1. Facilitating Learning Teams using the Professional Learning Cycle
Adobe Connect for Board Teams of Learning Team Facilitators
January, 2011
Welcome to the Student Success/Learning to 18 Differentiated Instruction Summer Program.
This is the second year of DI Summer Programs for educators of Grade 7-12 students. Last year Student Success provided modules for teachers only. This year, to build leadership capacity for DI, Student Success has provided three modules; one for teachers, one for administrators and one for this group – the DI knowledgeable facilitators.
Student Success/Learning to 18
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2. Session Materials PowerPoint slide summary
Handout 1: Facilitation Approaches and Standards
Handout 2: A Professional Learning Cycle
Handout 3: Plan - Data Sets
Handout 4: Observe - Shared Practice Scenarios
Handout 5: Collaborative Inquiry Continuum
See confirmation or
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3. Poll
I have facilitated learning teams using a Professional Learning Cycle:
never
as a shared responsibility with others
a few times
many times
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4. A rose by any other name…
Collaborative Inquiry e.g.
TLCP
Action Research
Lesson Study
The Professional Learning Cycle is driven by student learning needs.
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5. Professional Learning Cycle
The goal of the Professional Learning Cycle Strategy is to increase student engagement and achievement by providing a process for professional learning that is driven and focused by student learning needs.
If DI is ‘the what’ for implementation then the Professional Learning Cycle is the how…….
SS/L-18ITEB The Professional Learning Cycle

6. Agenda Minds On Poll Welcome and Introductions Purpose and Context
Action
Facilitation
Approaches and Standards
Complementary Roles
Shared Practice
PLAN
ACT
OBSERVE
REFLECT
Consolidation
Reflection and Next Steps
The agenda for the session is set up using the three part lesson plan;
Minds On
Establishing a positive learning environment
Connecting to prior learning and/or experiences
Setting the context for learning
Action
Introducing new learning or extending/reinforcing prior learning
Providing opportunities for practice and application of learning (guided – independent)
Consolidation
Helping students demonstrate what they have learned
Providing opportunities for consolidation and reflection
Note that this is the lesson planning model used in the DI Teaching Learning Examples.
Templates for the 3 part lesson design are available at and in the DI Scrapbook.
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7. Session Purpose
Share practice and build capacity in facilitating learning teams using the professional learning cycle
Sharpen the focus on identifying and addressing student learning needs on an ongoing basis SF
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8. E-Protocols Use signals (bottom left hand corner)
Use “Raise hand” to volunteer to speak
Identify yourself before speaking
Use the CHAT Pod to communicate with the whole group or privately with a colleague by selecting from the drop down menu
Mute your phone or polycom when not speaking to the large group (*6)
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9. Introductions
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10. Provincial Context: Core Priorities
High Levels of Student Achievement
Reducing the Gaps in Student Achievement
Increased Public Confidence in Our Publicly Funded Schools
Note that these 3 goals have remained consistent since the Student Success Strategy began in 2003.
Differentiated instruction is an important means to reaching all three goals.
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11. Student Success/Learning to 18
Focusing on the Core Priorities, Grades 7-12
Programs (e.g., SHSM)
Interventions (e.g., Credit Recovery)
Effective Instruction (i.e., DI Professional Learning Strategy)
ALL
SOME
Necessary for some; good for all
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12. School Effectiveness Framework
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13. School Effectiveness Framework
School and Classroom Leadership
2.4 Job-embedded and inquiry-based professional learning builds capacity, informs instructional practice and contributes to a culture of learning
SS/L-18ITEB The Professional Learning Cycle

14. Learning Teams
Professional learning team meetings have one primary purpose: improved teaching and learning in an area of identified student need.
The aim is… to provide a way for teachers to become increasingly accomplished instructors for the ultimate benefit of students … not (simply) to develop professional learning teams.
If DI is ‘the what’ for implementation then the Professional Learning Cycle is the how…….
Source:
The Evolution of a Professional Learning Team, Tools for Schools (NSDC), Nov./ Dec. 2008
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15. Implications of School-based Inquiry Teams
Using a collaborative inquiry model:
(Shifts teacher) attribution of improved student performance to … teaching rather than external causes
(Gives focus to) an academic problem long enough to develop an instructional solution
SOURCE:
Moving the Learning of Teaching Closer to Practice: Teacher Education Implications of School-based Inquiry Teams 1, Ronald Gallimore, LessonLab Research Institute & UCLA, May 2009
SS/L-18ITEB The Professional Learning Cycle

16. Agenda Minds On Poll Welcome and Introductions Purpose and Context
Action
Facilitation
Approaches and Standards
Complementary Roles
Shared Practice
PLAN
ACT
OBSERVE
REFLECT
Consolidation
Reflection and Next Steps
The agenda for the session is set up using the three part lesson plan;
Minds On
Establishing a positive learning environment
Connecting to prior learning and/or experiences
Setting the context for learning
Action
Introducing new learning or extending/reinforcing prior learning
Providing opportunities for practice and application of learning (guided – independent)
Consolidation
Helping students demonstrate what they have learned
Providing opportunities for consolidation and reflection
Note that this is the lesson planning model used in the DI Teaching Learning Examples.
Templates for the 3 part lesson design are available at and in the DI Scrapbook.
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17. Knowing the Learner POLL
Think about your experience as a facilitator and select the option that best describes you as a facilitator:
Mickey Mouse
The Librarian
Einstein
Elmo
Eeyore
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18. Facilitation Approaches and Standards
Read A and B:
Approaches – Instructional and Facilitative
Standards
HANDOUT 1
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19. Facilitation Approaches and Standards: Board Groups
For either A. Approaches or B. Standards, think about examples of when you have attended (might attend) to one of these aspects of facilitation and how you did it.
Raise your hand when you are ready to share a comment or example.
The research literature related to facilitation often refers to a number of approaches, key skills and ways of working. This activity provides an opportunity to take a brief look at these aspects of facilitation.
Participants locate their Facilitation knowledge and skills handout.
Each table group member will read a segment and then all will share.
Each table participant will get a chance to facilitate an activity for their table and to practice an agreed-upon aspect of facilitation . 19

20. Facilitator Role The facilitator . . .
leads the processes used in a meeting,
choreographs the energy within the group,
maintains a focus on one content and one process at a time.
Adapted from:
Garmston and Wellman, The Adaptive School, p.27
Results from the project schools and research indicate that the facilitator plays a key role in supporting learning teams.
Facilitators may be school-based, a resource teacher for a family of schools, central program staff, etc.
Without a facilitator a team may lose focus, bog down, neglect standards and norms etc.
Without a DI knowledgeable facilitator a team may miss key elements in the data or misunderstand key concepts related to DI
A facilitator is an individual who's job is to help to manage a process of  information exchange. While an  expert's" role is to offer advice,  particularly about the content of a discussion, the facilitator's role is to help  with HOW the discussion is proceeding. 
In short, the facilitator's responsibility is to address the journey, rather than  the destination. 

21. Collaborative Inquiry Continuum
When meeting as a learning team, our work together is facilitated…
HANDOUT 2
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22. Complementary Roles
Think: How do facilitators/ informal leaders and formal leaders support each other in their roles?
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23. Informal and Formal Leaders
Instructional leadership
Set direction
Roles are a function of relationships, influence and activities
Lead, participate and share – activity-based and expertise driven
Organize, manage, design and build collaborative processes and communities
Operational and instructional leadership
Articulate vision
Role of authority
Support teachers in learning – advocacy, time and resources, delegate, distribute power
Create conditions for collaboration
Indicate that clarifying roles to understand one’s role fosters productive collaborative work and distributes leadership.
This clarity allows for deeper implementation.
Many of the characteristics of informal leaders are also shown by formal leaders.
Informal leadership: A process of influencing colleagues and administrators to improve teaching and learning practices with the aim of increasing student learning and achievement
Informal
Instructional leadership
Set direction
Roles are a function of relationships, influence and activities
Lead, participate and share – activity-based and expertise driven
Organize, manage, design and build collaborative processes and communities
Formal
Operational and instructional leadership
Articulate vision
Role of authority
Support teachers in learning – advocacy, time and resources, Delegate, distribute power
Create conditions for collaboration
Katz, Earl, Jaafar, Building and Connecting Learning Communities, p.61
Katz, Earl, Jaafar (2009). Building and Connecting Learning Communities, p.61
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24. Leadership and Student Learning
After teaching, the second most influential factor on student learning is leadership (shared; formal and informal).
Most-effective leadership dimension:
 promoting and participating in teacher learning and development
School-level Factors influencing Student Learning
#1: teaching
#2: leadership (shared; formal and informal)
Vivian Robinson, 2007, School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why in Earl and Katz, Creating a Culture of Inquiry in Blankstein, 2010: Data Enhanced Leadership
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25. A Professional Learning Cycle
This version of a Professional Learning Cycle emerged form the work of Student Success/Learning to 18 with the DI project schools .
It can be found on page 33 of the 2010 DI Facilitator’s Guide
HANDOUT 3
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26. Collaborative Inquiry
… a way of ensuring that collaboration goes beyond casual story swapping and becomes true, intentional joint work that results in new understandings that will move practice forward
Katz, Earl & Jaafar, (2009). Building and Connecting Learning Communities, p.74.
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27. Professional Learning Cycle
For each unit/module:
PLAN
examine student data and work to identify areas of need
determine/access professional learning in order to address areas of student need and to differentiate to reach all
ACT/OBSERVE
implement, adjust, engage in professional learning, share practice
REFLECT
examine student data and work to determine impact, lessons learned, next steps for student and educator learning
STUDENT LEARNING
EDUCATOR LEARNING
Please turn to your Professional Learning Cycle handout for more details on each of the four stages
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28. Depth Classroom Board DATA / EVIDENCE-BASED School ALIGNED (BIP) (SIP)
(planning for teaching and learning)
collaborative inquiry –
professional learning cycle
Depth:
tri-level alignment…..data-informed planning
Specificity: who?
Precision: what? (AfL) and How? (DI)
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29. Example Classroom Board School (BIP) (SIP)
Literacy: Writing
Board
(BIP)
Literacy: Writing
Gr. 9 & 10 Applied/Open
School
(SIP)
Literacy: Writing
Gr. 9 Tech Ed and Visual Arts, Gr. 10 Computer Studies: Common Assessment area - Expression and Organization of Ideas (Achievement Chart)
Classroom
(planning for teaching and learning)
Professional Learning Cycle
(collaborative inquiry)
Common assessment – may just be a common area on the achievement chart – rather than a completely common assessment – relevance across subjects need to remain as driving force
e.g. expression and organization of ideas (focus on writng)
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30. PLAN Student learning need focuses educator learning 30
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31. PLAN In the CHAT Pod, please list:
one or more examples of data/evidence your team could examine to determine a student learning need
the identified student need
EXAMPLE:
Evidence:
Assignment completion;
E, G, S, Ns for ‘independent work’ learning skill;
Attendance
Need:
increased student engagement
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32. PLAN - Debrief Read through the examples
What similarities and differences do you notice?
Questions? (Raise your hand)
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33. Precise Focus on Student Learning Needs (Closing the Gap)
For each unit/module consider:
specific groups of students (e.g., in the 40-59% range, disengaged and underachieving OR
4 or 5 students with varied needs
Who are they?
Why does each group/student typically achieve in this range?
How can these needs be addressed in the upcoming unit/module?
How do these needs relate to the needs of others in the class?
How can instruction be differentiated to reach all learners?
STUDENT LEARNING
TEACHER LEARNING
e.g., worth considering: borderline students 40-59
How many of these are:
boys in grade 7 and 8 who could be more successful and take more academic course types in grade 9
Boys in grades 9 and10 – who achieve significantly less than girls across the board
Students who ‘just pass’ in 9 and 10 and end up as late leavers in grade 11 and 12?
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34. Data Set Topics Select a data set to examine:
HANDOUT 3
Select a data set to examine:
Data Set 1: Career Studies
Data Set 2: Cross-curricular - Reading Readiness
Data Set 3: Math - Solving Linear Equations
Data Set 4: Cooperative Education - Reflection
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35. Data Sets Based on the data/evidence: Identify an area of student need
Determine a focus for educator learning
What evidence would indicate that the need has been addressed?
Note your responses in the Chat Pod for that Data Set.
HANDOUT 3
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36. Collaborative Inquiry Continuum
When meeting as a learning team, our work together…
HANDOUT 2
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37. ACT Implementing strategies to meet student needs
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38. Are Canadian Youth Engaged at School?
Although many students are engaged at school, overall levels of social and academic engagement are quite low.
Levels of intellectual engagement – which tap into students’ sense of interest, feelings about the relevance of school work, and motivation to do well in class – are significantly lower than levels of social and academic engagement.
Levels of student engagement decline steadily throughout the middle and secondary school grades.
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39. Motivation  high effect size
A Focus on Instruction
Motivation  high effect size
John Hattie (2008), Visible Learning, p.240
… motivation is highest when students are competent, have sufficient autonomy, set worthwhile goals, get feedback, and are affirmed by others.
Hattie, Visible Learning, p.48
Also highlights the importance of instruction
Visible Learning
A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement
By John Hattie
ISBN:
Publish Date: November 17th 2008
This unique and ground-breaking book is the result of 15 years research and synthesises over 800 meta-analyses on the influences on achievement in school-aged students. It builds a story about the power of teachers, feedback, and a model of learning and understanding. The research involves many millions of students and represents the largest ever evidence based research into what actually works in schools to improve learning. Areas covered include the influence of the student, home, school, curricula, teacher, and teaching strategies. A model of teaching and learning is developed based on the notion of visible teaching and visible learning.
A major message is that what works best for students is similar to what works best for teachers – an attention to setting challenging learning intentions, being clear about what success means, and an attention to learning strategies for developing conceptual understanding about what teachers and students know and understand.
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40. A Focus on Instruction
Teachers are among the most powerful influences in learning…. John Hattie (2008), Visible Learning, p.240
… teachers using particular teaching methods, teachers with high expectations for all students, and teachers who have created positive student-teacher relationships … are more likely to have above average effects on student achievement. Hattie, Visible Learning, p.126
Also highlights the importance of instruction
Visible Learning
A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement
By John Hattie
ISBN:
Publish Date: November 17th 2008
This unique and ground-breaking book is the result of 15 years research and synthesises over 800 meta-analyses on the influences on achievement in school-aged students. It builds a story about the power of teachers, feedback, and a model of learning and understanding. The research involves many millions of students and represents the largest ever evidence based research into what actually works in schools to improve learning. Areas covered include the influence of the student, home, school, curricula, teacher, and teaching strategies. A model of teaching and learning is developed based on the notion of visible teaching and visible learning.
A major message is that what works best for students is similar to what works best for teachers – an attention to setting challenging learning intentions, being clear about what success means, and an attention to learning strategies for developing conceptual understanding about what teachers and students know and understand.
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41. A Focus on Instruction
Participants may also wish to jot notes and thoughts about DI on this framework diagram.
The Educator’s Guide is organized around the DI Instructional Framework.
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42. ACT – Four Corners
What is the role of formal and informal leaders in the ACT phase?
How might the ACT phase look different for different team members?
What logistical challenges do you foresee and how might these be overcome?
Identify ways to assist or support teachers as they adjust their instruction based on what they learn about their students.
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43. ACT – Four Corners ACT – Four Corners
Select a question to discuss as a team or to think about as an individual.
Raise your hand if you would like to share a point with the large group.
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44. Collaborative Inquiry Continuum
When meeting as a learning team, our work together…
HANDOUT 2
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45. OBSERVE
Sharing instructional practice to monitor student learning and enhance educator learning
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46. Student Work
“One of the most powerful ways to ensure that any (learning team) stays focused – whether within or across schools – is by making sure that it is anchored by actual student work.” p. 76
“Having actual student work is at the center of the collaborative inquiry exercise. It creates the opportunity for evidence-driven, focused professional learning conversations.” p. 76
K-12 message: examine student work to support student learning specifically
Learning teams and networks – and informal leaders
Excellent section on collaborative inquiry and Temperley’s learning cycle work (NZ)
Katz, Earl, Jaafar, 2009 (Corwin)
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47. OBSERVE: E-Group Scenarios
Select a scenario in which you are interested or have had previous experience.
Note your response/thoughts to the question in the chat pod for that Scenario.
Raise your hand if you would like to share with the whole group.
HANDOUT 4
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48. Collaborative Inquiry Continuum
When meeting as a learning team, our work together…
HANDOUT 2
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49. REFLECT Examining evidence to reflect on student and educator learning
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50. Reflect Key Questions for Reflection
How might you assist your learning team in determining whether the strategies they have used have made a difference?
How will you help members of your learning team determine what they have learned and, based on student learning needs, their next steps for professional learning?
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51. Collaborative Inquiry Continuum
HANDOUT 2
When meeting as a learning team, our work together…
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52. Agenda Minds On Poll Welcome and Introductions Purpose and Context
Action
Facilitation
Approaches and Standards
Complementary Roles
Shared Practice
PLAN
ACT
OBSERVE
REFLECT
Consolidation
Reflection and Next Steps
The agenda for the session is set up using the three part lesson plan;
Minds On
Establishing a positive learning environment
Connecting to prior learning and/or experiences
Setting the context for learning
Action
Introducing new learning or extending/reinforcing prior learning
Providing opportunities for practice and application of learning (guided – independent)
Consolidation
Helping students demonstrate what they have learned
Providing opportunities for consolidation and reflection
Note that this is the lesson planning model used in the DI Teaching Learning Examples.
Templates for the 3 part lesson design are available at and in the DI Scrapbook.
SS/L-18ITEB The Professional Learning Cycle 52 52

53. Consolidation Reflection
Think about something that has resonated for you or that is particularly relevant for your board team.
Raise your hand if you would like to share with the large group.
Next Steps
Meet as a team to review the session and plan next steps.
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54. Thank you.
(manager)
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