1. The Framework: CQI The Culture: Inquiry-Based Learning The Process: Reflective Practices
The Result:
Sustaining high quality early learning environments for children and families
Muriel Wong
WELS Systems Foundation
February, 2013

2. Intended Outcomes
Learn and reconnect with inquiry learning and its role in quality efforts
Recognize and reaffirm the importance of reflection to us as individuals and to our collaborative work
See the interdependency of inquiry and reflection central to CQI

3. Keystone Stars
OUR FRAME

4. Key Stone Stars CQI Philosophy for Programs Serving Children and Families
Provide the best possible environments (facility, people (children, families, staff), relationships, classrooms, meaningful learning experiences) for our the children and families that we serve.
Go beyond meeting the basics.
Small, continuous steps toward achieving better results that support positive development and learning of children
All site leadership and staff work together to in developing action plans that improve learning environments and move forward unresolved issues to the next CQI level

5. The Framework: CQI DO STUDY PLAN ACT
asking questions, investigating solutions, creating new knowledge as we gather information, discussing our discoveries and experiences, and reflecting on our new-found knowledge.

6. Guide for selecting focus and actions.
How is this working with you and your programs?

7. Building a Culture of Inquiry
Think back to your own experiences in school or work.
Do you remember your favorite project?
What was your topic?
How did you share your information?
What made the experience so special?

8. What is inquiry- based learning
Inquiry implies involvement that leads to understanding. Involvement in learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that permit you to seek resolutions to questions and issues while you construct new knowledge.
What is inquiry- based learning

9. Inquiry is not so much seeking the “right” answer.
It is about seeking appropriate resolutions to questions and issues.

10. Where did Inquiry come from?
J. Richard Suchman (coined the term)
“Inquiry is the way people learn when they're left alone."
Dates as far back as Socrates and the Socratic Method.
John Dewey
Dewey called for education to be grounded in real experience. He wrote, "If you have doubts about how learning happens, engage in sustained inquiry: study, ponder, consider alternative possibilities and arrive at your belief grounded in evidence." Inquiry is a key part of constructivist learning.

11. Major Contributors

12. Major Contributors

13. The Culture: Inquiry for Learning
Evaluating and Transferring
Planning
Creating
Sharing and Reflecting
Reflective Practices
asking questions, investigating solutions, creating new knowledge as we gather information, discussing our discoveries and experiences, and reflecting on our new-found knowledge.

14. Planning Skills and Strategies
Identify a areas for inquiry grounded in QRIS Standards
Identify data and information sources for areas
Identify who is the audience (classroom, groups, families, staff) and approaches
Ways to evaluate progress/change
Select relevant information that is also needed
Evaluate information in relationship to site staff and children/groups
Plan outline
Planning

15. Actions and Interactions
explore ideas and questions and identify areas of focus based on data, information and Standards
consider the needs of the children in classrooms/groups in terms of creating and sharing plans
recognize the process nature of the work and acknowledge that reworking, rethinking and refocusing are integral to the inquiry process
acknowledge the feelings that accompany this phase.
examine data and information sources and the order in which they used them
write/talk about what new questions, problems, issues and ideas have emerged.

16. What are the feelings? What Else?
feel optimistic, yet uncertain and worried
understand that feelings will change during
the process
What Else?

17. Creating Skills and Strategies Organize information Create a plan
Think about the audience – children, families, staff
Revise and edit
Review and revise the plan for inquiry
Creating

18. Actions and Interactions
work with others to develop and enhance the plan
recognize and discuss the strengths and areas of need
complete a plan that incorporates information and suggestions from others and highlights new understandings
recognize that this endeavor requires some thinking and multiple versions before it is ready for sharing
recognize the emergence of new questions, issues and ideas during the creation process
acknowledge the feelings that accompany this phase of the change process

19. What are the feelings? What Else?
feel optimistic initially and confident in their ability
to complete the task
feel increased interest
feel overwhelmed
feel excitement and interest but also pressure to
complete the tasks on the plan
What Else?

20. Sharing and Reflecting
Skills and Strategies
Communicate with among and with staff, directors
Present new understandings
Demonstrate and share about appropriate behavior/interactions children, families and staff  
Sharing and Reflecting

21. Actions and Interactions
share new understandings among and with administrators and teaching teams impact on children in their classrooms/groups
focus on the particular needs of the children in classrooms/groups
teams participate and reflect on what engages them about a particular experience in plan
reflect on the successes and challenges of sharing experiences and write/talk about what has been learned
evaluate sharing strategies and offer suggestions for improvement next time
acknowledge the feelings that accompany this phase

22. feel excitement and interest but also pressure to perform What Else?
What are the feelings?
feel excitement and interest but also
pressure to perform
What Else?

23. Evaluation Skills and Strategies
Evaluate the inquiry process and inquiry plan
Review and revise personal inquiry thinking
Transfer learning and practices into daily routines, procedures and policies
Evaluation

24. Actions and Interactions
understand the evaluation criteria for the inquiry
evaluate own inquiry process, using established criteria
provide constructive feedback to their peers, using established criteria
reflect on similarities/differences between this inquiry and other inquiries in the past
reflect on learning styles and how they influence the inquiry process
reflect on the successes and challenges of their experiences, and write/talk about what they have learned
acknowledge the feelings that accompany this phase.

25. What are the feelings? What Else? feel a sense of relief
feel satisfaction or dissatisfaction
understand how their feelings change
during inquiry
understand how to cope with their changing feelings
What Else?

26. Building a Culture of Inquiry

27. Strategies: Building a Culture of Inquiry
Approach inquiry with enthusiasm and excitement.
Admit that inquiry involves the unexpected for you and for program site staff.
Model the way
Use the language of inquiry.
Facilitate the process—discuss, clarify, support and monitor.
Evaluate the process (and make it really count).
Use technology to do what would be impossible otherwise.

28. Program Staff Doing Inquiry-based Learning
View themselves as learners in the process of learning.
They look forward to learning.
They demonstrate a desire to learn more.
They seek to collaborate and work cooperatively with teacher and peers.
They are more confident in learning, demonstrate a willingness to modify ideas and take calculated risks, and display appropriate skepticism.

29. Inquiry and metacognition
Metacognition: knowledge about own thinking: knowledge of your own thoughts and the factors that influence your thinking
Building a culture of inquiry also means recognizing, supporting and teaching the role of metacognition. Metacognitive skills are part of the “learning to learn” skills that are transferable to new learning situations, in school and out of school. Through reflecting on the process during inquiry-based learning activities, opportunities are given to explore and understand both the cognitive and affective domains of “learning to learn”

30. Sharing and Reflecting
Phase
Cognitive Domain
(thoughts)
Planning
Get a picture of the whole process with its parts QRIS standards
Look at the data sources, develop the story
Consider the audience – children, classroom/groups, staff
Generate focus areas and ideas
Brainstorm resources, sources
Outline a plan for inquiry process
Creating
Begin with a focus
Recognize the difference between relevant and pertinent information
Recognize potential impacts on others
Organize information
Select a formats, approaches for consideration
Revise and edit
Create a plan
Sharing and Reflecting
Think about inquiry process and impact on children and families and environments for learning
Write/talk about new learning as a result of reflecting on the process
Compare and contrast their learning process with that of other classrooms groups in the program
Develop lists of ways to address their frustrations during the inquiry process
Review and revise personal inquiry model
Evaluating
Ask what they learned about the quality elements and impact on children’s learning and development (content)
Ask what they learned about inquiry (process)
Ask why inquiry is important to their quality efforts in their classrooms and as a program (QRIS goals and purpose)
Ask what they learned that they can use in their daily practices and elsewhere (transfer)

31. Discussion/Reflection about Inquiry…
What stood out for you and why?
What connections with your own work did you make?
Do you have any disagreements with what you have heard?

32. Inquiry requires Reflection

33. Reflective Practices
Which of the following definitions do you most agree with?
It is a complex process that requires high levels of conscious thought as well as a commitment to making changes based on new understanding of how to practice.
Reflective Practice provides a way to understand and make sense of the world.
Deliberate thinking about action with a view to its improvement.
Reflection is a process, both individual and collaborative, involving experience and uncertainty. It is comprised of identifying questions and key elements of a matter that has emerged as significant, then taking one’s thoughts into dialogue with oneself and with others.
Reflection-on-action, reflection-in-action and reflection-for-action.

34. Three commonalities exist in most definitions:
Methodical processes
Inquiry orientation
Improvement as a goal
Taggard & Wilson (1998, p.17)

35. “Reflective practice, while often confused with reflection, is neither a solitary nor a relaxed meditative process. To the contrary, reflective practice is a challenging, demanding, and often trying process that is most successful as a collaborative effort.”
Karen Osterman and Robert B. Kottkamp, 1993.
Reflective Practice for Educators. California: Corwin Press,Inc.

36. Reflective Thinking Process
Description
What Happened?
Feelings
What were you thinking and feeling?
Evaluation
What was good and bad about the experience?
Analysis
What sense can you make of the situation?
Conclusion
What else could you have done?
If it arose again what would you do?

37. Individual Reflection contributes to:
enhanced educational practice;
greater awareness of personal performance;
increased recognition of professional dilemmas;
different ways of thinking about dilemmas; and
making adjustments in practice.

38. Dewey’s Three Characteristics/Attitudes of a Reflective Practitioner:
Open-mindedness
Responsibility
Wholeheartedness
Taggard & Wilson (1998, p.17)

39. Reflective Break (Open-mindness, Responsibility, Wholeheartedness)
Do you possess these characteristics now? At what level? (High, Medium, Low)
A. Open-Mindedness 1 - High 2- Medium Low
B. Responsibility 1-High 2- Medium Low
C. Wholeheartedness 1-High 2-Medium Low
Which other desirable characteristics should a reflective practitioner have?

40. Hierarchical Levels of Reflection
Ethics, Morals
LEVEL 2
Theories, Beliefs
LEVEL 1
Actions, Behaviors
Level 1: The level of the actions in the classroom - observable behaviors
Level 2: The theoretical level - the theories behind the behaviors in Level 1
Level 3: The ethical, moral level - the role of the wider community in influencing theories (Level 2) and practices (Level 1)

41. TA and Site Staff Perceptions
The Reflective Schema
Reflective
Stems
TA and Site Staff Perceptions
8 Areas of Inquiry
Beliefs About Practice (Early Learning and Development)
Personal/Professional Identity
Children in Programs
Program Organization
Content Knowledge (Development, interactions, quality)
Continuous Quality Improvements and Data
Social Justice
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
How?
Why?
Reality Destination

42. Two Essential Conditions for Reflective Practice
Trusting relationships
Thought and inquiry
York-Barr, Sommers, Chere, Monte, (2001) Reflective Practice to Improve Schools

43. Trusting Relationships
Treat information with confidentiality.
Deprivatize practice.
Provide framework for a relationship based on learning.
Let participants feel safe, secure, and able to take risks.

44. Components of Trust Being present.
Being aware of oneself, others and the environment.
Being open.
Listen without judgment and with empathy.
Seek understanding.
View learning as mutual.
Honor the person.
Honor the process.

45. Coaching for Reflection Six Levels of Transfer
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

46. Six Levels of Transfer Overlooks Duplicates Replicates Integrates
Propagates
Innovates
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

47. Overlooks Participates in the training but …
Is unable to see how to apply it when she/he returns to their site, home or classroom
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

48. Duplicates Takes the strategy and …
Duplicates it exactly as was taught.
No modification or contextualization.
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

49. Replicates Strategy is applied and it looks slightly different, but …
Is used in a similar context and with similar applications.
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

50. Integrates Uses new strategy/ learning. Blends new learning with old.
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

51. Propagates Uses new strategy/ learning.
Maps the new strategy onto a different context or application.
Strategizes how and where it can be used.
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

52. Daily Habits
New learning, strategy is adapted, reworked, rethought and …
May not even look like the original.
New learning results from first exposure.
Fogarty & Pete (2004)

53. Discussion What is the value of knowing the levels of transfer?
How can the levels of transfer be used to stimulate reflection?

54. Reflection Tools- Journaling
“Reflective teachers can look back on events, make judgments about them, and alter their teaching behaviors in light of craft, research and ethical knowledge”.
Villi, 1997
Reflection Tools- Journaling

55. Reflection Tool – Journaling
What is Journaling?
Journals can be structured:
as a diary;
as a single page;
as a personal learning journal;
in terms of issues;
as a critical reflection.
The process of thinking in writing
A way to reflect on experience

56. Reflecting Questions Describing Questions
Reflecting is about looking beyond the surface and asking questions such as:
Why did I do that?
What was I thinking and feeling at the time?
Where did these thoughts and feelings come from?
What assumptions was I making at the time?
What values and beliefs underline my decisions to act in this particular way?
How did relationships with other people influence what happened?
What happened?
What did I do?
Where was I?
Who was I interacting with?
Who else was in the range of interaction?

57. Reflecting Questions
Reflecting questions can become more complex over time …
Is this way of acting or speaking part of a pattern?
Whose interests does my acting or speaking in this way serve?
What competing views or value systems are apparent?
Are there personal or contextual factors which constrain/limit my view of what is possible in my professional practice?
Can or should these factors be changed?
Who would benefit or suffer if they were?

58. Getting Started with reflective thinking
Questions to help Guide Conversations:
What is the current problem or issue? Describe the context.
What additional information would be useful?
How is it related to other issues?
Who or what could help?
What are the assumptions? How can I (we) test them?
What can I (we) do to create a change?
What are the possible outcomes of these?
What action will I (we) take? Why?
List the outcomes you hope to achieve.
Reflection on the actual outcome. What worked well?
What could I (we)do differently next time?

59. Reflective Thinking Was I as effective as I would like to be?
Set aside 5-10 minutes per day for reflective writing.
Ask yourself:
Was I as effective as I would like to be?
Answer the four main questions:
What happened? (description of the event)
Why? (analysis of the event)
What does it mean?
What can I do? (Implications for action)
Record the impact your actions are having on others and yourself.
When you feel brave enough, share the news.

60. Reflective Thinking for you
From time to time……..
What do I need to do to improve the quality of what I do?
What might I do instead of what I do now?
What innovation could I introduce?
What professional development activities should I be seeking?

61. Goodness of FIT: CQI, Inquiry and Reflective Practices
Evaluating and Transferring
ACT
Planning
PLAN
Creating DO
Sharing and Reflecting
STUDY
Reflective Practices

62. Three key messages from this session that are significant.
Reflection
Three key messages from this session that are significant.

63. Two things that you can apply immediately to your current work.
Reflection
Two things that you can apply immediately to your current work.

64. One question you are still wondering about.
Reflection
One question you are still wondering about.

65. Thinking about our next session, March 22,2013
Administrative Support/Buy-in AND Setting Realistic Goals/Monitoring Progress
What is the current issues?
What are your needs? Needs of providers?
Anything else that is would helpful……

66. Resources