Ms. B’s Thoughts

This is a reflection on my class for Dr. June Schaefer, PYTD The Adult Learner.  We met on a chilly Saturday in January, the 24th to be exact.  I am continuing the practice of posting my reflections here after I email them to Dr. Schaefer.  Writing is writing afterall…and it keeps me blogging!   Too lazy to add any links tonight…maybe I’ll come back to it…or maybe not!

Returning to the cohort group this weekend was exciting.  It was fun to see the new faces added to our group and reconnect with those from the previous semester.  As a learner, I value the social connections, community we are building and the diverse experiences of each member of this cohort.  The “conditions” in which we each learn are different, yet as veteran educators, we understand the importance of pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones.  Since the end of class on Saturday, I have had several email exchanges with classmates communicating about email lists, the wikispace and our overall learning goals.  It is comforting to work with a group of people open to change and willing to try new things.

I enjoyed the model of learning that took place during our class time. Taking time to really get into the heart of the book while in a small group was meaningful.  Much of our conversation circled around learners in education; teachers as learners, but we found ourselves trying to make connections outside of education.  What would adult learning look like in the business world, industry, government?  Teachers as learners are important to understand, but as administrators you also have to work with support staff, secretaries, janitors, maintenance and coaches who may not be teachers.  Sometimes their learning conditions will vary greatly from a traditional “teacher learner”.  It was interesting to have these discussions.

I felt rushed through the day.  I wanted to stop more, reflect more, but when we are together it seems as though we always have so much to “get through”.  What a challenge it is to put together a program across such a great geographical span!  Hats off, June, for rising to this challenge.  At times, I crave a more traditional setting. Yet understand the fact that this is the reality we must work with.  I hope that we can continue to work together to improve communications both during and outside of class.  I’m convinced that taking some time to learn the technologies involved will help us improve communications for the remainder of this cohort program.  It is a worthwhile investment.

One aspect of learning that we discussed in our small group was the difference between theory and practice and the roles each play in teaching and learning.  Theory is the idea of how it is supposed to work, while practice is how it actually functions.  As a special education teacher, this is my world.  In theory, students have a set area of needs, we write goals, work on them, they make progress and achieve their goals.  In practice, that isn’t always the case; however without the theory, we wouldn’t be able to even attempt the practice, thus never even having a remote possibility of achieving any goals.  The question arose: Why should we even care about theory? I believe it is the foundation of learning the practice of your trade.  It is why as preservice teachers we learn about educational philosophy, learning theories and child development.  Without the big picture, we cannot begin to build the puzzle; the pieces would be randomly placed and the picture could remain undefined.

Looking forward, the creation of a professional development program is an exciting task.  I think that the lack of planning that goes into the theory of professional development in schools results in a practice that is looked upon by teachers in a negative way.  It was interesting that so many people referenced the Writing Project as a good model of professional development.  I was doing a search the other day for positive professional development models and the Writing Project model was referenced in several blogs.  The essential elements of community building, having a strong mission, a clear vision and structured protocol all contribute to the success of the model.  Much of our plan in our group will be focused and adapted from things learned through our experiences with the Upper Peninsula Writing Project.  It is interesting to think about the entire project as a whole and how they have successfully replicated the model across the nation.  I love listening to Suzanne tell the story of how Jim Gray came to Marquette when the UPWP was rebirthed and kept insisting over and over again to “do what he said!” Essentially he was telling her to follow the protocol, even though at that time he didn’t use that terminology.  “It works! You’ll see.” He told her repeatedly.  Learning through the study of best practices.  Learn from those who have experienced success, repeatedly.  That’s a good lesson.

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This post is in reflection to two articles sent by my professor, Dr. June Schaefer from Northern Michigan University.  The articles, Collaborative Inquiry by Jane L. David and Moving the Team From Collegial to Collaborative by Carrie VanAlstine were launch pads for a variety of different thoughts.  The questions Dr. Schaefer wanted us to answer/discuss were: 1.  How we defined collaborative inquiry/learning for educators, using information from the articles and our own experiences.  and 2. She asked for some examples of PD opportunities from our personal experiences that we felt were good examples of the models presented in the articles.  Specifically she would like us to start our focus on adult learners. The following is my reflection…

Creating a sense of community within your classroom is maximum priority if you want students to engage in the learning process.  If students do not feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions, there will be very little room for growth and understanding.  If within your classroom there is fear of making a mistake or giving the wrong answer, students will not be able to stretch their limits and reach beyond their abilities.  As teachers we understand this concept.  As administrators it seems sensible that we create an environment within our facilities that establishes a fertile foundation for learning, growth and understanding.

Teaching has historically been a field of isolation.  We teach separately within our classrooms with very little time to even speak with others within our field.  The token five minute hallway conversations aside, there is often very little professional discussions held during the regular school day.  This is not the ideal environment for collaborative learning. The very structure of our school day, the bells, the class periods, the single prep period or recess break, does not provide for more than the occasional bout of collaboration.  In recent years the concept of teaming, whether it be through a co-teaching arrangement or a grade-level shared prep period, has increased the opportunity for collaboration, but has not fully engaged teachers in the process.  Teachers who are members of school improvement teams, student assistance teams, and grade level content teams all meet regularly, but often they haven’t established a solid protocol for the collaborative process. The lack of a protocol can often result in an inefficient use of time and an increase in frustration. My work with the Upper Peninsula Writing Project has provided me opportunity to both study and practice the idea of collaborative inquiry and community building.  It is the philosophy of the National Writing Project that in order to become better teachers of writing, teachers must become better writers.  As part of the “protocol” of the Summer Teaching Institute, the idea of community building is a critical factor.  As a writer if you do not feel comfortable sharing your writing, it is very difficult to improve your writing abilities. Similar in concept to the Writer’s Workshop, teachers from the large group are placed in smaller groups after the directors have a chance to assess personalities, temperament, learning styles and interests.  It is within these groups that teachers collaborate on the writing process.  There is an established protocol with guidelines from the larger group, that are tweaked in the smaller group based on the personal preferences.  It works well.  Protocols are used throughout writing project activities. From writing marathons to teaching demonstrations, the structure, replicated throughout the National Writing Project within the individual sites has resulted in repeated success.

The concept of professional learning communities (PLC) is one that has exploded through the increased use of technology.  With the internet we are able to connect with people across the globe.  Instantly.  We are able to organize, manage, filter and decipher information rapidly and in ways that meet both our personal and professional needs.  Our professional learning communities can extend well beyond our local school buildings.  We have access to an abundance of professional resources and are able to connect with other teachers from around the world that are faced with similar challenges, who may be exploring the same concepts or creating projects, activities or learning environments that align with ours.  It is an exciting time to be in education.  Although slightly different, the concept of creating our own personal learning networks (PLN) is one that allows teachers, administrators and even students to take control of their own learning.  The creation of a network of learners establishes a belief in and a commitment to life long learning.  As teachers, we can model this learning for our students while we encourage them to create networks of their own.  If schools or local areas establish professional learning communities and that contribute to and enhance their personal learning networks, our teaching environment and our students learning environment become explosive arenas for growth and change.

Whether it be a professional learning community or a personal learning network, both provide opportunity to assess student work and reflect upon teaching practices and the impact those practices have on student success.  Any time you can engage in conversation, protocol or a learning activity there will be opportunity for personal growth.  However, teachers often lack the skills (or is it just time!!) to reflect upon best practices or participate in inquiry studies. The use of a protocol helps guide groups of learners in an effective way as they work towards their goals.  Having an established agenda, making sure team roles are defined and meetings held on a regular basis are ways that a protocol can increase teacher interaction and understanding.  The inclusion of technology, the use of blogs to reflect and discuss, a social network to connect with others across a region and perhaps a wikispace to organize and filter information, greatly increases the effectiveness of a learning community.  Time is so precious.  Multiple meetings can disrupt schedules, interfere with student learning, and can become inconsistent due to varying schedules or geographic locations.  The web provides an accessible gathering place for participants in discovering what works best, what others are trying and how to effectively find information that supports their teaching and learning.  Geography becomes a non-issue as we are able to connect with people, in other states, regions or countries.

Yesterday I followed live microblogging on Twitter of people in attendance at FETC.  I caught a link and watched live video presentation via Ustream of Hall Davidson from the Discovery Education Network.  This weekend I can learn from friends and members of my network that are attending the EduCon conference in Philadelphia.  I can read their blogs, ask them questions, engage in conversations, listen to podcasts and view pictures of their experiences at a conference I was unable to attend.  (They even have session protocols outlined! ) The combination of face-to-face collaboration with the connectedness on the web, allows educators to learn and grow in ways that weren’t possible even five years ago.

Making connections with people in our world is a powerful way to learn and discover.  Once our educational system embraces this concept and creates an environment conducive to community buliding and collaborative learning, we will make great strides in improving, not just the learning in our schools, but the quality of living in our country.