVELOP

THE INITIAL STAGES

STAGE 1: GETTING TO KNOW INVITED MEMBERS

STAGE 2: SHARING PERSPECTIVES AND TALENTS

CLARIFYING ROLES THAT GROUP MEMBERS WILL PLAY

IS COLLABORATION RIGHT FOR ME?

WHAT IS NEXT?

Chapter 5 - Staying Productive

INTRODUCTION

STAGE 3: SUPPORTING EACH OTHER’S EFFORTS AND LEARNING

STAGE 4: EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES

STAGE 5: ONGOING CONVERSATIONS

BEYOND THE STAGES

PART 3 - Collaborating Effectively

Chapter 6 - Ethical Considerations Improving Group Dynamics

WHAT IS ETHICAL COLLABORATION?

A BRIEF STORY ABOUT ETHICS AND PERCEIVED VALUES

INVESTING IN DIALOGUE

BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AND THE ROLE OF ETHICS

ESTABLISHING EFFECTIVE ETHICAL GUIDELINES

THE BENEFITS

Chapter 7 - Leadership Strategies for Collaborative Support Groups

INTRODUCTION

TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT LEADERSHIP SUCCESS STRATEGIES

THE BENEFITS

PART 4 - Model Learning Communities in Action

Chapter 8 - School-Based and Partnership Communities

INTRODUCTION

SCHOOL-BASED GROUPS

SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY GROUPS

FINAL REFLECTIONS

Chapter 9 - Networking and Online Collaborations

INTRODUCTION

OVERVIEW OF NETWORKING COMMUNITIES

ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE NETWORKING IN ACTION

NETWORKING GROUPS

IMPACT OF NETWORKING PARTNERSHIPS IN COLLABORATION

REFLECTING ON NETWORKING PARTNERSHIPS IN COLLABORATION

Chapter 10 - A Districtwide Model The Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher ...

FOUNDING THE NETWORK

ORGANIZING THE NETWORK

THE FOCUS FOR THE NETWORK

STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES

METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

IMPACT OF THE NETWORK

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

LESSONS LEARNED

WHY THIS MODEL?

Epilogue: Supporting and Sustaining Professional Collaboration

APPENDIX A - Tools and Templates

APPENDIX B - Reflection Questions

APPENDIX C - Study Group Exercises

APPENDIX D - Valuable Resources

APPENDIX E - Teacher Research Survey

References

Index

Table of Figures

FIGURE 1.1. Examples of Real Questions That Have Inspired Collaborative Teacher Research

FIGURE 1.2. Effectiveness of Professional Development Programs Varies

FIGURE 4.1. The Dynamic Stages of a Collaborative Group

List of Tables

TABLE 1.1. The Process of Teacher Research Closely Aligns with the Goals of Professional Development

TABLE 4.1. Data Journal Sample

TABLE 4.2. Data Log Sample

TABLE 6.1. Ten Steps to Create Ethical Guidelines and Action Steps in Collaborative Groups

TABLE 8.1. Sorting Out Some Misunderstandings

TABLE 10.1. Planning Discussion Topics in Advance

TABLE 10.2. Proposed Topics

TABLE 10.3. Topics for the 2007-08 School Year

TABLE 10.4. The International Network

TABLE 10.5. The National Network

TABLE 10.6. The Local Network

Table of Exhibits

Exhibit 3.1 : Teacher Inquiry Template

Exhibit 3.2 : Sample Timetable for Research Project

Exhibit 4.1 : Factors That Influence Group Development

Exhibit 4.2 : Scenario Example of Stage 1 as Completed by the Group Initiators—Colleen, Mary, and Debbie

Exhibit 4.3 : Sample Agenda

Exhibit 4.4 : Sample Meeting Minutes

Exhibit 4.5 : Sample Group Roles Signup Sheet

EXHIBIT 5.1 : FINAL REFLECTIONS

Exhibit 6.1 : Summary of Ethical Standards for the International Reading Association

Exhibit 10.1 : Tentative Research Plans and Timetable

EXHIBIT 10.2 : MAJOR EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE FCPS TEACHER RESEARCHER NETWORK

Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Teacher collaboration for professional learning: facilitating study, research, and inquiry communities / Cynthia Lassonde, Susan Israel, authors; foreword by Janice F. Almasi. p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

eISBN : 978-0-470-55397-8

1. Teachers—In-service training—United States. 2. Teachers—Professional relationships—United States. 3. Professional learning communities—United States. I. Lassonde, Cynthia A. II. Israel, Susan E.

LB1731.T37 2009

370.71’55—dc22

2009033971

PB PRINTING

Foreword

I thought I fell in love with research when I began my graduate studies at the University of Maryland in the 1980s; however, the more I read and learned about research I realized I had always been a researcher from the minute I began teaching fourth graders at Kent Island Elementary School on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. If we take our practice seriously, and if we endeavor to create a rich learning environment that enables every child to be successful, at some point we realize that every teacher is a researcher. Each day in our classrooms as we work with children, we continually examine ourselves, our pedagogy, and the learners in our classroom. The data we take in consumes us as we reflect on ways to improve a lesson that didn’t quite meet a particular child’s needs, or the lesson that needs to be taught next, or a better way of reaching a child. As we reflect, we often raise questions. Sometimes our queries pertain to a particular student (What can I do to motivate a resistant reader?), a particular phenomenon (Why do so many of my students have difficulty revising their writing?), or a particular issue (What can I do to make my classroom more culturally responsive?). The ongoing reflexive process we engage in daily as we observe and gather data, reflect on it, make revisions, and take action in our classrooms is an invigorating process; but it can also be exhausting and isolating.

In Teacher Collaboration for Professional Learning: Facilitating Study, Research, and Inquiry Communities, Cynthia Lassonde and Susan Israel provide the tools with which to form, and participate in, collaborative learning communities that support the process of teacher inquiry so that it is not an isolating, individual process. They gathered these “tools” from a variety of authentic teacher research communities ranging from face-to-face district-level communities to online virtual communities. The collected voices are woven together to explain the process of how to build a research community and to provide examples of successful research communities. The voices Lassonde and Israel have assembled represent some of the best thinkers from university communities, school or district communities, and online communities who have had great success in building collaborative learning communities. The volume begins by providing clear explanations of the nature of collaborative teacher research and effective professional development. As well, sage advice is offered regarding tips for forming collaborative teacher research communities. From there, extensive information regarding characteristics of effective groups, theories of how groups develop over time, and ingredients for successful learning communities is provided. This information, coupled with the authentic experiences of successful communities provides a rich, descriptive framework on which to draw.

This volume offers not only a source of support for existing communities of practice, but also a model for emergent communities to aspire toward. The insights and suggestions offered throughout the text are sound, reasoned, and supportive. In my research on peer discussion of text, I have facilitated and participated in teacher research communities centered on how to create student-centered learning environments that promote critical thinking, higher levels of comprehension, and tolerance for diverse opinions. I wish this volume had existed during the initial teacher study groups in which I participated. Our groups often encountered some of the same difficulties about which the successful collaborative research communities in this text speak. I know we would have valued learning about how others organized their communities and reading about others’ experiences and the manner in which they worked through their challenges. I look forward to drawing on the collective wisdom Lassonde and Israel have woven together in this volume in my future collaborations with teacher learning communities.

September 2009

Janice F. Almasi

Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Preface

This book is the go-to source for educators seeking support for their research and learning and eager to understand how to successfully start and sustain a collaborative learning community. As evident in our research for our book on teacher research (Lassonde & Israel, 2008), a wealth of groups and organizations are beginning to support teacher research collaborations, partnerships, and study groups. If you are part of one of these groups or are interested in learning about how to form a community of learners, this book will help you and your group create an agenda, recruit and support members, develop as a productive group, and effectively work toward the goals that your group sets.

Through our work in teacher research, we have communicated with teacher researcher experts and practitioners from across the country. While sharing experiences and stories with these experts and researching the history and path of teacher research for our books, we noted that grassroots teacher research communities and support networks were springing up around the country and have been on the rise in the past several years. We learned about and explored online networks, university communities, district- and grade-level initiatives, and state-affiliate groups all working collaboratively—but isolated from each other—in their efforts to support teacher research.

We noted that educators appeared to be continually “reinventing the wheel” as they built their collaborations from scratch. As one teacher told us, “We completely made it up as we went along, developing our own process” (Adam Renner, Bellarmine University). This book offers ideas on how to set up such learning communities. It provides examples and advice from initiatives that are currently working to support teacher researchers and experts across grade levels and contexts that are leading and contributing to these groups.

ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK

The book is divided into four parts plus an epilogue. Part introductions contain opening poems, connections to theory, and discussions to prompt readers to think about upcoming topics in the section.

Part One: Why Support Collaborative Research? introduces collaborative learning communities such as teacher research groups as a form of professional development by describing the rationale, connected literature, the power and possibilities of collaboration, and evidence of emerging support groups. This part describes what groups do, their benefits, and several model communities in which collaborative practices have lead to improvement in teaching and student learning. It will be helpful in providing background definitions and information for readers to use as rationale to gain support and advocate for their endeavors in initiating and supporting learning communities.

Part Two: Building a Professional Learning Community talks about organizing groups and conducting research projects. This part begins with the specific steps and protocols involved in conducting research and the stages of group development, and provides explicit strategies so readers can apply the information to their situations. We include voices from experts working in collaborative groups at various levels and for a range of reasons and objectives.

Part Three: Collaborating Effectively includes chapters on improving group dynamics by considering ethical issues and on leadership success strategies. We suggest guidelines for each and provide rich case examples and scenarios. We discuss challenges of participating in learning communities, along with potential conflicts and ethical dilemmas that might arise.

Part Four: Model Learning Communities in Action looks at school-based communities, school-university partnerships, and networking and online groups. The final chapter in this part describes a districtwide model learning community called the Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher Researcher Network written by our guest chapter author Gail V. Ritchie.

The final chapter, the Epilogue, highlights methods for encouraging longevity through professional reflection and collaborative ways of thinking to increase success. The Epilogue ends with final parting thoughts about how communities can find their pathway to success and how school leaders can support them.

At the end of the book you will find wonderful resources in the Appendixes. Valuable resources are listed, and reproducible forms are yours to copy and use with your study group or learning community in your school district. Also, there are questions to help you reflect upon each chapter and exercises to try if you are reading this book as part of an organized study group. These resources will help you promote, manage, and organize your collaboration. Feel free to adapt them to fit the context of your group.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Think of each chapter as a unique resource. You do not have to read the chapters in the order they appear in the book. You might read the part openers first to determine their contents, then decide which parts best suit your needs. Begin with topics that are priorities for your situation. Another way you might use this book is to begin to collect resources from the list of resources in Appendix D right away. Gathering these resources as you begin your journey will ensure they are at your fingertips when members need them at critical points in their research.

A final suggestion for how to use this book is as a reference during the collaborative process. Read each chapter at strategic points in the process. For example, Chapter One can be used as rationale to administrators to gain their support for your group. Chapter Two can be shared to look at and gather ideas from successful models as your work begins. Chapter Three can be read to learn about the steps of the teacher research process. Then, Chapters Four, Five, and Seven can be studied when approval to proceed is imminent and you begin to form the group. Chapter Six can be used to troubleshoot problems as they arise. Chapters Eight through Ten can be used to determine what type of collaboration you want to pursue. Finally, the Epilogue can be read when your group is considering future directions.

ORGANIZING A STUDY GROUP

This book is ideal for use as a common reading for professional study groups interested in embarking upon collaborative teacher research learning projects. There is much to do before starting a teacher research project, especially if it is going to involve several researchers in collaboration. Being well organized with a plan for action will make the process efficient. Therefore, we recommend that the collaborative group spend time learning about teacher research and the collaboration process well in advance.

The group leaders might find it helpful to review the book carefully first so you know its contents and how it is set up. Then, decide how to proceed based on the personalities and knowledge base of the intended group. You know your group best. What do you think would help them understand the process?

Appendixes B and C provide suggestions for preparing before reading and responding to chapters after reading them. Even if you are not reading and discussing this book in a study group, the strategies listed in Appendix C will help you reflect on and think critically about your reading and the process of setting up and managing your collaboration.

THE TONE OF THE BOOK

Written in an informal yet insightful style, this book is readily accessible as a guide to scholars, classroom teachers, reading and special education specialists, literacy coaches, and curriculum coordinators. Administrators interested in promoting such learning communities in their schools may also learn from this book and pass it on to teachers in their districts to initiate relevant projects. Readers with varying levels of knowledge and experience with collaboration, teacher research, or research in general will find the book easy to follow yet full of practical information.

Special features are scattered throughout the book:

• How to Use This Chapter: Each chapter begins with a description of its purpose and use. This feature guides you through the process of setting up and managing an effective collaboration.

• Thinking Together: This feature includes recommendations on research connections, special tips, advice, or examples from educators in the fields of teacher research and collaboration. Thinking Together features show how concepts and theories presented in the chapters play out in real-life collaborations, and encourage readers to think about what they would do in a certain situation.

• Collaboration at Work: This feature shares recommendations about collaborations from experienced, practicing groups. You will read about successful endeavors as well as those that began less successfully. You will learn how groups and their leaders worked together to overcome challenges.

MOVING FORWARD

As you move forward in your work and in reading this book, we wish you success in finding answers to your questions through teacher research collaboration. We think you will find it the most engaging, meaningful, and long-lasting form of professional development in which you could ever participate. We certainly have.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, we would like to thank Jossey-Bass Publishers, especially our editor, Christie Hakim, for recognizing the need for this book in the field of education and supporting the development of our manuscript. We also appreciate the time and hard work of Julia Parmer, Kate Bradford, Pamela Berkman, Donna Cohn, Elizabeth Forsaith, and Sharon Duffy. Also, Jossey-Bass’s anonymous reviewers provided rich suggestions for improving our manuscript drafts.

We would also like to extend a warm thank-you to these folks:

Colleagues and friends who contributed their voices and stories to our book. Their contributions have truly made this book a collaborative effort.

Taffy Raphael, for helping us shape our survey.

The Mt. Markham Professional Development Panel: Lynne Byrnes, Casey Barduhn, Terri Stile, Julie Reader, Ruth Malowicki, Christine Maine, and Elaine Ruigrok.

All of the educators who responded to our survey, including Alan Amtzis, Gail Ritchie, Anita Long, Derin Atay, Cindy Ballenger, Bill Bigelow, Emily Van Zee, Paula Costello, Ann Dutton Ewbank, Carole Edelsky, Deb Eldridge, Fran Falk-Ross, Jacqueline Delong, Nancy Fichtman Dana, Becky Rogers, Todd Wanerman, Mary Linville, Linda May Fitzgerald, Rebecca K. Fox, Jane Hansen, K. E. Hones, Pegeen Jensen, Marilyn Johnston-Parsons, Barbara Kawulich, Andrea Levy, Robin Marion, Judith McBride, Daniel Meier, Kathleen A. Paciga, Diane W. Painter, Adam Renner, Leo C. Rigsby, Karen Blake Ruffner, Frances Rust, Jaci Webb-Dempsey, Neal Shambaugh, Sue Stephenitch, Ann Taylor, Debra Wellman, Jane Zeni, and Amika Kemmler Ernst.